Wednesday, July 13, 2011

portraits of a moment

 
Robert Lax, Photo by Hartmut Geerken
"For many years Robert Lax has refused the challenge of acceleration posed by our hectic world.  Long before Virilio's critique of speed, he pitted his *slow down* against the tempo and bustle of the modern city, determined not to keep up with its frantic pace.  He resisted quite consciously, if in quite private way, acting as a spanner in the works.  Throughout his life he has literally trained himself to do everything as slowly as possible.
...
Thanks to this deliberate slowness, the poet has been able to capture countless precious moments in his laconic poems, episodes, fables and diary entries.  These are moments outside of time, outside of our time, scintillating particles of a cycle that stretches out across our time, and that can be summoned at any moment by one and all -- which is what makes them so overwhelming for the reader and listener."
-Sigrid Hauff, "A Line in Three Circles - The Inner Biography of Robert Lax",  p. 58, 2007, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Munich/Germany
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7 comments:

  1. BrianJuly 18, 2011 at 5:53 AM

    Hello Beth !

    Thanks for this post. Where do you find all these pics?

    I think if we all made an effort to "slow down" as Lax did, our world would be a safer place - we would have some time to think things through.

    God bless!

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  2. beth cioffolettiJuly 18, 2011 at 7:38 AM

    I'm obsessed with Lax :-)

    His whole life is testimony to something incredibly precious and simple. I love knowing about him, and, in a sense, knowing him.

    ReplyDelete
  3. bob knabJuly 19, 2011 at 3:31 AM

    greetings

    yes traveling on

    so this ----

    ever
    traversing
    the path

    foot step full
    foot step empty

    traveling
    afar
    to
    nowhere

    the
    mountain
    is
    ascended !

    blessings

    ReplyDelete
  4. beth cioffolettiJuly 21, 2011 at 6:32 PM

    Thanks, Bob.

    That poem goes perfectly with the Lax photo...

    foot step full
    foot step empty

    ReplyDelete
  5. ThomasJuly 21, 2011 at 8:25 PM

    I really enjoy your blogs, especiall this one about Thomas Merton and friend. He has inspired me all my life, and is larely influential in my vocation as a Buddhist monk!

    My grandparents farm was in western Kentucky, and I visited the moanstery of Gethsemani from time to time, when I was young.

    Thank's for the itneresting, thoughtful, and moving reflections....

    ReplyDelete
  6. beth cioffolettiJuly 22, 2011 at 4:38 AM

    me too, santi.

    I am continually inspired by Merton and Lax.

    I actually grew up in the town nearest Gethsemani (Bardstown). My father was a dairy farmer and he used to join the monks in Lauds every morning. Occasionally I went too.

    Thanks for stopping by!

    ReplyDelete
  7. ThomasAugust 26, 2011 at 10:27 AM

    What a wonderful childhood you must have had there. The world was different then.

    Your posts have inspired my interest in Robert Lax, and yesterday I ordered a copy fo the biography you mentioned - Line In Three Circles - to learn more about him...Thanks for that...

    ReplyDelete