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Conversations with Calliope- Juggling Words

By Joseph Langen

 


Columbus Circle)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What news?
JOE: A surprise in my inbox.
CALLIOPE: What was it?
JOE: An email from William Safire thanking me for my post about the word marriage and welcoming me as a Lexicographic Irregular.
CALLIOPE: How nice. Did that make your day?
JOE: It did. I have always enjoyed his New York Times language columns but have had difficulty finding them due to limited distribution of the Times in a small town.
CALLIOPE: Is there any way you can still find access?
JOE: Interesting you should ask. I found a link to notify me by email when he publishes anything. I am looking forward to keeping up with his comments.
CALLIOPE: What else is in the fire?
JOE: I sent in my column about the word marriage which will appear in Sliding Otter News this Saturday (request a free subscription at jlangen@slidingotter.com)
CALLIOPE: What else?
JOE: I am finalizing my article on Finding God in Nature.
CALLIOPE: Where will that appear.
JOE: In a forthcoming book, Meeting the God of America by Christian Schall. I'm trying to be patient. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Arguing about Marriage

By Joseph Langen

(Outside Marriage)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Raring to go.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you're charged up about something. Tell me about it.
JOE: Marriage has been on my mind.
CALLIOPE: Don't tell me you're getting married again.
JOE: Relax, No such plans are in the works.
CALLIOPE: What then?
JOE: Yesterday I read in the newspaper more about the ongoing debate over gay marriage and its implications.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: I realized the problem was one of semantics.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: Civil, legal, societal and religious views of marriage have become entangled the the point where people are talking about different things using the same word.
CALLIOPE: I see. What would you suggest?
JOE: It's time we had different terms for civil and religious views of marriage and what they imply. More tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Finding God in Nature

By Joseph Langen
(God in Nature)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I understand there are people waiting to hear our conversation today.
JOE: That's what I heard too. I think they want to know about God in America.
CALLIOPE: So tell me already.
JOE: Yesterday I finished my piece, Finding God in Nature. It's about my path to discovering God.
CALLIOPE: I'd like to know more.
JOE: I started by wrestling with institutional church teachings, prescriptions and proscriptions dating back to childhood through my early twenties.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: I finally realized I could find God in the mysteries of nature and relate on that level with a God who reached out to me in ways to which I could respond.
CALLIOPE: Can you share the whole piece with me?
JOE: It's rather long for a blog. Also I wrote it for inclusion in a book. I'm not sure the author would appreciate my unveiling it before publication.
CALLIOPE: I understand. Where will your piece be published?
JOE: I wrote it for Christian Schall's book in progress, Meeting the God of America.
CALLIOPE: I assume there will be other contributors.
JOE: There will. He has some but from what I understand is still looking for more. He describes his project at http://www.meetingthegodofamerica.com.

Conversations with Calliope- Juggling Projects

By Joseph Langen
(Sunrise in Leroy)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: I feel like a juggler.
CALLIOPE: What are you juggling?
JOE: Several projects.
CALLIOPE: Anything we haven't discussed yet?
JOE: I have agreed to write a piece for a new book, Finding God in America.
CALLIOPE: How's it coming?
JOE: I'm doing better with it than I thought I would. It's quite a topic.
CALLIOPE: I agree. How are you approaching it?
JOE: I started with how I see God these days and where.
CALLIOPE: Which is?
JOE:In nature. I have concluded that most religions become stultified and moralistic with age. Keeping in touch with God through official channels becomes more of an obligation than a joy.
CALLIOPE: So how do you find God?
JOE: That's what my piece is about. I'll tell you more about it tomorrow. See you then.

Conversations with Calliope- Staying Afloat

By Joseph Langen

(Nantucket Lighthouse)

CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I missed you yesterday.
JOE: Sorry about that. I had some web difficulty I was unable to resolved before I left for the day's activities.
CALLIOPE: I see. Glad to have you back. What's new.
JOE: Beth Cahaney's review of my book Navigating Life just arrived.
CALLIOPE: I would like to see it.
JOE: I thought you might. Here goes:

A review of Navigating Life: Commonsense Reflections For the Voyage by Joseph G. Langen

Psychologist and author Joseph Langen discusses life and relationships in his latest book, Navigating Life: Commonsense Reflections For the Voyage. People and places in western New York figure prominently in the book, and as a native of the area, I am amazed at his insight as he examines lives well lived, including his own. Langen reflects on his years of practice, his life in a monastery, and his own spiritual journey in his attempt to help us navigate our lives.

The book is a deceptively easy read, many of the essays having appeared in his weekly newspaper column. They are arranged in chapters with titles such as “Appreciating Life around Us” and “Making Sense of Society.” Within the chapters are essays, each followed by Langen’s Life Lab Lessons. While Langen captivates us with each well written essay, his Life Lab Lessons force us to confront our own lives in reaction to the essay. It’s no easy task as Langen directs us, for example, at the end of “The Power of Will” to list our most important values and then to list the most important values of a person with whom we are in conflict. Listing my most important values—what a good idea, yet one I hadn’t attempted since my sophomore year in high school when my all-time favorite teacher encouraged me to do that very thing as I tried to understand a difficult novel. Perhaps I should have listed my values more than once every fifty years, but I thank Langen for exhorting me to do so.

Langen uses an excellent format for each of his essays. He begins with a quote from an intellectual or spiritual leader or perhaps an anonymous source or even a sports or media personality, then his own well chosen words, often with reference to noted scholars, then wrap up with the Life Lab Lessons. Imagine my joy to find some of my favorite writers imbedded in Langen’s essays: John Eudes Bamberger, Karen Armstrong, Teilhard de Chardin. But perhaps my greatest joy is to read about everyday folks in Langen’s work, folks such as Carol Gomborone and her aunt, Lucille Rider, and to see Joe Langen’s love come shining through. That is the true measure of a life well lived and one from which we can learn to appreciate our own lives.

Elizabeth Cahaney, Professor of Humanities
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

CALLIOPE: Great review. Thanks for sharing it.
JOE: Glad you liked it. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Decisions, Decisions

By Joseph Langen

 

(My Writing Space)
JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Well, thank you.
CALLIOPE: What did you do yesterday?
JOE: I had lunch with Carol and her son on top of the mountain in Oramel and dinner with my mother in Rochester.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like quite a bit of traveling.
JOE: It was. In addition to a thorough celebration of Mother's Day, I got to do some photography in the woods.
CALLIOPE: What about your writing?
JOE: I did talk about it with two of my nieces yesterday. I am still wrestling with my options for our book of dialogues.
CALLIOPE: Are you any further on toward a decision?
JOE: Not really? I still see the pros and cons of the various possibilities. I'm not sure yet what would be best.
CALLIOPE: How do you plan to approach the problem?
JOE: I am waiting for inspiration if you have any. I also plan to discuss it with a few people who know about my writing. I'm sure I come up with a plan eventually.
CALLIOPE: I'll ponder it and let you know if I come up with anything.
JOE: Thanks, talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Gone Fishin'

By Joseph Langen

 

(Joey Not Fishing)


JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. Where have you been?
JOE: Gone fishin'.
CALLIOPE: Likely story.
JOE: It happens to be true. My grandson Joey just turned seven. I bought him some fishing tackle for his birthday and took him fishing for the first time today.
CALLIOPE: How was it?
JOE: We both enjoyed the adventure. So did the fish. They were somewhere else besides under the bridge where we fished.
CALLIOPE: I thought you would be hard at work on our book.
JOE: Patience. I spent most of yesterday working on it. I checked the size of the book with reduced size pictures and realized it was still way too big.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: I have to decide whether to eliminate all the pictures and proceed or publish it myself with pictures.
CALLIOPE: What are the pros and cons?
JOE: If I do it myself, I can include all the pictures in a PDF. If I have Booklocker do it, I will have a distribution channel.
CALLIOPE: What's your inclination?
JOE: I'm still waiting for the jury in my head. You are invited to vote. Talk to you Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- Publishing Details

By Joseph Langen

 (Sunflowers- Leroy, NY)
(Sunflowers- Leroy, NY) JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Energized.
CALLIOPE: Excited about publishing?
JOE: Yes. I have been relaxing a bit lately and not forging ahead.
CALLIOPE: What got you back in gear?
JOE: Who knows? Writing is a mysterious business at least for me.
CALLIOPE: In any case I'm glad you're back at it. Tell me of your progress.
JOE: The entries are ready. I finished the introduction including the ode I wrote for you and the story about rediscovering you as well as a very brief introduction.
CALLIOPE: Did you contact Booklocker yet?
JOE: Yes. I was curious about the particulars.
CALLIOPE: Anything interesting.
JOE: One little surprise. The size of the book can't exceed 3 megabytes.
CALLIOPE: Is that a problem.
JOE: It is when you take into account the pictures I have attached to each entry. I'm working on my options as we speak. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Publishing Time Approaching

By Joseph Langen

 

Broadway Street Sculpture)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Excited.
CALLIOPE: On what account?
JOE: I'm getting ready to publish our book.
CALLIOPE: Do you mean Conversations with Calliope: A Writer's Year with His Muse?
JOE: Exactly so.
CALLIOPE: How did the manuscript suddenly emerge from the mothballs?
JOE: I had difficulty knowing how to organize and format it.
CALLIOPE: And now those issues are resolved?
JOE: They are. I think I know how to proceed and have started putting on the final touches.
CALLIOPE: Then what?
JOE: I will proofread and print the manuscript and then have my two human muses review it.
CALLIOPE: You skipped that step the last time.
JOE: I have learned from my mistakes. I'll keep you posted. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Connecting with Joe Cocker

By Joseph Langen

 

Oatka Creek Falls)
JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Still savoring last night's adventure.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: For the first time, I heard Joe Cocker perform. It's been a long time since I had an experience which defies words.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: We have been discussing words, writing and reading lately. Last night reminded me that there is more to experience than words and ideas.
CALLIOPE: Such as?
JOE: The visceral aspect. The rumbling of the percussion resonated in the core of my being without conveying any words.
CALLIOPE: Did that surprise you?
JOE: Not really. I just tend to forget sometimes that words are not everything and that experience can surround me in many ways besides verbal.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you enjoyed it.
JOE: I did. The volume of the performance eclipsed any thoughts I might try to have. The music filled me and took over my consciousness.
CALLIOPE: Wow!
JOE: That's what I thought. I think I need to be more aware of my surroundings and what they have to offer to all my senses. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Plasma Readers

By Joseph Langen

 

(Cell Phone)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Ready for another week?
JOE: I am.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about your weekend.
JOE: Last time we talked, I was pondering the future of writing in terms of paper or plasma.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: I discovered an Innovation and Creativity Festival taking place at Rochester Institute of Technology on Saturday.
CALLIOPE: Did you attend?
JOE: I took my grandson who I thought would be interested in the robots and of course he was.
CALLIOPE: I'm glad you got to spend some time with him. You were talking about the future of writing.
JOE: Oh, yes. The first exhibit I found was one on the RIT Open Publishing Lab and the future of publishing.
CALLIOPE: What did you discover?
JOE: I finally got to hold an e-book reader and examine it.
CALLIOPE: What did you think?
JOE: I'm ready for one yet. It would be like reading from an etch a sketch. I'll tell you more tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Paper or Plasma

By Joseph Langen

At the Penthouse)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Pretty good. I woke up early and today's blog topic stuck in my mind.
CALLIOPE: Did it?
JOE: Don't be coy. I know you put it there.
CALLIOPE: Okay. So what did you think?
JOE: It's catchy and timely. I have been wondering about it lately.
CALLIOPE: Tell me.
JOE: Last Sunday at a penthouse party in New York I discussed with people the advent of several e-book readers and their potential effect on the publishing world.
CALLIOPE: Do you think that's a good thing?
JOE: Like anything new, it's a mixed blessing.
CALLIOPE: What about for you?
JOE: I like the feel of books and am used to holding one while reading. I also like seeing my favorites around me as I write.
CALLIOPE: I understand the emotions. How about practicality?
JOE: That remains to be seen. I like the idea of having information at my fingertips and being able to carry a library with me. The jury's still out as far as I am concerned. Talk with you Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- Humility and Semantics

By Joseph Langen

 

(Sitting in Herman Melville's Seaman's Bethel Seat)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Still digesting yesterday's lesson in humility and semantics.
CALLIOPE: I think there might be a story behind that statement.
JOE: How astute. I told you about my go around last week with some traditionally published authors.
CALLIOPE: I recall. You called them elite authors and decided you must be a pica author.
JOE: Correct. I decided to start a group on Linked In (www.linkedin.com) for pica authors.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: And nothing. Prospective group members either had no idea what I was talking about or didn't care. No response at all.
CALLIOPE: Perhaps a little of your own hubris showing.
JOE: Perhaps. In any case I removed the Pica Authors Group and replaced it with a group for Non-Traditional Authors meeting with immediate enthusiasm.
CALLIOPE: What do you think made the difference?
JOE: Setting aside my vitriol and appealing to the needs and interests of fellow non-traditional authors.
CALLIOPE: Congratulations on learning an important lesson.
JOE: Thanks. I'll keep you posted. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Rocking the Boat

By Joseph Langen

 (In the Monastery Garden with Carol)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Back on my feet. I'm caught up with my correspondence and ready to get back into the groove.
CALLIOPE: You mentioned in passing yesterday that you had written some seditious pieces. I don't recall discussing this with you before you. Could you elaborate?
JOE: Toward the end of my monastic days, I started putting my thoughts on paper regarding reservations about the direction my religious order was taking.
CALLIOPE: Was that so bad?
JOE: I suppose not. My indiscretion was in circulating my writing which eventually fell into disapproving hands.
CALLIOPE: I see. And that led to your being kicked out?
JOE: Not directly. I was given a warning and put on probation due to my views.
CALLIOPE: How did you deal with that?
JOE: I wasn't quite ready to leave so I backed off for a while. I did not stop writing but tried to be more careful about who I let see my writing.
CALLIOPE: Whose decision was it for you to leave in the end?
JOE: I made the decision, but under duress and with a feeling of relief on the part of my superiors.
CALLIOPE: Did your recent monastery visit give you any further perspective on your decision to leave?
JOE: I realize I made the right decision. I think I have a better understanding of the various points of view prevalent at the time and that mine was not shared by the powers that be. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Bully Pulpit

By Joseph Langen

 

(Monastery Pulpit)
JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. I trust you had a nice trip to New York.
JOE: Indeed it did. Memorable in many ways.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about one.
JOE: I visited a monk at Immaculate Conception Monastery in Queens where I once lived. It brought back many memories and helped me settle some things in my mind.
CALLIOPE: Such as?
JOE: Reading and writing for one thing. There were books I was forbidden to read (Kant, Descartes, etc) which I read anyway. I saw the locked room where they were then kept.
CALLIOPE: What memories did that bring back?
JOE: My own somewhat incendiary writings from the time which eventually got me sent out of the monastery. It was the first time my writing made a difference to anyone.
CALLIOPE: Quite a start. How about now?
JOE: I don't write anything quite so inflammatory. Now I just offer my readers a chance to look at their lives in a more subtle way. The brashness of youth!
CALLIOPE: Amazing isn't it. Where did the experience leave you?
JOE: Wondering about what topics I should address these days and in what manner.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a useful thought.
JOE: We shall see. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Curiouser and Curiouser

By Joseph Langen

 

(Dunkirk Harbor Jetty)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What happened with the elite and pica authors?
JOE: Good question. The discussion became hot and heavy for a while.
CALLIOPE: Then what?
JOE: The whole thread disappeared mysteriously without any explanation.
CALLIOPE: Where do you think it went?
JOE: Hard to say. I can only speculate.
CALLIOPE: What's your speculation?
JOE: Someone's feathers were probably ruffled. The site in question might prefer that its members play nice and don't raise any controversial issues or express any emotions.
CALLIOPE: As you say, curious.
JOE: I agree. I was waiting to see whether a rapprochement between traditionally and self published authors might be forthcoming. The conversation was whisked off before the result became evident.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: Hard to tell. I'm awaiting further developments.
CALLIOPE: Do you have any plans?
JOE: If no satisfactory conclusion arises, I am planning to start a forum for pica authors. I will be away for a few days and will get back to you mid week.

Conversations with Calliope- Elite and Pica Writers

By Joseph Langen

 

(Nineteenth Century Printing Press)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Riled up.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: Yesterday I read on LinkedIn a post suggesting that self published writers should not be allowed to call themselves authors.
CALLIOPE: In those words?
JOE: The suggestion was made that it "smacks of hubris" for self published authors to consider their writing better than what gets published by the big New York publishing houses.
CALLIOPE: Ah yes, hubris. Finally a Greek word. As it recall it means an exaggerated sense of self importance.
JOE: That's my recollection as well. I don't recall throngs of self published writers trying to outdo those favored by the big boys. I do think they would like some respect and are sometimes relegated to lower status by those who have made it big.
CALLIOPE: What explains this reaction?
JOE: In my opinion, they are the ones with hubris, at least those who lord it over self published writers or possibly their insecurity is showing.
CALLIOPE: Do you know for sure what their motivation is?
JOE: I have learned over the years that motivation is a complex subject and usually has more than one aspect. But you asked for my opinion.
CALLIOPE: Well taken. What's your suggestion?
JOE: Maybe those who publish with the big boys could be called elite authors while those who self publish or who write and don't publish could be known as pica authors. Talk with you tomorrow

Conversations with Calliope- Life's Mysteries

By Joseph Langen

 

(Pillar Fragment- Santianna, Spain)
JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: In a reflective mood.
CALLIOPE: About what?
JOE: I was just speculating to myself about what makes the world so interesting and worth writing about.
CALLIOPE: Did you come to any conclusions?
JOE: I'm not sure I can speak for everyone, but the mystery I find in nature and in people fascinates me.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: I have been working on a piece about what God means to me. After writing about it for a while, I reached the conclusion that I find God in the mysteries which surround me at every turn waiting to fascinate me if I just stop to pay attention to them.
CALLIOPE: Are you able to unravel the mysteries?
JOE: Not usually.
CALLIOPE: Isn't that frustrating?
JOE: Not really. I can sit with a mystery and enjoy its intricacy, realizing I am in the presence of something more profound than I am. It's my way of being close to God.
CALLIOPE: I see. Sounds like a good realization.
JOE: I think so. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Roots and Branches

By Joseph Langen

 

(Tree Branches)
JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Energized.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I told you I work up that way yesterday. I struggled all last week to write anything. Yesterday ideas flowed easily from my mind to my fingertips and into cyberspace.
CALLIOPE: Glad all systems are go. What's on your mind this morning?
JOE: One of the insights I had yesterday dates back to incidents which took place forty five years ago. Thoughts about what happened arose from thinking about meeting next week with an old classmate from the seminary I last saw in 1965.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about the insight.
JOE: I had been living in a monastic order and became increasingly more in conflict with the powers that be. I have struggled off and on over the years to understand what happened.
CALLIOPE: And you finally figured it out?
JOE: I think so. At least I have an idea. Those in charge were seeking to rediscover the roots of the order. I was on top of the tree, more interested in branches and new growth. Mutual distrust evolved from not being on the same page.
CALLIOPE: An interesting thought. How can you use it now?
JOE: Obviously it is too late to reconcile anything. But this might be a good theme for a story, or perhaps more than one.
CALLIOPE: Let's watch for one.
JOE: Sounds good for me. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dark Night and Dawn

By Joseph Langen

 

(Oak Bluffs Sunrise)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I missed you on Saturday.
JOE: I didn't feel inspired to write.
CALLIOPE: Don't blame me. I was here waiting for you.
JOE: I know. I don't blame you.
CALLIOPE: What was it then?
JOE: As I told you, I have not felt much like writing all week and found it a struggle to get anything into words.
CALLIOPE: To what do you attribute this lack of inspiration?
JOE: It took me a while to figure it out.
CALLIOPE: Please share what you discovered.
JOE: I have been reading about the dark night of the soul as you know. Last week was not one for me as far as I know. However I have been there in the past and have worked with many people as they struggled to make sense of them.
CALLIOPE: What was the effect of reading about it?
JOE: I have come to understand the dark night as a time of putting ordinary life on hold, stepping back and reevaluating life. Just reading about it put my creative thoughts on hold for a while.
CALLIOPE: How long do you expect this to last?
JOE: I awoke at 4:30 this morning my mind brimming with creative ideas. I guess it's over now. Talk with you tomorrow.
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