Interviewsand Articles

 

Five Slants on the Environment: Newsletter #37

by Richard Whittaker, May 13, 2016


 

 

Welcome. Here are five different slants on the environment, or perhaps tangents would be a better word; some are deeply encouraging and each is compelling reading. After I’d heard just a few sentences from Manuel Klarmann I sensed a remarkable story. Fortunately, this young Swiss entrepreneur found time for an interview during his stay in the Bay Area. It’s a story worth reading; the vision behind Eaternity is not only uplifting, it’s eminently within reach.
     Our interview with Dr. Ramkumar Kutty came about thanks to my three-week stay at Vaidyagrama near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, India. One needn’t know anything about Ayurveda to find this conversation something special. The luminosity I encountered there can be recognized by anyone.
     We’ve had the pleasure of publishing a number of artist/writer Ladislav Hanka’s deeply felt and eloquent essays. This one, from his book In Pursuit of Birds is better than any review we might have crafted. Maybe that’s all that need be said by way of introduction.
     Sculptor Richard Berger’s death was a blow to so many of us who knew him and his work. His acerbic and penetrating genius was well known and much appreciated, but impossible to convey precisely. Fortunately, over the years, we published a number of examples of this artist’s gift. And here’s a gem I’d almost forgotten. Those who knew Berger will appreciate the deeply autobiographical resonance in “Pal.” With an utter lack of sentimentality, it brings us to real feeling. In thinking about this piece, I realize now that the content of Berger’s work was always ontological.
     And finishing up, here’s a panel discussion that took place at the Berkeley Art Center featuring artists John Toki, Sam Bower and playwright, poet and actor Kathleen Cramer. The topic: art, nature and the environment. It was a quality evening.
   
 

About the Author

Richard Whittaker is the founding editor of works & conversations and West Coast editor of Parabola magazine. 

 

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