Once and Future Myths: The Power of Ancient Stories in Our Lives - Softcover

Cousineau, Phil

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1573248649 ISBN 13: 9781573248648

Publisher: Conari Press, 2003

Synopsis

Phil Cousineau illustrates how myths are the stories of real life whether people are conscious of them as myths or not. He shows readers how, by becoming aware of myths in both their historical and present form, they can read the world better, with a deeper understanding of work, love, creativity, and spirituality. The book retells classic myths such as Eros and Psyche and provides new accounts of more contemporary mythmakers such as Jim Morrison and Vincent van Gogh, illustrating how these legends have affected history, culture, and individuals. The timelessness of myth is conveyed through Cousineau's discussions of the mythology of travel, mentors, cities, baseball, and vampires.

About this title

Review:

Myths, explains filmmaker and author Phil Cousineau in, are stories that belong to the "once and the future" because they evoke "the timeless concerns of human beings--birth, death, time, good, and evil, creativity and destruction." In his excellent Once and Future Myths, the author of The Art of Pilgrimage shows readers how mythology continues to affect and shape contemporary life. Myths are also forces to be reckoned with. Unless we become aware of the myths unfolding in our personal lives, "we run the risk of being controlled by them," he warns.

As his mentor Joseph Campbell once did, Cousineau often draws from pop culture to help readers understand modern myths and how they influence us. In a chapter entitled "The Myth of the Creative Struggle," he shows how Frank Sinatra mythologized urban life by "making our loneliness and our struggle seem sacred, and triumph possible." Yet Cousineau is most profound when he casts a mythic eye toward his own simple life. In a tender passage about taking his son to the ballpark, he gives words to the irresistible appeal and mythology of sports. Whether you are a writer grappling with understanding the subtext of life, a seeker who yearns to know your soul's true story, or are simply a fan of all things mythic, this is a highly recommend resource and a delight to read. --Gail Hudson

About the Author:

Phil Cousineau is a bestselling author, editor, photographer, award-winning documentary filmmaker, adventure travel leader, and independant scholar who lectures around the world on a wide range of topics from mythology, mentorship, and soul. His books include The Art of Pilgrimage, Soul Moments, Riddle Me This, and The Soul Aflame. A protege of the late Joseph Campbell, Cousineau is also the author of The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work. He lives in San Francisco, California.

About this edition

• Publisher: Conari Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1573248649
• ISBN 13: 9781573248648
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 342