Gravitas

New Bash

July 11 - Zartmans’

Maybe OUTDOORS!

extraordinary fun

On 5/2 a good time was had by all.

We decided for 5/24 to do some Milton and some Bach.

We are meditating future bashing, taking into consideration what people want to do. Some want presentations and preparations. Me, I’m not averse to it, just skeptical. But I seem to be the only one skeptical.

We have some suggestions but more are welcome.

1. With the aid of The Well Wrought Urn by Cleanth Brooks, we might work our way through the ten poems (one of the poems being the play Macbeth) with aid from the insight in that book.
2. Some are keen in dabbling into other Southern Agrarians, there being a general feeling that on the part of some that farms are interesting, or at least that ideas about farms are interesting.
3. We still have some chapters of the excellent Pieper who gave us reason for much rejoicing in thought this evening.
4. We want to keep reading our way through Understanding Fiction.

We have talked about having a bash on Saturday, May 24, to welcome our out-of-town guests.

Is anyone interested in also having a bash the first weekend in May?

Wish Rachel a happy birthday (in French preferably)!

Seeing that the White’s have been absent from the last two bashes and the retreat,

And seeing that no bash has yet been scheduled for March,

The Whites would like to host the next bash on March 29.

Objections or Considerations?

Gravitas members,

In the hopes of eluding any gross misorganization or time-wasting, I have taken it upon myself to put together a tentative schedule for the retreat. I hope to gather some input, whether pros, cons, or other suggested changes. I may be mistaken concerning some of the details of what is going on, and you should feel free to step in and correct me where needed. I hope this action on my part seems agreeable to most.

At the last minute we have an offer at the Zartman’s.

We will have our usual Milton group at 8AM.

For any who care to linger, we’ll watch The Art of Piano after this = 10AM.

Then perhaps Lunch, though this might be after the next item.

Then we want to begin working on Jane Austen and answering the question, How Does She Do It? This is for those interested in writing.

All are welcome, just somehow let Katrina know.

There is going to be a retreat. It is going to be an attempt to put together some of the ideas we have about culture or at least to fumble them around a little more so they become worn and look used.

What would be nice would be if some preliminary material could be provided, some reading or a lecture. At least some feel this way, perhaps feeling dubious about what can be provided at the time.

Todd thinks he might offer something on Ricky Weaver.

I am not sure what Ryan ended up with. He will have to inform you himself. I know it is not Pieper since Eric took that and then bailed on the whole thing. Alas, poor Eric!

The Nelsons are going to do something on Rod Dreher, I believe. Some blog person? Yes. Well, that is their prerogative after all.

Deborah is offering us Chris Dawson. I believe there is at least one lecture on Christopher Dawson at ISI. It may even be delivered by Russel Kirk. If you do not own any of his writing you should be ashamed, hang your head, and maybe look for a pack of evangelicals to hand out with instead.

And I plan to hold forth on Roger Scruton. You can do many things in order to prepare for Scruton. Go here and see what books he has, what articles, google him perhaps. He has several lectures on the ISI’s site, and I think the one on why culture is important would be pertinent. Or you can just read Matthew Arnold’s Culture and Anarchy and pretty much get all you need there.

We will also read stories. I will bring many stories to read, various and sundry. It may be other things are planned, but these are not so interesting to me. Others will have to plan them and advertise them.

Oh yes, there will be food, probably.

To those who were able to make it to Olivia’s concert, she is very thankful. In fact, she was sad that she didn’t get to see you all afterwards.

Please note: A problem has indeed arisen regarding tickets for the free concert on Sunday. Jennifer has attempted to contact everyone we knew who was interested. In case she missed someone, I simply note here that you must contact us. We have some tickets yet available for both the 2:00 pm concert and the 4:00 pm concert.

Thank you~