augustmarsblog

  Greatness in Literature I had help in the form of instruction from knowledgeable instructors in the fields of music and visual arts,  but when it came to studying literature, I had no such help, with the sole exception of a few lectures by my high school English teacher on Emerson's essays and Ayn Rand's novels. So, I was left pretty much on my own to explore the vast expanse of world literature. I tried briefly to learn what to look for in the writings by reading some of the works of literary critics. However, that approach proved to be fruitless, as I should have predicted, because nearly all of the criticism was obviously biased toward the critic's own preferences and prejudices. Finally, I concluded that I would never attain my goal of discerning greatness in literature, or in any other of the arts. However, I am convinced that some works exist for the purpose of providing a pleasant way of spending time for the reader, and to assure a steady flow of income to th

  THE ART OF SEEING I once read that when Catherine the Great amassed an impressive art collection by buying up private collections of the Western European nobility, her primary motivation was personal, not national. She was driven by her desire to understand just what it was that made the art “great”. She would spend hour after hour roaming the art-filled hallways, stopping from time to time in front a painting and stare at it, oblivious to all else. She was not above looting the national treasury in order to satisfy her own curiosity, but all of Russia, and the entire world, has benefited from the acquisitiveness that was eventually to culminate in the magnificent Hermitage Museum. She was probably the most successful art collector in the world, because she had tremendous financial resources at her disposal; and she bought art collections at discount prices because the owners were desperate for funds to finance their military operations. Today, we

  The Arts: Music When I was telling about my learning to appreciate great music, I referred to that experience as an investment. Over the years (and there have been many) that investment has paid off, as my love for, and even dependence on, that music has grown steadily. There were times when I would be mentally exhausted after hours of study and focusing my mind on a mathematical problem, throw myself flat on my bed and listen to a Brahms symphony. It was the mental equivalent of getting a long, cool drink of spring water, sprawled in a shady, breezy grove after hours of work in the hot sun. It seemed that there was almost always a need to match or heal a specific mood, and there is considerable variety of moods. A Beethoven symphony expressed that pent up, repressed energy that often needed to be released; or I might sit at the piano and pound away at one of his sonatas. Somewhere among the movements of his sonatas, symphonies, or concertos I could experience profound c

  My Piano Throughout the years I have retained a close association with the piano. As I mentioned earlier, I realized early on that I would never be a performer, but I continued to play for the sheer fun of it. This fun gradually grew into a dependence, both psychologically and physically. After practicing the exercises faithfully several days in a row, if a day came when I couldn't spend some time at the keyboard, my fingers would (figuratively) itch to play. They would twitch or make little motions in the air as if trying to find some keys to press. An initial requirement for a pianist is to develop fingers that are both strong and extremely agile, and then learn to coordinate their motions with the complex notation of musical scores. So, in that sense, he could be accurately called an athlete. The psychological fulfillment that comes from playing also is almost beyond description. No matter what mood I found myself in, ther

  Table of Contents for Mysticism Label  MYSTICISM, INTRODUCTION (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) Why Doesn't God Prohibit War? (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) Why Do I Suffer? (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) Paracelsus, the Alchemist (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) FAITH (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) The Effectiveness of Prayer (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) The Holy Trinity: The Father (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) Trinity: The Son (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) Trinity: The Holy Spirit (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) The Mystery of Sin (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) ORIGINAL SIN (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) The Liar's World (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) Dying Is Not So Bad (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) How Loving Is God? (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) LOVE MY NEIGHBOR AS MYSELF (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) Is It Possible to Love Your Enemies? (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) THE JOB ENIGMA (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) Elihu (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) Ways the Holy Spirit Teaches: Dreams

  Table of Contents for Philosophy Label Introduction To Philosophy Label (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) THE FIRST EXISTENTIALIST (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) DesCartes Deserves a Plaudit (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) Materialist vs. Idealist (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) ILLUSION (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com) Illusion via Plato and Alchemy (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com)