I’ve been busy making music for a couple of other projects, so this blog has been neglected. I’m ready to jump back in. Things are continuing to progress nicely.

The magnitude of what I’m attempting to create here is becoming more apparent. I’ve selected the text (more on that soon) and collected raw field recordings. I’ve also made several sketches of saxophone passages and textures. Now in arriving at the point where I need to begin making actual, concrete decisions. This is always an exciting moment, but it’s daunting too. As decisions are made and work is done, the piece becomes more real and less ephemeral. The possibilities shrink as everything begins to focus.

In the meantime, I’ve been reading a couple of interesting and illuminating books. The first is The Magic Circle of Walden by Charles Roberts Anderson (thank you to Michael Fredericks at the Thoreau Society for the recommendation.) He makes the case that the best interpretation of Walden is not as autobiography or ecology or journal or a simple-living guide. Instead he suggests that the best reading of Walden is add poetry in prose form. This approach takes into account the many contradictions, exaggerations, and obfuscations on Thoreau’s writing. Rather than needing literal meaning, these become literary devices that can be understood to illuminate a deeper truth in the text.

I’m still working my way through this, but it is an intriguing idea. I find that it makes Walden easier to read. The meanings are still hidden, but I think search to find and understand those meanings feels more familiar. It’s more life finding my way through a work of art than parsing a philosophical argument.

The other book I’m reading is The Gift: Imagination the Erotic Life of Property by Lewis Hyde (thank you to Melissa Grey for recommending). This is not about Walden or Thoreau. It’s an examination of the role of Art in a market-based culture. The central idea is that Art is a gift, not a commodity. I still have a lot to read, but so far Hyde is examining the nature of gifts and giving as a foundation for thinking about Art. It’s profound. Many times while reading it will feel like he’s putting words to ideas I already know on some deep level. (Reading Walden was a similar experience.)

The Gift, though not direct research, is shaping my thinking about Not Less Than the Good. I have a clearer sense of my goals for the project, which will be helpful as I begin to make decisions.

Speaking of reading, I’m planning to start a Walden reading club in January. If you’re interested in being a part (we’ll read and then discuss in the blog comments) please let me know. I’ll post more details soon.