#33: On gathering
Plus Intermezzo, gay vampires and Fratelli Carbonai
You’re reading This Might Resonate, a monthly newsletter from me, Emily. A bumper edition today, covering both August and September.
This time last week, over the Autumn Equinox, I was co-hosting a group of nine women in North Devon for the first instance of
. , and I are deep in the post-experience integration period, more reflection and writing to come. For now, I can say that we were blessed with an incredible group. There was depth and transformation and grief, and hope and lightness and silliness. Sea-swimming and ritual and weaving too (metaphorical and literal). A weekend of nourishing food, deep care and building the “temporary village”, in the words of my grief-tending teacher, Francis Weller.As for me,
Hartland was my favourite facilitation I’ve ever done. I felt present, with emergence, in that phenomenon when clock time bends to create the space that’s needed, shuttling between individual and collective need. I led the group in song one evening (and at our closing circle), which was scary and exciting. I’m not sure what’s next, but it felt like the start of something significant.
Upcoming
A conversation on 22nd October with the wonderful Poonam Dhuffer, hosted by New Ways, about the transformative powers (and tensions) of creating spaces for grief and joy in organisational work. We'd love if you could join us, sign up here!
Reading
Loved: Intermezzo, Right Story, Wrong Story: Adventures in Indigenous Thinking, Regenerative Leadership: The DNA of life-affirming 21st century organizations.
For facilitation nerds only: Presence: Exploring Profound Change in People, Organizations and Society, Open Space Technology. A User's Guide, The Women's Circle: How to Gather with Meaning, Intention and Purpose.
Odd, esoteric, occult-ish : The Mystic Spiral: Journey of the Soul, Witches, Midwives, & Nurses: A History of Women Healers, Inside the Neolithic Mind: Consciousness, Cosmos and the Realm of the Gods.
From silicon to slime, a stunning interview with Claire L. Evans about computation, consciousness and ecology.
Watching
My brother’s short film, “Fratelli Carbonai”, for The New Yorker. I’m a proud sister! From the accompanying article: “Before the exploitation of coal and oil, charcoal was the only fuel that burned hot enough to forge metal; for most of its life as a commodity, it was linked with warfare and heavy industry, the rise and fall of empires.”
Other films: A Family Affair, Hit Man, Anyone But You, Twisters, Wicked Little Letters. Much Ado About Nothing, the summer-iest film to ever summer. Mothers Instinct, a hollow film with bad wigs. Emily, a gorgeous semi-fictional biopic of Emily Brontë, my namesake. A touching documentary about Jem Bendell, whose Deep Adaptation work I’ve been revisiting recently.
A lot of TV while I packed up my flat to move and then lay in bed recovering from moving.
Interview with the Vampire Season 2, my emotional support gay vampire show and absolutely the best thing on TV right now
The English Teacher, a perfect sitcom
The Newsreader, 1980s fashion and politics, journalists having newsroom meltdowns, it’s wonderful
Nobody Wants This, a proper romcom with jokes and chemistry, praise be!
Slow Horses Season 4, not as sharp as the previous seasons but still a delight
The Boys. Violent and juvenile but the script is smart and Homelander is an absolutely terrifying villain
Trashy fun: The Perfect Couple, Colin From Accounts Season 2, Emily in Paris Season 4, Those About to Die
The Decameron. This show frustrated me, lacking in anything profound to say about Covid. Why else adapt one of the great pandemic literature texts in 2024?
Listening
Still savouring…
A poem: The Artist, by Jenny George.
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You might enjoy my other newsletters: GriefSick (about chronic illness grief) and Foregather (about women’s creative energy). Yes, I agree that three newsletters is too many newsletters.
Lastly, I write about my facilitation, organisational design and coaching work in LinkedIn weeknotes every Friday.