James Kavanaugh (1) (1928–2009)

5. Celebrate the Sun by James J. Kavanaugh (1973, 88 pages, read Jan 28-29)

Apparently written somehow in response to Jonathan Livingston Seagull, which I recently read but have already forgotten the significance of, here Harry Langendorf Pelican drives himself onwards and upwards becoming an inspiration for his flock of pelicans, until he has a change of heart. Oversimplified and heavily moralistic in all the worst ways, I should have hated this…only sometimes I find myself thinking about show more its ideas of just enjoying life and actually feel some fondness for it. So, instead of bashing it, I’ll call it curious, short and not a complete waste of time.

Read this for the Club Read challenge to read “a book either written or published or involving the year when you are born”.

2012
http://www.librarything.com/topic/128182#3261485 show less

"So much of life is spent trying to prove something." This IS a haunting, a hungry, mouth-breathing statement, and it introduces Kavanaugh's poems. With his Institute, Kavanaugh has been trying to challenge the numbing-down, the forces which herd us toward the NOT conscious.

Perhaps none of Kavanaugh's poetry books has so powerfully mingled pain and joy, despair and hope, fear and courage. Countless numbers have called it their release to recover from tragedy, divorce, serious illness, addiction, and to begin a new life, or to face death fearlessly. Source: GoodReads

A poetic take on the masculine side & furthermore an interesting slice of cultural history.