Greetings reader. At the time of writing, these past couple days have brought along a string of difficulties–our single car is out of commission, sleepless nights, and more that I won’t detail. An upside: times like these push us to consider, “Is there a better way?” Asking that question led me to the reflections in this volume’s essay, and the Warp explores other applications such as ways of doing things better in society, working with our hands, and curating our words.
–Taylor

Yellow Lady's Slipper • Photographed in the wild • James Manning of Two Hoots Studio

I Bought a Computer–What Would Berry and Ellul Say?

Discernment & Paradox

by Taylor Reed || 954 words (4 minute read)

Was Wendell Berry onto something that should be more widely considered regarding his refusal to buy a computer? He’s always written by hand. There’s irony in the fact that one of the writings that has most consistently guided Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology speaks to avoiding screens (see below). Despite that, much of my time spent working for this organization so far has been just that—behind a screen. You’re not physically seeing me or hearing presently spoken words either. Our encounter is digital.

Breathe with unconditional breath

the unconditioned air.

Shun electric wire.

Communicate slowly. Live

a three-dimensioned life;

stay away from screens.

Stay away from anything

that obscures the place it is in.

There are no unsacred places;

there are only sacred places

and desecrated places.

(An excerpt from Wendell Berry’s poem, How to Be a Poet)

Would my head buzz a bit less from the notched up technological engagement I feel beholden to if I unplugged this computer from the internet? Or if I used a typewriter to piece this together? Would I feel a more deep-seated connection to my friend if I had received a hand-written letter or dropped by their house to catch up rather than sending a message through social media? Probably. Each of those choices involves some level of intention, and that intention entails difficulty. Where do I draw the line?

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The Warp — Ideas and Inspiration

|| 1 || This week’s essay touched upon the speed of society. French philosopher Paul Viriliocreated the term “dromology” to refer to the “science (or logic) of speed,” which much of his work focused on exploring. His examination honed in on speed in the context of society and warfare, and he made the case that by underestimating the influence speed has upon this world, we’re also underestimating its’ negative consequences. “The faster you go, the more risks you take.” If you’re wondering how we got here, and want to slow down with a book, consider Virilio’s “Speed and Politics.”

|| 2 || In the realm of spirituality, I’ve been considering the importance of actions, embodiment and presence, as opposed to mere beliefs and intellectual assent. The fact is, though, that the two categories are intertwined. What we do reflects what we believe, and our physical actions shape our understanding. Exploring a similar parallel in “For the Stoic Musonius Rufus, manual work is philosophy too,” Lee Clarke critiques the apparent separation between philosophy and manual work. His writing limits application to the “skilled trades,” but I think the concept applies just as well to positions we might deem “unskilled.” (As the former fastest dishwasher west of the Mississippi, I’m biased.) “Philosopher Kings,” a movie that shares the stories of custodians working at various universities, dives into this notion and reveals that wisdom isn’t limited to the ivory tower or “skilled trades”.

|| 3 || Podcast, First Draft: A Dialogue of Writing, recently aired an interview with poet Jeffrey Yang on his new release, “Line and Light.” I was struck by Yang’s breadth of inspiration: visual arts, music, ecology, meaning, Buddhism, woodcarving, and so on. It was the woodcarving itself that brought me to the talk in the first place. Although there’s no mention of spoon carving, the brief text excerpt about the similarities of woodcarving and poetry is worth a look–the rough and short, both communicate powerfully through what’s removed.

The Weft — News and Events

|| 1 || With the help of community-members like you, we are bringing downtown Traverse City a unique optimized and intentional music and performing arts venue, along with nearly 2,500 sq. ft. of publicly accessible space for visual art-- all co-located within the community-owned walls of the Commongrounds Cooperative building at 414 East 8th St. Donate, share, and learn more about what this powerful initiative can do for our community at patronicity.com/tc .

|| 2 || The Edible Trails Project will be hosting a Celebration of Life in memory of Jonathan Aylward on Sunday, July 17th at 2pm at DeYoung Natural Area. Find additional details here.

|| 3 || Traverse City Dance Project is returning to the Crosshatch meadow! The program features a stellar cast of eight professional dancers from national and international companies, including Traverse City natives Sarah Wolff and Gabriella Dorman. This year, TCDP will feature four works, including new creations by directors Jen Lott and Brent Whitney, and a staging of Italian-born Mauro de Candia’s Something I Had in Mind. TCDP originally presented this playful balletic comedy as part of their very first season in 2012.

The evening will also feature live music—a collaboration by former Alonzo King LINES dancer and rehearsal director Kara Wilkes and celebrated Kalamazoo-based cellist and vocalistJordan Hamilton. Hamilton and Wilkes are recipients of the TCDP’s 2022 NewVo Fellowship, which supports new creations by choreographers and composers. The NewVo Fellowship is made possible by a seed grant from Rotary Charities of Traverse City.

Scheduled date: Wednesday, August 3rd at 7 pm, with a rain date of Friday, August 5th. Tickets are available on a sliding scale from 0 to $20. (if that link is broken, start here instead.)

|| 4 || In partnership with SEEDS we're teaching food preservation this summer! We'll have an outdoor classroom set up adjacent to our food preservation trailer every third Thursday at the SEEDS Farm at Historic Barns Park in Traverse City. Our upcoming session tackles freezing and storing homegrown fruits and vegetables to be used in baked goods, with demonstrations from 3-3:45pm and 4-4:45pm, on June 16th. And in case you haven't already met, our preservation station is an enclosed cargo trailer that unpacks into a high-efficiency, three-season food preservation kitchen and workshop space.