14 Comments
Mar 9Liked by Sarah Thankam Mathews

This kickstarted some big thoughts. Will definitely bring the idea of “cathedral thinking” into future community discussions here

Expand full comment
author

Claire! so nice to hear from you. and hell yes 💓

Expand full comment
Jun 21Liked by Sarah Thankam Mathews

This reminds me of Foucault's essay, "Of other spaces", which if you haven't read yet, you should. He makes the point that certain places, church graveyards are his example if I remember correctly, heterotopias, are structured differently: our duties, responsibilities, and temporalities are so different in these places as to allow us to imagine different possibilities for existence there.

In a hard to find essay (in the journal Raritan, I believe), Patrick Murphy argues that universities could and should be one of these places. They disrupt the normal rhythms of life and might help us imagine life outside of capitalism.

I love this idea though: cathedral-thinking as a way to reorganize the collective imagination.

Expand full comment
author

I've been trying to find the Patrick Murphy essay since you mentioned it! Have you read Nicolas Mirzoeff's Anarchy in the Ruins: Dreaming the Experimental University? It had a big impact on me when I read it

Expand full comment

It took me a little while to find a copy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G2cBTujHMiCygIAEPb38BS8JWj6lfo_h/view?usp=sharing

I haven't read it in a long while, and I'm prejudiced because the author was my undergraduate mentor. I googled around though, and it seems like there are a LOT of people making the same connection.

I haven't read that, but judging the from the title, Mirzeoff is alluding to Bill Reading's "The University in Ruins"? Perhaps one of the smartest books on the decline of the American university - written in the early 90s before the author's tragic death in an airplane crash in 94. I was always dismayed that more academics don't know it. If you haven't read it, it's absolutely worth your time. I'll try to get a hold of the Mirzeoff essay. Thanks for the suggestion!

Expand full comment
Nov 18Liked by Sarah Thankam Mathews

New subscriber thanks to Alexander Chee! Thank you for so brilliantly articulating the kind of helpful thinking to keep despondent folks feeling like they can - and must - do something, Sarah. I’ll be sharing this with my local Dems community here in a very red county of upstate NY.

Expand full comment
Mar 9Liked by Sarah Thankam Mathews

Moving in the truest sense :’)

Expand full comment
author

🩵🩵🩵

Expand full comment
Mar 9Liked by Sarah Thankam Mathews

Beautifully crafted contemplation, thank you Sarah

Expand full comment
author

Thank you for reading + saying 🩵

Expand full comment
Mar 29Liked by Sarah Thankam Mathews

I first heard the term "political depression" at an artistic activism convening in Atlanta last summer. I'm so happy someone - you - are writing about it. xo

Expand full comment
author

<3 <3 <3 thank you for reading it J! working on part 2 and 3 now

Expand full comment
Mar 14Liked by Sarah Thankam Mathews

You’re a wordsmith. I loved reading this and will definitely bring the cathedral thinking idea forward. New subscriber!

Expand full comment
Mar 12Liked by Sarah Thankam Mathews

I’m sending this to everyone I know 💛💛💛

Expand full comment
Error