The Timeless Wisdom of Gary Snyder
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When I got the idea last September to start the Wise Talkers podcast in search of actionable wisdom that can help us navigate today’s turbulent world, I knew just where to start: with an interview I conducted with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gary Snyder… 45 years ago!
Gary’s extensive knowledge of Indigenous cultures and ancient wisdom informs his eloquent advocacy for appropriate technology in a lower-energy future, and living a simpler, more communal lifestyle in harmony with nature.
The episode begins with a few minutes of background on Gary Snyder, and then a re-play of my 1979 interview. I close with a few brief reflections on why Gary’s wise words spoken then are still relevant today.
Finally, I read one of Gary Snyder’s poems, with a special musical background.
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Chapters
1. The Timeless Wisdom of Gary Snyder (00:00:00)
2. Launching Wise Talkers with a 1979 Radio Interview of Gary Snyder (00:00:07)
3. Beat Generation Poet, Scholar of Asian and Indigenous Cultures, Environmental Activist (00:03:27)
4. 1979 Interview Begins - “We don’t know the local plants.” (00:06:11)
5. “The chances for change are looking us right in the face….” (00:10:06)
6. Moving from Social Darwinism to Mutuality and Interconnectedness (00:14:30)
7. Space Colonies and Nuclear Power: Not Cost-Effective (00:19:13)
8. Global vs. Planetary Consciousness and Appropriate Technology (00:21:22)
9. Humanity’s Two ‘Energy Hits’ – Slavery and Fossil Fuels (00:27:48)
10. Adapting to Inevitable Disruption Gracefully – “It's going to dismantle itself.” (00:35:07)
11. Ethnopoetics – The Richness of Oral Poetry (00:37:48)
12. Connecting External Wilderness to Our Wilderness Within – Participating with Other Modes of Being (00:43:08)
13. Gary’s Experience on the California Arts Council and Thoughts on the Role of Government (00:48:30)
14. The Importance of Taking a Long-Term View of Nature and Resources: “What is healthiest? We should look for health.” (00:52:06)
15. Ron’s Reflections on the Interview and Its Relevance Today (00:56:23)
16. A Reading of Gary’s Poem, “For All” (01:01:01)
6 episodes