It's pretty hard to imagine the end of the world. Maybe that's because the world likely will never really end. It will be simply transformed. Or maybe because, amid a world stuffed to the brim with so much stuff, it's just difficult to foresee the enormity of such an event.
Apokalypsis: a Greek word meaning "to lift to lid off," or "to reveal" the truth of things. According to Cormac McCarthy's vision of post-apocalyptic America in The Road, that's exactly what will happen: the veil between humanity and their gods will be ripped away so that we can see the truth, if we are open to it and able to interpret what we observe, about how things began, how the earth was made and how it works--what we mean to each other, if anything at all, how we became what we have become.
An apocalypse is devastation of the highest order, undoubtedly, but there is truth and beauty in such ugliness, if that's possible to comprehend. The things that are left, the things that survive, carry a whole new meaning--no more layers, no more pretense, because all that matters is survival itself. But then there's the issue of what we are surviving for.
The most beautiful object that the man in the novel comes across is a sextant (pictured), which is
a hundred years old and stirs him deeply. The sextant is an instrument used for navigation. One would use it to measure the altitude of a celestial object above the horizon. For example, one would "shoot" the position of the sun at noon in order to find one's latitude. Really, it's all about finding your place in the world, knowing where you are in relation to the heavens above. Traditionally, that's what gods are for. It's what churches, schools, and even books are for. It's what loved ones, especially parents and spouses, are for. In the absence of any of these things in a post-apocalyptic world, the sextant represents so much.
Of course, I try not to over-discuss any of this when I blog. This blog isn't meant to replace class discussion and old-fashioned note-taking and thinking for oneself. I just mean for it to inspire some ideas.
On that note, I thought I'd share some clips from YouTube that seem appropriate, if not necessarily inspirational. I'm in the early stages of writing a post-apocalyptic novel myself (though it's more about a metaphorical end of the world as it might occur, and even has already occurred, in rural Newfoundland--I started it last year and hope to finish it in the next year or two, after some other projects). These clips and images, even songs, inspire my own thought process (my novels and stories usually have a soundtrack, if only in my head). My thinking is that this stuff should put you in the mood for the novel, dark as it may be.
First, one of my favorite apocalyptic moments comes courtesy of The Terminator films and that daydream believer, Sarah Connor who keeps imagining what a nuclear blast might look and feel like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfZke069f4g
And you've gotta be a fan of big waves, planes dropping out of the sky, and tornadoes in downtown Los Angeles. The apocalypse is just one big special effect--and it WILL be televised in high definition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQDSAiPiEDU&feature=related
Then there are those wacky Mayans who, along with the late, great prognosticator Nostradamus, seemed to think the world was going to end in the year 2012, right around Christmas and JUST before we open our gifts. Total bummer. Remember, though, some say it's the 21st and others that it's the 23rd. It would be really bad to get it wrong. But then again, I'm now sure it would really matter.
(My only question is why the Mayan Calendars didn't go on sale at the mall for 75% off after Christmas. I was hoping for one with puppies on the front.)Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZIfyXc8RWk&feature=PlayList&p=0DA6A360A7A4F3EE&playnext=1&index=9
And another hit from the Mayans, in case you didn't quite get what they were talking about. This one is actually a clip from a recent movie about the events that have been foretold in the prophesy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAY16UM9Oac
To me, this song is the soundtrack for all my apocalyptic visions (Warning: may cause weeping and leave you feeling slightly bereft.): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgcy-V6YIuI
Apocalypse Now might not be exactly about the end of the world, but it sure feels like the end of the world when you're the embroiled in a messy war in the middle of a jungle far from the civilization you once thought you knew: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=bPXVGQnJm0w&feature=related
This is a trailer from The Road, which was finally released last year but didn't really make it to the theaters here, except for one night. It's pretty bleak, or so I hear. Here's a sample of the movie, just to give you a visual or two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbLgszfXTAY
Cormac McCarthy is one of those Salinger-like author who is pretty reclusive. The difference, however, is that McCarthy granted an interview to Oprah Winfrey. For a guy who spends most of his time at a science institue in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where this interview was filmed, he seems pretty level-headed. Last time I taught The Road in one of my classes, I was able to post a YouTube video of that interview for educational purposes, but now if you click on the link, you'll find, well, catastrophe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNuc3sxzlyQ&feature=related .
So much for that. Trust me, though, it was a decent interview, though a little tedious at times. He's not a big talker and she doesn't ask a lot of need-to-know questions. I seem to recall, though, that he was inspired to write The Road because he had a 10-year-old son--a pretty big admission from such a private guy. She also asked him about his take on God, but he was pretty elusive about that subject. Guess we'll have to read the book.
GC
Apokalypsis: a Greek word meaning "to lift to lid off," or "to reveal" the truth of things. According to Cormac McCarthy's vision of post-apocalyptic America in The Road, that's exactly what will happen: the veil between humanity and their gods will be ripped away so that we can see the truth, if we are open to it and able to interpret what we observe, about how things began, how the earth was made and how it works--what we mean to each other, if anything at all, how we became what we have become.
An apocalypse is devastation of the highest order, undoubtedly, but there is truth and beauty in such ugliness, if that's possible to comprehend. The things that are left, the things that survive, carry a whole new meaning--no more layers, no more pretense, because all that matters is survival itself. But then there's the issue of what we are surviving for.
The most beautiful object that the man in the novel comes across is a sextant (pictured), which is
a hundred years old and stirs him deeply. The sextant is an instrument used for navigation. One would use it to measure the altitude of a celestial object above the horizon. For example, one would "shoot" the position of the sun at noon in order to find one's latitude. Really, it's all about finding your place in the world, knowing where you are in relation to the heavens above. Traditionally, that's what gods are for. It's what churches, schools, and even books are for. It's what loved ones, especially parents and spouses, are for. In the absence of any of these things in a post-apocalyptic world, the sextant represents so much.Of course, I try not to over-discuss any of this when I blog. This blog isn't meant to replace class discussion and old-fashioned note-taking and thinking for oneself. I just mean for it to inspire some ideas.
On that note, I thought I'd share some clips from YouTube that seem appropriate, if not necessarily inspirational. I'm in the early stages of writing a post-apocalyptic novel myself (though it's more about a metaphorical end of the world as it might occur, and even has already occurred, in rural Newfoundland--I started it last year and hope to finish it in the next year or two, after some other projects). These clips and images, even songs, inspire my own thought process (my novels and stories usually have a soundtrack, if only in my head). My thinking is that this stuff should put you in the mood for the novel, dark as it may be.
First, one of my favorite apocalyptic moments comes courtesy of The Terminator films and that daydream believer, Sarah Connor who keeps imagining what a nuclear blast might look and feel like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfZke069f4g
And you've gotta be a fan of big waves, planes dropping out of the sky, and tornadoes in downtown Los Angeles. The apocalypse is just one big special effect--and it WILL be televised in high definition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQDSAiPiEDU&feature=related
Then there are those wacky Mayans who, along with the late, great prognosticator Nostradamus, seemed to think the world was going to end in the year 2012, right around Christmas and JUST before we open our gifts. Total bummer. Remember, though, some say it's the 21st and others that it's the 23rd. It would be really bad to get it wrong. But then again, I'm now sure it would really matter.
(My only question is why the Mayan Calendars didn't go on sale at the mall for 75% off after Christmas. I was hoping for one with puppies on the front.)Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZIfyXc8RWk&feature=PlayList&p=0DA6A360A7A4F3EE&playnext=1&index=9
And another hit from the Mayans, in case you didn't quite get what they were talking about. This one is actually a clip from a recent movie about the events that have been foretold in the prophesy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAY16UM9Oac
To me, this song is the soundtrack for all my apocalyptic visions (Warning: may cause weeping and leave you feeling slightly bereft.): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgcy-V6YIuI
Apocalypse Now might not be exactly about the end of the world, but it sure feels like the end of the world when you're the embroiled in a messy war in the middle of a jungle far from the civilization you once thought you knew: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=bPXVGQnJm0w&feature=related
This is a trailer from The Road, which was finally released last year but didn't really make it to the theaters here, except for one night. It's pretty bleak, or so I hear. Here's a sample of the movie, just to give you a visual or two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbLgszfXTAY
Cormac McCarthy is one of those Salinger-like author who is pretty reclusive. The difference, however, is that McCarthy granted an interview to Oprah Winfrey. For a guy who spends most of his time at a science institue in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where this interview was filmed, he seems pretty level-headed. Last time I taught The Road in one of my classes, I was able to post a YouTube video of that interview for educational purposes, but now if you click on the link, you'll find, well, catastrophe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNuc3sxzlyQ&feature=related .
So much for that. Trust me, though, it was a decent interview, though a little tedious at times. He's not a big talker and she doesn't ask a lot of need-to-know questions. I seem to recall, though, that he was inspired to write The Road because he had a 10-year-old son--a pretty big admission from such a private guy. She also asked him about his take on God, but he was pretty elusive about that subject. Guess we'll have to read the book.
GC
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