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The premise here is simple. The left is bad at talking about religion and spirituality, which form a large and crucial part of our collective political, social, and cultural lives in the US.
I'm a writer and translator. I study East Asian religion and philosophy, as well as their translation into North America, and I want to ask better questions about the relationship between religion, politics, and art.
I will not offer spiritual guidance or cultural expertise. I will try to offer, however, new ways to ask questions about the place of religion in culture. My desire is to follow the example of one of my favorite writers, Carl Phillips, who describes his poetic practice as reaching “for the mystery not the mastery.” So I’ll do my best to explore the mysteries of spiritual life, art, and identity. I'll do so by challenging the ways spiritual and religious experiences, identities, and philosophies can and have been exoticized, depoliticized, and otherwise reduced. And I'll ask anyone curious about these topics to join me in rethinking how art, religion, and politics are entangled in the US and beyond, and how these relations might continue to develop.
Starting in the coming weeks, you'll see three kinds of posts here. You can expect to find something in your inbox at least once a month.
Medium length essays on religion, art, and politics.
Short reviews of film/television that engage with religion.
Even shorter recommendations, most of which can be accessed for free or purchased for less than $10 from a used bookstore.
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