A more excellant way

William Faulkner's awarded the Noble Prize

for literature in 1949

I was there, "sort of". I recall his speech. The sound of his voice. His voice really adds to his message by the way. It was a very interesting message.

I heard his voice on tape. I read his message in several places. It is one of those listed in the book, Worlds Greatest Speeches. I made some comments about that book in my blog yesterday. Part of what he said that got my attention:

"I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not becasue he alone among the creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. The poet's, the writers, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poets voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail"



One of my favorite books, in my top 5

Pure In Heart

Faulkner suggested that man had a soul and a spirit and that the best motive for writer or poet was to lift his fellow man's heart. Dallin Oaks writes a lot about the heart in his book and writes about "motive".

Our individual service and efforts to help each other, Dallin Oaks writes, is of most value when it is unconerned with self and heedless of personal advantage. Paul in Corinthians called Charity " a more excellant way".

Red Earth

Poems of New Mexico

The Preface of this book quotes a well know New Mexico author. Tony Hillerman says, "and tough as it is to prove, there does seem to be somthing about New Mexico which not only attracts creative people but stimulates their creativity".

Perhaps creativity as well as our better motives comes from within

Resolve: Tommorrow put some more personal pictures on this blog