Post-Cornerstone

I once again find myself living in a post-Cornerstone world. It’s one of routine, of comfort, of predictability, and adequate rest. It’s littered with newspapers, TVs, and computers. But here I’m able to manage them. At C-stone, it’s always a sensory overload. I'm continually tempted by dozens of choices at once. And regret is constant, with each passing hour telling you that you just missed . . . .

I tried writing once, but it lasted only minutes. Who has time or energy to write when it means denying oneself the opportunity to see another band, hear another speaker, or watch another film? Yes, film. Cornerstone used to be easier for me when I only ran from band to band. Then I discovered the many writers and professors giving challenging seminars. But now, I’ve been lured into yet other tents, namely “Flickerings” and the “Imaginarium.” The former offers everything from experimental indie films to full-length major Hollywood productions, while the latter provides a chance to engage others in discussion of these films or a wide variety of other related topics from sci-fi to comic books to fantasy lit to wookies.

This year I actually watched three full length films: Time After Time, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, and a Brazilian documentary Bus 174. Popcorn was only 50 cents! In addition, I viewed dozens of short one- to twenty-minute movies. What a wonderful way to stay dry during an unusually wet July weekend.

I came away from the experience realizing how out-of-touch I am with today’s cinema. Maybe that’s a good thing, but maybe not. I’ll have to sort that out in the coming weeks and months. In the past two years, if memory serves me right, I’ve only forked over ching for one in-theatre movie, the first Spiderman film. Am I ready to repeat the offense soon? Time will tell.

One final note: I was drawn into the Imaginarium last year by a voice that I recognized from some audio tapes given to me by a friend. The voice of the speaker, an English professor Dr. Louis Markos, caught my ear as I climbed up a hill on my way to hear another lecture. I attended the rest of his lectures and was hooked. This year when I noticed his name in the program, I knew where I had to be during those certain hours. He spoke on “The Yin & Yang of Romanticism,” highlighting the works of British Romantic poets from Blake through Byron & Shelley. He then tied in the characteristics of the “Byronic hero” to many contemporary films and books. He’s a fascinating thinker and speaker and I will have to add him to one of my links.