A Sampling of Essay Titles for a New Collection of Writing

Mything Links: The Subtle Wisdom of Stories

Or

Give Them Names: Tapping the Wellsprings of Myth

Not sure which way to go with the title; still fluid.

I am using this critical time of the Covid Virus spread to create a new volume of essays. Some of them have been published in journals and in newspapers as Op-Ed pieces; others have been delivered at conferences or on-line but have not bee published; others were written to be delivered but the event was cancelled. Some are earlier film and book reviews that I particularly like. A few consist of multiple pages of notes I took in order to write an article on the topic but never returned to them. Now is the right time to turn the notes into a coherent essay.

I thought you might like to read a few of the titles.

Part I:  untitled

“Tender Mercies and the Quest for Wholeness.” Film review

The Lighthouse: Prosperos’ Playground.” Film Review

“Moby-Dick as Figure in the Field: Mythmaking as Soul-Saving.”

“Envy’s Corrosive Consequences: Dante’s Purgatorio.”

“Riting Myth: Spiral and Memory.”

The Things They Carried: Notes on the Nature of Story.” Compiled notes on Tim O’Brien’s record of his experiences in Vietnam.

“Reading and the Mythopoeic Imagination.”

 Part II: untitled

“Poetics of Myth.”

“Temenos of Imagination: Classroom as Sacred Surprise.”

“Peace is an Attitude: Seeing into the Invisibles.”

“From Resentment to Love.”

“Pornography Does Not Stop with Sexploitation.”

“Being Certain About Uncertainty.”

The total number of essays will be 24, give-or-take a couple. Currently the manuscript, which I will begin to compile, edit and rewrite now that I have the chosen essays, is 314 pp. I include in that a Foreword by yet-to-be-determined and a short Introduction by me.

I have never spoken about a book of mine in progress, but Toni D’Anca convinced me that it would be of interest to some who visit my website. I trust Toni’s instincts without reservations, so here it is.

If any of you is interested in letting me know what of the two titles listed above has more appeal, I would love to hear from you. Titles are tricky and essential to get right, as any of you know who has written an essay, a poem, a dissertation, a published book or a painting or photograph. Titles set the tone for what is to come, so I welcome your opinion.

Many thanks for taking a look. I am glad that I am posting this now for your consideration. Many blessings to you all.