The Merrie vs the Machine
Into the undergrowth with Martin Shaw
Welcome to episode three of the Machine Sessions. This week I’m talking to my old friend Martin Shaw, mythologist, storyteller and author. Martin and I have been working together for over a decade, and in that time we have thought, talked and taught a lot about living through the age of the Machine with our hearts and stories intact.
In that spirit, we plunge here into the underbrush of our hearts and minds, investigating the meaning of myth, stories in the post-modern age, Robin Hood, Christ in the greenwood, and the rebirth of the ‘Merrie’ as an antidote to depressing technocracy. As ever, you can watch and listen above, or on my YouTube channel.
If you enjoy this conversation, why not try the paper version …?
You can pre-order copies of Against The Machine as a hardback, e-book or audiobook in all good bookshops, or via my website.
There are special offers for all subscribers to the Abbey of Misrule who pre-order the book before publication. You can get yourself a complimentary subscription to this Substack, a discount on my online writing course and access to a subscriber-only event: see here.
Waterstones UK have just extended their summer discount for online pre-orders of the book. Go to this page and enter the promotion code MACHINE25 and you will receive 25% off. This offer lasts until publication day on 23rd September
More events
If you enjoyed this conversation, you might enjoy the ‘Merrie Pilgrimage to Walsingham’, a weekend event which Martin is organising in Walsingham, Norfolk, in November. I’ll be there, talking about (and signing) my book, amongst other things. Read all about it here.
Meanwhile, up on my events page, some new dates have been added:
Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, NY, on 28th September
Irvington Theater, NY, on 30th September
Grove City College, PA, on 7th October
The Wendell Berry Centre, KY, on 9th October
Kramers Books, Washington DC, on 10th October
More are coming soon. I’ll keep you updated. All the dates for my American tour are listed here.
Other news
On 28th September I’ll be at Holy Trinity Monastery in New York state (see above) talking about my book with Nicholas Kotar. Nick is a Deacon at the monastery, but he also leads a double life as an author and publisher. He runs the St Basil Writers Workshop, for which I am a teacher, writes his own acclaimed fantasy novels and is now launching a new publisher, Wood Between the Worlds Press. It looks intriguing, and it’s being launched with a Kickstarter campaign for three separate books. In the age of AI dreck, the world needs intelligent publishers more than ever, and I’m not sure where else you could find an African action-adventure novel penned by an Orthodox priest.
If you want to take a look, and lend your support, you can do so here.
That’s all from me for now. Have a good week.
Paul
Prehistoric Jesus vs. Empirical Jesus. "More interested in Jesus of Lascaux caves" than Christian civilizational project. Very interesting. Feels like there's a lead there I should follow. The interview provided many of those. Thanks to you both.
Sometimes God speaks through collapse (decomposition). The wilderness strips us of our illusions, and what is left is longing. Longing that is already God’s answer in our hearts.