"The writer holds a revered position but the oral storyteller is still an outlaw." - Martin Shaw Back in the Seventies, the Sex Pistols roared across the UK on the Anarchy tour, and overnight a hundred new bands were born. These were gigs that everyone claimed they’d seen. Suddenly everything was breathlessly, wonderfully, possible.
This is so beautiful Tad, thank you for crafting it.
During the first weeks of lockdown I began to CRAVE myth. The only book I had on hand after donating 95% of my books was the Chronicles of Narnia and that just wasn’t it. Then I got an email from Martin out of the blue with his stories for young ‘uns and have been reading and learning of him since.
We drove 10 hours to see him in Ottawa - masterful indeed and I’m incredibly grateful to have a place at his upcoming tent of the 7 doors retreat in a few weeks.
Ive been worrying a little that I’ll be a neophyte among people who are learned and steeped in the study of myth and story and wondering just what the heck I’m doing. And deep down there is a tug and a pull and a yes, my love.
This article soothed me and made me realize that while the matter of many stories are unknown to me, the sense is very familiar territory and Ill be playing among kindred spirits.
Gratitude to you for your deep witnessing, supportive friendship and beautiful writing.
Thank you, Tad, for doing such a wonderful 'hug' around your time with Martin on his recent tour. I was with him at the barn in Perth, front row/right side... drinking in the stories of that evening, and not even stepping up to meet him afterwards. That felt like an old, tired part of me that might want/need connection, witnessing, affirmation... to feel 'special', but I'd already been fed, to the brim, with the stories. It was enough, yea, more than enough. But I so appreciate the back-stage tales of your time with him, the marvelous black and white photos of you merry band of wild men. And the questions in your interview are simply wonderful. I'm so glad that you were able to provide wine, cigars, and companionability to him at the end of this exhausting but exhilarating tour. On a personal note, did you know that I grew up on Cowichan Lake (Youbou in fact) so when Martin's tour ended so close to my wilderness origins, I was frankly tickled and intrigued. Lovely to reconnect with you too, through this medium...
Thank you for sharing what you witnessed/experienced on the road during this tour, and for this interview. Your paragraph: "This is when you remember the man spent four years living in a tent, not attending drama school. He's serving in a different temple with very different intentions." stopped my mind in its tracks. I had to stop reading for a few moments and really let that sink in. I'm so incredibly grateful for having been able to see the Vancouver show and attend the Wolfmilk retreat. You've touched on, so beautifully here, what it was like to experience what Dr. Martin Shaw does. ❤
Thank you for this. Were all the gatherings conducted without a microphone? I've decided in the past year that songs I write I will share without microphone, amps, or recording, and the songs themselves written in pencil. I have yet to meet another artist dedicated to this kind of acoustic immediatacy.
Thank you for giving yourself over to catching all the crumbs from Martin as well as the blinding strikes to the head of light and immensity. Well done. What a gift for those of us like me down in the deep south of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Thank you.
I absolutely LOVE the blue feather image. Such an apt metaphor for the great need of our times, the blue feather path. That'll stay with me.
Thank you for sharing the vagabond wisdom and gems like "Don't offer commentary on what a myth is until you've travelled a hundred miles in its kayak..." :-) I didn't know about Martin but I look forward to discovering more of his world. Thank you for your writing, as ever.
Thank you Tad. You captured the essence of Martin's tour wondefully, and the interview is pure gold for me as I seek to grow in my vocation. Deep gratitude for the interview.
Credit where credit is due... the colour photo with the wood and gold longhorn skull: Photog is Russ Hewitt of Edmonton.
Great article and interview, thank you for sharing. Storytelling is powerful, and for generations was central to our culture. It would be wonderful if storytellers resumed their places in our society.
Years ago, at our small Scottish highland wedding ,we had a storyteller at the end of the evening. She was wonderful, though her last story about a witch called Kate (my name) was either a warning to my new husband or ill considered!
How extraordinary to become aware of a great artist, especially one so not-formed by our enemy Culture (to quote Terence McKenna) and so ready to embrace a Universe that changes moment by moment even though we try our best to ignore that. Martin sounds like Robert Anton Wilson-meets-Joseph Campbell....or not. I think I'll become a fan.
Thank you so much this was great. You mentioned the second to last performance was recorded and available for for download. Where can I find this? Would love to see.
Thanks Tad for all these good words and a peek on the inside of the tour. It was great to be at the Wolf Milk immersion - and it is still unfolding! Remarkable!
This is so beautiful Tad, thank you for crafting it.
During the first weeks of lockdown I began to CRAVE myth. The only book I had on hand after donating 95% of my books was the Chronicles of Narnia and that just wasn’t it. Then I got an email from Martin out of the blue with his stories for young ‘uns and have been reading and learning of him since.
We drove 10 hours to see him in Ottawa - masterful indeed and I’m incredibly grateful to have a place at his upcoming tent of the 7 doors retreat in a few weeks.
Ive been worrying a little that I’ll be a neophyte among people who are learned and steeped in the study of myth and story and wondering just what the heck I’m doing. And deep down there is a tug and a pull and a yes, my love.
This article soothed me and made me realize that while the matter of many stories are unknown to me, the sense is very familiar territory and Ill be playing among kindred spirits.
Gratitude to you for your deep witnessing, supportive friendship and beautiful writing.
Thank you so much for this awesome description of the tour Tad. Love the picture of you four, you really look like trouble makers, good trouble.
How I wish I could one day see Martin in action.
Love this:
“I've been asked recently to offer more social commentary. This surprised me as I thought everything I did was social commentary”
Haha
Thank you, Tad, for doing such a wonderful 'hug' around your time with Martin on his recent tour. I was with him at the barn in Perth, front row/right side... drinking in the stories of that evening, and not even stepping up to meet him afterwards. That felt like an old, tired part of me that might want/need connection, witnessing, affirmation... to feel 'special', but I'd already been fed, to the brim, with the stories. It was enough, yea, more than enough. But I so appreciate the back-stage tales of your time with him, the marvelous black and white photos of you merry band of wild men. And the questions in your interview are simply wonderful. I'm so glad that you were able to provide wine, cigars, and companionability to him at the end of this exhausting but exhilarating tour. On a personal note, did you know that I grew up on Cowichan Lake (Youbou in fact) so when Martin's tour ended so close to my wilderness origins, I was frankly tickled and intrigued. Lovely to reconnect with you too, through this medium...
Thank you for sharing what you witnessed/experienced on the road during this tour, and for this interview. Your paragraph: "This is when you remember the man spent four years living in a tent, not attending drama school. He's serving in a different temple with very different intentions." stopped my mind in its tracks. I had to stop reading for a few moments and really let that sink in. I'm so incredibly grateful for having been able to see the Vancouver show and attend the Wolfmilk retreat. You've touched on, so beautifully here, what it was like to experience what Dr. Martin Shaw does. ❤
So rich Tad. So glad this telling has come to me. Thank you for your trueness to your gift, for this may well be where virtue is forged.
Thank you for this. Were all the gatherings conducted without a microphone? I've decided in the past year that songs I write I will share without microphone, amps, or recording, and the songs themselves written in pencil. I have yet to meet another artist dedicated to this kind of acoustic immediatacy.
This is so evocative and immersive - thank you, Tad.
I'm mulling the quietly subversive confidence of refusing more and more input when travelling...
Also, I recently got interested in etymology, so Dr Shaw's take on its popularity and limitations left me feeling busted, amused and educated :)
Thank you for giving yourself over to catching all the crumbs from Martin as well as the blinding strikes to the head of light and immensity. Well done. What a gift for those of us like me down in the deep south of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Thank you.
I absolutely LOVE the blue feather image. Such an apt metaphor for the great need of our times, the blue feather path. That'll stay with me.
Thank you for sharing the vagabond wisdom and gems like "Don't offer commentary on what a myth is until you've travelled a hundred miles in its kayak..." :-) I didn't know about Martin but I look forward to discovering more of his world. Thank you for your writing, as ever.
Thank you Tad. You captured the essence of Martin's tour wondefully, and the interview is pure gold for me as I seek to grow in my vocation. Deep gratitude for the interview.
Credit where credit is due... the colour photo with the wood and gold longhorn skull: Photog is Russ Hewitt of Edmonton.
Great article and interview, thank you for sharing. Storytelling is powerful, and for generations was central to our culture. It would be wonderful if storytellers resumed their places in our society.
Years ago, at our small Scottish highland wedding ,we had a storyteller at the end of the evening. She was wonderful, though her last story about a witch called Kate (my name) was either a warning to my new husband or ill considered!
How extraordinary to become aware of a great artist, especially one so not-formed by our enemy Culture (to quote Terence McKenna) and so ready to embrace a Universe that changes moment by moment even though we try our best to ignore that. Martin sounds like Robert Anton Wilson-meets-Joseph Campbell....or not. I think I'll become a fan.
Thank you so much this was great. You mentioned the second to last performance was recorded and available for for download. Where can I find this? Would love to see.
I’m sure much better listened to than read, but I suppose we can employ our imagination.
Thanks Tad for all these good words and a peek on the inside of the tour. It was great to be at the Wolf Milk immersion - and it is still unfolding! Remarkable!