NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2020

Hi folks - welcome to this week’s brief highlights of our slow conversation about beautiful, and difficult things.

1: What Does Media Violence Do?

I’ve been thinking again about the relationship between the violence in the stories we tell and violence in the real world. Media violence (in movies, television, literature, music and games as well as “the news”) is such a part of our lives that it may seem either not worth bothering with, or such a huge problem that we could never change it. But whether or not the violence we rehearse in the stories we tell leads to violence in the “real world” is a serious question. We can’t afford to ignore or misinterpret it. It occurred to me this week that the progressive “solution” to violence is actually quite conservative, and vice versa.  At The Porch recently I posed five questions about media violence - I’ll try to offer some responses next time.

2: On a related note I finally finished Deadwood - the HBO series about the evolution of a lawless camp into a formalized US American city, with mythic resonance for our understanding of the nation. The writing, directing and performances are outstanding - delicate and raging, subtle and loud at once. It takes care to show violence as dehumanizing to everyone involved, and doesn’t sugarcoat the competition between empire-building and the pursuit of peaceable community. The most striking characteristic of the show is the way each episode frequently pivots between cruelty and compassion; it’s clear that the show wants to be on the side of the angels. But it has one enormous blind spot: the near complete absence of Native Americans, from whom the land was stolen in the first place. It adds to the irony of what the show itself is trying to say: that the founding vision of US American culture was a glorious dream, full of holes, including in the self-understanding of those who believed in it the most. There’s a lovely profile of Deadwood’s creator David Milch, here.

3: Porch Courses begin next week (September 14th, 2020) - with Black Movies, American Lives and Queer Christianities. These courses provide a space - led by distinguished teachers, artists, and activists - for us to seek wisdom, find community, and contribute to a better world. Many of us are tired of online engagement, so we’re planning an experience that respects your time and energy, and allows for participation at your own pace. Porch Courses are a dream come true for many of us - just five sessions per course, but with real substance and meaning. We promise more than “information”, but transformation: of our sense of self, our beliefs and attitudes toward others, and what we consider possible in a world that is under so much pressure, and full of so much possibility. It would be so good to have you with us. Check out Porch Courses here.

PS: I’m happy to say that we’re extending our partnership with the filmmakers behind COUP 53, the acclaimed telling of the overthrow of Iran’s democratically elected government in 1953. If you didn’t get to see it at its premiere transatlantic screening this past week, COUP 53 will still be available for a few more weeks. Viewers in the US can buy tickets via this link. The film is excellent, and all ticket purchases support The Porch. If you’re in Ireland, the UK, Chile, or Canada, click this link instead. The film isn’t yet available outside those countries, but hopefully will be in the future.