[Milton-L] Smokey Mountain Milton - September 27

[susan allison]

This is in response to:

"I teach Milton and I find it difficult to persuade my students that  
Milton matters".....I have heard this many times. Then the teacher  
invites John Basinger to the classroom. Afterwards the students are  
very excited about Milton.

John Basinger is a living poet who has commited PARADISE LOST to  
memory. He does not just recite it, he performs it. He the uses body  
language that he first learned as an actor with the National Theatre  
of the Deaf. He is so good that he makes the often dense language  
very accessible to even young audiences. He performs it live at a  
number of schools, universities, churches and art centers. He can  
come to your school, or, if you live far away there is now a DVD.

To find out more go to:   www.ParadiseLostPerformances.Com

(I am not a professional marketer trying to make money by promoting  
the DVDs. I am a neophyte poet who is astounded by the importance of  
Mr. Basinger's achievement. The cost of the DVD is to try to re-coup  
some of the losses incurred over the past five years of the DVD's  
production.)

Milton wrote the poem that has become one of the foundations of, and  
keys to, Western Civilization. The epic poem is based on one of the  
oldest stories in the world. Slightly differing versions of Adam and  
Eve feature in three of the world's major religions: Judaism, Islam,  
and Christianity. What is it about this story that makes it so  
riviting? Why have scholars and clergy and layman struggled with,  
engaged with, debated, discussed, written of, and pondered this story  
for so many thousands of years? It is testament to the story's power  
that it continues to dominate the creation mythology of over half the  
world. Like other ancient stories, mythologies, and religions, the  
story traveled from place to place through an oral tradition, taking  
on different tellings, but essentially remaining the same. Milton  
continues the tradition in his own re-telling of the Christian  
version. Milton gave the sacred narrative fitting tribute by placing  
it in an extravagantly devotional vessel. As a written piece it is  
elegant in language, rich in nuance, vast in detail, sacred in  
subject, and designed to carry the past forward.  It is no  
exaggerration to say that John Basinger carries Milton's work  
forward, making it come very much alive to us right now in this  
present, with respect to the ancient tradition in which the story was  
first told.

It is as though Mr. Basinger brings a magnifying glass to the text  
for us, bringing focus to its depth and breadth, making clear each  
voice and image. Or, like Milton, he digs into the past, dusts off,  
polishes, and embellishes through his artistry, an inheritance. In  
the case of Mr. Basinger the vessel that carries the story forward is  
himself. His devotion to the text inspires and astonishes as an epic  
feat of memory and presentation. He leaves us enriched and full of  
new questions. He shows us the brilliantly composed dramatic  
narrative as never seen before. He highlights why Paradise Lost  
matters. Why Milton matters.

And how will it be carried from here?

Anyone wishing to spread the word is encouraged to do so and would be  
gratefully appreciated.

Thank you for allowing me to post.

Sincerely,

Susan Allison, poet
Middletown, CT





On Sep 20, 2008, at 11:03 PM, Salwa Khoddam wrote:

> Dear Professor Anderson,
> Once you finish your paper, would it be possible to send me a  
> copy?  This topic interests me very much.  This summer I was at The  
> International Milton Forum, but I had to leave to see MND, which  
> was performed at the same time that the panel was discussing this  
> topic.  I teach Milton and I find it difficult to persuade my  
> students that Milton matters, despite my evident passion for this  
> great writer. A few suggestions would help me a great deal.
> Best Wishes
> Salwa Khoddam
> Professor of English
> Oklahoma City University
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kemmer Anderson"  
> <kanderso at mccallie.org>
> To: "John Milton Discussion List" <milton-l at lists.richmond.edu>
> Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 11:21 AM
> Subject: [Milton-L] Smokey Mountain Milton - September 27
>
>
>> Illinois looks great in term of themes and speakers!
>> In the spirit of celebration I will giving a session at the  
>> Tennessee Council of Teachers of English on "Making Milton Matter"  
>> on September 27 - 10:30 at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Keep  
>> me in your Miltonic litanies. Thanks, Kemmer Anderson
>>
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>
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