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Description
Seeking Truth in A Country of Lies is a collection of lyrical and critical essays offering keen insight into a very wide range of topics: from probing analyses related to work, the digital revolution, propaganda, the attacks of September 11, 2001, the CIA, government assassinations and wars, to spellbinding reflections on poetry, nature, time, and even silence.
Following in the path of such earlier celebrated essayists as Thoreau and John Berger, Curtin's critique is at once political, social, cultural, and deeply personal. Constructed over a broad swath of time, these essays address some of the most significant events in recent history, shining shafts of brilliant light into the shadows.
Reading Curtin is akin to taking a walk in the woods with a good friend who gradually unrolls a stunning life-changing revelation, where, having started out with a particular destination in mind, one is then lured ever onwards into diverging paths another after another, until, as the compass finally turns one gently back toward home, that sanctuary no longer looks the same. A restless wonderment has been aroused, dots are connected, and a comprehensive picture emerges.
Here's but a taste:
"The morning star welcomed me. The sun rose majesti-cally. And across my window three early flies jitterbug in the first light. The whole earth is conspiring to explode with life and seeking our assent."
"Most suicides die of natural causes, slowly and in silence."
"Rub Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness, the right way and the CIA emerges into the light."
"A few slices from the bread of truth is essential to conceal the lies.."
and his acerbic twist updating Robert Frost to contemporary context:
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I took the one to the mall."
The power of Curtin's essays lies in their capacity to evoke in the reader the exhilaration and passion for truth that the writer felt when writing them, that the writer hoped would be carried into the world as rebellion against propaganda, war, and injustice. They contain multitudes of trajectories, not least a celebration of the beauty of life and the hope that a better world is possible.
Following in the path of such earlier celebrated essayists as Thoreau and John Berger, Curtin's critique is at once political, social, cultural, and deeply personal. Constructed over a broad swath of time, these essays address some of the most significant events in recent history, shining shafts of brilliant light into the shadows.
Reading Curtin is akin to taking a walk in the woods with a good friend who gradually unrolls a stunning life-changing revelation, where, having started out with a particular destination in mind, one is then lured ever onwards into diverging paths another after another, until, as the compass finally turns one gently back toward home, that sanctuary no longer looks the same. A restless wonderment has been aroused, dots are connected, and a comprehensive picture emerges.
Here's but a taste:
"The morning star welcomed me. The sun rose majesti-cally. And across my window three early flies jitterbug in the first light. The whole earth is conspiring to explode with life and seeking our assent."
"Most suicides die of natural causes, slowly and in silence."
"Rub Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness, the right way and the CIA emerges into the light."
"A few slices from the bread of truth is essential to conceal the lies.."
and his acerbic twist updating Robert Frost to contemporary context:
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I took the one to the mall."
The power of Curtin's essays lies in their capacity to evoke in the reader the exhilaration and passion for truth that the writer felt when writing them, that the writer hoped would be carried into the world as rebellion against propaganda, war, and injustice. They contain multitudes of trajectories, not least a celebration of the beauty of life and the hope that a better world is possible.
Product Details
| Publisher | Clarity Press |
| Publish Date | November 01, 2020 |
| Pages | 348 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Paperback / softback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781949762266 |
| Dimensions | 8.9 X 5.9 X 1.0 inches | 1.1 pounds |
About the Author
Educated in the classics, philosophy, literature, theology, and sociology, Edward Curtin is a former professor of sociology at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. His career has been deeply informed by playing basketball where, as a point-guard, he learned to see the whole court. A former newspaper columnist, his writing on a wide range of topics and in multifarious styles has appeared widely in magazines, newspapers, scholarly journals, and online over many years. Born in the Bronx, he now lives in the hills of western Massachusetts where he likes to get lost while walking.
Reviews
"A dazzling journey into the heart of many issues -- political, philosophical, and personal -- that should concern us all. Ed Curtin has the touch of the poet and the eye of an eagle."--Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
"A powerful expose of the CIA and our secret state...Curtin is a passionate long-time reform advocate; his stories will rouse your hear." --
Oliver Stone, filmmaker, writer, and director
"This deeply humane volume of over 40 essays and book reviews is beautifully and incisively written, ranging over a wide field, both existential and political...Curtin's courageous and outspoken voice invites us to think the unthinkable and reminds us of what makes us essentially human: it is a call to escape from the high-tech trap of permanent busyness and speed. Living faster is not living better, so take a moment to slow down - advice I need to heed myself. Here is Curtin's last word: 'Rhythm, melody, and movement: from these, life is born and sustained. They are also integral to art--music, writing, painting, sculpture, dance...they lie at the heart of spiritual experience, as breath is the inspi-ration that carries us along.' I urge you to read this outstanding book." --DAVID LORIMER, The Paradigm Explorer
"With extraordinary erudition, mordant wit, and an all-too-rare commitment to the affirmation of humanity, he helps us to see through the US government's 'vast tapestry of lies'"--MARK CRISPIN MILLER, Professor of Media Studies, NYU,
"A powerful expose of the CIA and our secret state...Curtin is a passionate long-time reform advocate; his stories will rouse your hear." --
Oliver Stone, filmmaker, writer, and director
"This deeply humane volume of over 40 essays and book reviews is beautifully and incisively written, ranging over a wide field, both existential and political...Curtin's courageous and outspoken voice invites us to think the unthinkable and reminds us of what makes us essentially human: it is a call to escape from the high-tech trap of permanent busyness and speed. Living faster is not living better, so take a moment to slow down - advice I need to heed myself. Here is Curtin's last word: 'Rhythm, melody, and movement: from these, life is born and sustained. They are also integral to art--music, writing, painting, sculpture, dance...they lie at the heart of spiritual experience, as breath is the inspi-ration that carries us along.' I urge you to read this outstanding book." --DAVID LORIMER, The Paradigm Explorer
"With extraordinary erudition, mordant wit, and an all-too-rare commitment to the affirmation of humanity, he helps us to see through the US government's 'vast tapestry of lies'"--MARK CRISPIN MILLER, Professor of Media Studies, NYU,
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