Quick Announcement and a Favor
Hello there,
I’m currently re-reading Letters to a Young Poet, a wise little book by the poet Rainer Maria Rilke. I believe it’s my fourth time. Fifth perhaps. Certainly not the last. The thing about this book is that the more intimately I study it, the more mysterious it becomes. What I thought I understood about its substance is later revealed as the mere tip of a large iceberg I suspect is not meant to ever be fully exposed—doing so would likely melt away its integrity.
In case you haven’t read it yet, it consists of ten letters Rilke sent to a nineteen-year-old cadet who, as an aspiring poet, sought his writing advice. Instead of criticizing his work, Rilke generously offered musings on what it means to live a wholehearted life, both as an artist and human being. It’s fascinating to me that Rilke was only twenty-seven when he wrote these letters, just one year older than me!
Since I know the book’s contents almost by heart by now, I like to cherry pick a letter each day related to what is alive in my psycho-emotional world. Today, for instance, in my somewhat melancholic mood, this passage called me:
“If it were possible for us to see further than our knowledge reaches, and yet a little beyond our intuitions, perhaps we would then bear our sorrows with greater trust than we do our joys. For these are the moments when something new enters us, something unknown; our feelings go silent in shy captivity, everything within us steps back. A quiet arises; this new thing that no one knows stands revealed in our midst, hushed.
I believe that almost all our sorrows are moments of tension that we fear might cripple us because we are no longer in touch with our banished feelings. Now we are alone with the strangeness that has appeared. Everything trusted and familiar is, for a moment, taken from us, and we find ourselves caught in what we cannot stop. That is also why the sorrow passes: the new in us, that which has come toward us, has entered our heart, is in its innermost chamber, it is in our blood. And we have not learned yet what it is. One could easily convince us that nothing has happened, yet we have changed, as a house changes when a guest has entered.
We cannot say what has entered; we may never know. But there are many indications that the future enters us in just this way, to transform itself within us long before it happens. That is why it is so important to be alone and attentive when you are sad, because the seemingly uneventful moment when our future steps in is so much closer to life than any loud occurrence that happens, as it were, from the outside. The more patient, quiet, and open we are toward sorrow, the deeper and truer does the new move into us and become our fate. Then, when it happens, we recognize it as already related to us.”
Why am I sharing all this with you? Well, because the other day I had an idea. I wanted an excuse to further commit to the study of this prose and to connect with others who also resonate with it. So, I’ve partnered up with my dear friend and writer
(whose I love and truly recommend) to create a Rilke book club. Actually, it’s more of a mesh between a book club and a workshop. We’re still deciding on the most fitting term.Our intention is to dive into a letter from Letters to a Young Poet each week and explore what emerges among the group. We’re considering including other related materials too. But before we jump ahead of ourselves, we want your help.
If you’re curious about this book club, where we’ll sit with existencial themes ranging from relationships to solitude, sex, the natural world, and plenty more, we invite you to fill out the survey below. We value your feedback and intend to create something meaningful for everyone potentially involved. I promise it will only take a minute or two.
In the meantime, if you want to give the letters a try, I recommend the translation by Joanna Macy and Anita Barros. I’ve read several editions, and this is the most awe-some one.
I’ll also share with you one of my favorite podcast episodes from the On Being Podcast where the host, Krista Tippett, unpacks with Joana and Anita several passages from their co-created translation of Letters to a Young Poet.
James and I will be sharing updates about the book club in the next few weeks, including information on how you can enroll. We’re planning to keep the group small, around 10 people, to maintain a cozy and intimate atmosphere. So keep an eye on my future newsletters if you want to ensure your spot :)
Warmly,
Carlota
Listen
In other news, here are my latest podcast interviews with two women I greatly admire.
Living from Our Intuition with Chiara Baldini
A conversation with Chiara Baldini about what it means to live from our intuition, beyond the expectations of our communities of origin. Together we talk about Chiara’s early life as a good catholic girl, and her initiation into alternative culture and transformative festivals. We listen to some of the challenges and learnings throughout her decade-long career as the curator of Liminal Village, the cultural area of Boom Festival, including her efforts to re-integrate social justice into new-age culture. And lastly, we explore what it takes to live a wholehearted life, even when it means embracing the inevitable tragedy present in love.
Listen on Substack | Spotify | Apple
Beyond Limiting Beliefs with Cristina Bernardo Kullberg
A conversation with Cristina Bernardo Kullberg about how we might navigate the limiting beliefs that so often get in the way of where we want to go and who we want to be, as women, as humans, for ourselves and our communities. Together we delve into Cristina's personal history as a Cuban American with nine siblings. We explore some of the challenges and learnings throughout her career as a business and non-profit leader, and political appointee for the Obama administration. We also talk about work-life balance as a parent. And how the loss of Cristina's baby daughter Aviva, deepened her commitment to living intentionally and uplifting women across the world.
Beautiful initiative, very excited to participate in this, I’ve been wanting to join a book club for long!!