Coming soon: Rilke Book Club!
Examining the timeless musings of one of the world's greatest poetic voices
“Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.” —Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
Greetings, dear friends,
If you’ve ever read Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet, you know that it contains not only beautiful and vital advice for people with artistic callings, but that it is a deep and mysterious sea of reflections about life in general. The book, comprised of a series of letters, Rilke’s correspondence with a 19-year-old military academy cadet who sought the older poet’s writing advice, touches on a wide range of topics, from solitude and nature connection to the work of a writing life to friendship, romance, and sex. It is a book, in my opinion, that is a must for literal young poets, but I would also encourage any human person to read and study it, and to discover its many treasures.
In the spirit of that discovery, I have a cool announcement, and, if you find yourself interested in this announcement, a quick favor to ask.
I am coming to this book later than I would’ve liked. I have read Rilke’s poetry for years, and have always known about Letters, but never picked it up until my dear friend, the talented writer and host of the brilliant podcast Waking Youth, Carlota Guedes, encouraged me to do so. She was nice enough (perhaps she understood how much I needed Rilke’s advice) to send me a copy in the mail. Since then, having read it over the summer, and having discussed it briefly with Carlota, I feel as if a door to a new realm of inspiration (and dedication to my craft) has been opened in me.
Not long ago, during one of our conversations, Carlota had a great idea. We should book club this work, she said. Having heard this idea a hundred times in the past from a hundred other people who weren’t serious about it, my response was probably something like, “Yeah, sure, we should.” But Carlota meant it. This book is a gift for anyone who dares to unwrap it. She wanted to share that gift with others, and since then I’ve been moved by her will to do so.
So yes, we really should book club it.
Since then, Carlota and I have been formulating a plan as to how we might go about this. We know that we want to keep the group small, perhaps at around 10 participants. We want it to be intimate because that is what the book demands, and we want every voice in the (digital) room to be heard. We know that this will be a meeting that occurs weekly, probably on Sundays, for about an hour or so over zoom. Since the letters are short in length, we plan to spend each meeting examining a pair of letters/chapters. We envision this beginning sometime in late September (I am holding back a few details for now because, well, keep reading).
We know that we want to study and discuss a particular translation, which is the one Carlota sent to me initially, that of Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy, which is quite beautiful and pictured and linked here.
Now for the favor. Below is a link to a very brief survey, which is comprised of just a few questions that will ultimately help us organize a great and meaningful book club. In other words, we want to hear from you, if you are indeed interested in joining us, what an ideal book club (along with some logistical inquiries) would look like for you. We would very much appreciate your feedback.
Well, friends, that about says it. If this stirs your interest, please feel free to reach out, answer the survey questions, and look forward to more details about the workshop, which will be coming out shortly.
Carlota and I thank you. This is not just a passive idea. It is happening, and Rilke is guaranteed to deliver. We will do our best to guide a meaningful discussion along the way.
Until soon, may the universe intervene on your behalf. I’m sure it already is.
With Love,
James
One of the husbands of my heart! Can’t wait 🥰
Excited to see this book club come to life :)
Hadn't picked up on this quote: "Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love." Wow.