#12: Strength in Awareness: What Meditation Is, Why It Matters, and its Connection to Exercise and Weightlifting

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Today, I had the great pleasure of chatting with my close friend Laura Castonguay, MFA, about some pretty interesting stuff. Unsure where the conversation would go, we sat in silent meditation before recording, allowing our minds to settle. Lo and behold, the conversation ended up developing about meditation itself and what it means for both of our lives. While Laura and I have different approaches to meditation - mine tends to be seated, Laura's tends to be active and physical - each of us experiences it as a way to connect more to our bodies on this earth, where we are right now. 

We hope that this conversation fills you with a deep sense of peace, Listener, and we hope that it encourages you to recognize your own meditative potential. For through our meditation, the bounty of the universe unfolds, and with that bounty comes the limitless delight of eternal Snobbery. 

Enjoy this Haiku, Listener:

#11: The Craft of Fiction and How to Publish Your Book with Novelist David Spitz

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Wallowing in the isolation of the wake of Matt's noble departure for the Appalachian Trail, Sean called out to the great General for guidance on how to carry forth this mighty torch. Indeed, his questions were answered. It became clear that, for the time being, General Snobbery must assume the Interview format, in which the perspectives of the One Listener may be shared. Thus it came to be that for the first episode after Matt's departure, General Snobbery's most dedicated listener graced the show with his presence.

That man is David Spitz, novelist, teacher, and creative-expression extraordinaire. Most recently, Mr. Spitz authored the novel Leopold Murphy Defrocked, the tale of a Catholic priest and the many bizarre and philosophical adventures that arise in the wake of his defrocking, which can be purchased on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback form. A fantastic read, to say the least. 

Mr. Spitz moved seamlessly into the Art of Snobbery, intimidated not by the flashing red light or the single Samson Meteor Mic into which the two spoke. The conversation traveled into realms yet unbreached, continuing for nearly two hours. While the room environment and recording atmosphere may have yielded an echoed distance to the discourse, still the conversation found way to consider a vast array of topics related to the Craft of Fiction. Carl Jung, J.K. Rowling, and David Foster Wallace animate much of this discussion on the distinctions between "literary" and "genre" fiction, the nature of black comedies, the role of the audience in the novel's craft, and the essentiality of mythology, ultimately coalescing into an in depth discussion of the motives and themes behind each host's novel. 

If you wish to jump to points of interest, One Listener, utilize the guide crafted below. We hope you enjoy this lengthy discussion, and we hope that it aids you in your ongoing earthly journey. Fare thee well.

Play by Play Guide of Episode XI

12:10: The publishing landscape this day and age.
20:15: Distinction between “genre” and “literary” and how the can be fused. 
27:10: The many joys of Harry Potter.
30:30: David’s novel, Leopold Murphy Defrocked, the intentions behind it, and David Foster Wallace.
45:00: "Black comedy", Kafka, and tragedy.
52:20: Is it “worth it” to spend the time necessary to write a novel? 
54:20: Dueling writerly intentions of Sean and David; the Audience and Reader.
1:02:30: Writing as channelling “beyond the self”; Brian Wilson and Carl Jung.
1:06:50: David asks Sean about the book he is writing.
1:12:00: Emerson, Whitman, and Native Americans.
1:16:45: The essentiality of mythology.
1:26:00: Rejection, and David’s experience with the “traditional route” of publishing vs. self-publishing.
1:36:00: Common criticisms of MFA Programs, and Sean’s experience at the one he attended.  
1:45:10: David's parting wisdom for our One Listener.