Des Cannibales ~ Michel de Montaigne

Tonight I re-read Michel de Montaingne's essai, Des cannibales. I can't count the number of times I have read and researched and re-read this essai, and yet tonight I caught and learned things that brought new life to it. I chose it as a topic for the final French paper of my undergraduate degree for a reason; it spoke to me, as I expressed in a prior post. It spoke to me about the arrogancy of assuming the culture we know is "perfect" and all others are "barbaric." It spoke to me of what we can learn of our own selves and culture through observation and appreciation of other cultures.

But tonight I found lines I don't understand how I could have missed! Entire passages, pages even, have changed how I see the whole piece.

Montaigne tells us how Plato said that all things are produced in one of three ways ~ through nature, fate/fortune, or art. He said that the best and most beautiful are those that come from the first two, and that we find the lesser and most imperfect things in art. How opposite from what our culture seems to believe! We assume that all things man-made, all things "artistic," or all things within our sphere of recognition/understanding/knowledge, are the best things. The paintings, the buildings, even clothing, fashion, film . . . yet we overlook what is truly the best, the highest of what actually exists . . . that which is natural, or, as we would say, "barbaric." Wild flowers. A deep, passionate kiss. Cats tumbling together or one dashing up a tree in fear of a dog. Do we appreciate the real, most beautiful things around us? We think we appreciate art when it makes us reminiscent of these things, and yet we live in cities where we can no longer even see the stars in the night skies!

I am looking forward to crafting an essai of my own, hopefully learning in the process how to weave something beautiful and artistic in a language other than my native one. It is humbling to know that anything I may weave will be, in Plato's words, "imperfect," regardless of my attempts at artistry.

Listener's Community Radio

Listener's Community Radio of Utah, or KRCL 90.9 FM ~ All the Radio You Need, is one amazing place to work. I have now been their Administrative Assistant for a month and a half, and I've learned so much about how they do what they do. I have lots of cleaning and organizing projects to keep me busy, which I love, as I am able to listen to the radio live while doing them, or think my busy thoughts to myself. I've also been recorded a couple of times for "KRCL is supported by . . ." and "We would like to thank . . ." spots to be played on air throughout the days.

What Listener's Community Radio offers me is different and unique in every way. I feel that what this station offers each of their listeners is individually and collectively identifiable! What I mean is, I get something out of KRCL (RadioActive news and thoughts, a safe place to be out as a lesbian and use my skills to benefit a community) that not everyone else does. Many people listen for Bad Brad's Afternoon Show, to hear the weather and traffic and awesome music they won't hear anyplace else. Others listen for Democracy Now; many listen to our amazing weekend shows ranging from Strange Radio and a Science show to Vietnamese, Chinese and Native American shows. What an eclectic mix!

I am very much looking forward to meeting an eclectic mix of this community's listeners, at our December 3 Polar Jubilee. If you like live music and want to be part of Bad Brad's Hanukkah Harmonica Army, you had better buy your tickets here soon. It sounds like a riot to me . . . not something I would likely attend if I weren't working here, but an event I'm glad I won't be missing now that I am. KRCL makes me smile every day, for one reason or another. I hope you'll start streaming shows online, or listening during your day, to find your reason or another to be a part of the KRCL community! This is where Salt Lake City is found, through and through. I am KRCL ~ are you?