“If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” E.B. White
There is no pleasure without pain. The two are inextricably linked. It is impossible to experience the unbridled joy of a pleasurable moment without the contrasting knowledge of the depths of despair. We are born with this inside of us. Babies weep and smile, often both in the same moment. We must not deny ourselves the experience of either pleasure or pain. Both are essential elements of what it means to be alive.
Nate Klug lives and works in Albany, California where he moved four years ago. At present he is finishing a new book of poems. He is a self-described slow writer who tends to produce a few poems per season. For him, the process of creating a manuscript is quite long. Poems usually begin for Klug with a phrase or two that pop into his head. From there he follows “the trail of sounds” as they unfold into a poem. Klug works as a Congregational Minister. To hear more about Klug’s work, his process of creating both poetry and sermons, and some live readings by the poet himself, listen to the complete interview.
Mireia Sallares Casas is an artist and writer from Barcelona, Spain. Living in Barcelona is increasingly difficult as the city gentrifies and housing costs soar so she recently moved out of the city where she is able to have more space to live and have her studio. She is preparing to present a project that has been seen around the world for over a decade titled The Little Deaths. The work examines violence, death, pleasure, legality, truth and love. To hear more about this and Mireia Sallarea Casas’ other work, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:
Humans intrinsically seek pleasure and attempt to avoid pain, but if you embrace the darkness, accept it, too as a valuable part of existence, the light becomes even brighter when it shines.
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android please click here. All weekly essay pieces in a shareable format are here. The full archive of interviews here.
Books to Read
What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. Nate Klug is reading Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald. Nate Klug’s own poetry can be found here.
Blue Project Foundation, based in Barcelona, Spain, invites artists and collaborative groups to apply for residency. The aim of the program is to promote and support national and international artistic creation. Blue Project provides assistance to artists whose work is relevant to and a reflection of today’s social, aesthetic and intellectual issues. Three projects will be chosen to participate and will receive considerable material and financial support from the foundation. For full details please visit the website. Deadline for proposals is July 18.
Deadlines
Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.
Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists; Making it in the Art World, New Markets for Artists, The Art World Demystified, Fund Your Dreams Like a Creative Genius, Sell Online Like a Creative Genius and the forthcoming Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius.
Signed and doodled copies of these books can be purchased from Praxis Center.