Standing At an Angle to the Universe

Bonus Episode #2: ”The Art of Failure” (Speech)

After I finished recording the final episode of my podcast I felt there was something left unsaid, a monster in the closet that needed to be exposed to the light of day.   On  October 20, 2023, a week before my 60th birthday, I gave a presentation at my local library on "The Art of Failure".    So many people enter the arts thinking they'll be an overnight sensation, only to be disappointed when they come to realize just how much time and effort will be required to even have the slightest chance at success. This speech is a sobering look at the creative life, the toll it exacts on its practitioners, the years of hours it takes to master your craft. It is a call to arms for those who will persist and persevere, no matter the obstacles and frustrations, the visionaries who stubbornly resist any attempt to dummy down their work or make it more palatable to mainstream audiences.

Bonus Episode: ”Libraries: Places of Mystery & Imagination” (Speech)

Last year, I gave a presentation celebrating my local library region's 50th anniversary. I spoke of my lifelong relationship with libraries, how they fueled my love of books and reading, and, also, the important role they have assumed during a time when we need authoritative, trusted repositories of information and wisdom.

Episode 10: ”Kafka & Me”

A very personal tribute to Franz Kafka, not only a literary hero and major influence on my work, but someone I consider in many respects a soul brother. An original and unprecedented author, someone who never shied away from depicting the dark side of human nature. You think you know Kafka, but you really don't. This episode dispels some of the myths surrounding his life and oeuvre, and reveals a courageous, flawed man, someone ideally suited to write about the struggles of the individual in mass society, the horrors of blind, heedless bureaucracy. Reading List for this episode [https://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2023/09/23/standing-at-an-angle-to-the-universe-reading-list/]

Episode 9: ”When the Blade Cuts Too Deep” (Satire)

Satire and dark, edgy humor have always had an important place in societies, from ancient times to the present day. Let's identify some of the literary masterpieces that have made us laugh, but also carry a sharp sting, reminding us of the immortal words of Steve Martin: "Hey, comedy is not pretty". Reading List for this episode [https://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2023/09/23/standing-at-an-angle-to-the-universe-reading-list/]

Episode 8: ”Building Character”

Great stories and novels always feature fascinating, maddening, inspiring and terrifying characters, men and women we feel an immediate connection with, an affinity that seems strange when you consider they are wholly made up, fictional people. This episode touches on some of the compelling characters I've come across in my many years of reading, everyone from Tom Sawyer to Hannibal Lector, and explores why they have become part of the literary canon, as timeless and enduring as the phases of the moon. Reading List for this episode [https://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2023/09/23/standing-at-an-angle-to-the-universe-reading-list/]