“The only war that matters is the war against the imagination.” -- Dianne Di Prima

Long ago, indigenous people used ritual, poetry, storytelling and other arts to nurture living images; they wrapped themselves within mythic narratives that gave meaning to their lives.

Now, we have forgotten how to think in mythic or metaphorical terms. The loss of imagination gave us our current political and environmental crises. Elite opinion-makers are well aware of this. Two days after 9-11, Clear Channel Communications barred its 1200 radio stations from playing John Lennon’s “Imagine.”

This website -- and our lives -- are dedicated to reversing that process. We believe that Americans must recover the ability to imagine a meaningful and sustainable future. We can do that by studying mythology, creating, reciting and listening to poetry, telling stories and engaging in meaningful ritual.

We invite you to explore our essays and poetry and to join us in our ritual events in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Barry and Maya

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