On Culture Work: An Interview with Stephen Jenkinson
The Costs and Curriculum of Being An Engaged Citizen In A Time of Trouble
On Saturday morning, in the lead up to the 10th anniversary of the book Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul, I sat down over zoom with its author Stephen Jenkinson to have a conversation about ‘culture work’ which seems to have been a thread through all of his endeavours.
“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” - Krishnamurthi
Culture work is underwritten by the notion that most of our maladies aren’t personal in nature but cultural but that the very culture that harms us has become invisible to us.
I won’t say too much more. You can hear the rest in the 75 minute interview.
Also, coming up in three weeks, is…
Die Wise: Ten Years On Livestream
Online, March 15 & 16th
For the 10th anniversary of Die Wise, Stephen has invited a couple of luminary allies to join him on-camera.
He has mobilized the Orphan Wisdom ensemble to grind out the details, and soon we’ll be inviting you to a livestream encounter with a life’s work.
When Stephen mentioned last fall that he wanted to mark the ten year anniversary of Die Wise, we began crafting this event.
Participants will have access to these recordings for two years, until the end of March 2027.
Here’s what’s included:
1. There are three conversations Stephen has with people who are dying. We hear him weave the death literacy that he has spoken so much about. We are particularly blessed by the willingness of these people to participate in this event. Recordings of these conversations will be made available for registrants at the start of March.
2. And there will then be the two livestream sessions with learned companions. He’ll be speaking with Dr. Àlex Gómez-Marín in Spain by Zoom and Dr. Manfred Becker will be sitting with Stephen in San Diego.
3. This event features an online community group for attendees to share and connect. It’s similar to a Facebook group page, but instead hosted on the Orphan Wisdom site.
Click Here To Learn More
I really appreciated your interview with Stephen. As an alumni, it’s clear there’s a mutual respect at play in the conversation. It’s very much appreciated. I’ve listened to a few interviews where it’s clear that the interviewer is not quite ready for what it is that Stephen can bring to a dialogue. You, sir, have done us a tremendous service. I look forward to hearing/reading more of this culture work undertaking you’ve embarked upon.
So much beauty in this ❤️