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Permalink Reply by William F Rushby on 12th mo. 4, 2013 at 11:37am

Hello, Andrew!

I decided to venture into your arcane subculture this morning, just to experience a "reality" very different from my own.  I also got a chance to see a bit of England, where my paternal grandparents originated.

The films were very well done and quite interesting, even to an "unartsy" guy like me!

Thanks for the opportunity to visit!

Bill Rushby

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Swartley Cohen on 12th mo. 4, 2013 at 12:17pm

Hi Bill,

I'm always trying to explain my, "arcane subculture" of  leading to all who will listen, not always successfully I'm afraid.  Since you were courageous enough to delve in this far perhaps you might go a little further and take a look at some of the student work on the Bridge Film Festival YouTube channel.  The films come from both Friends schools and First Day schools.  The intention of the festival is to encourage youth to consider Quaker testimonies and perhaps make a film that depict these values in action. 

Thank you for the kind words.

In friendship,

Andy

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Permalink Reply by William F Rushby on 12th mo. 4, 2013 at 7:35pm

In a personal communication to me,  Andrew wrote: "perhaps you might go a little further and take a look at some of the student work on the Bridge Film Festival YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/BridgeFilmFestival).  The films come from both Friends schools and First Day schools.  The intention of the festival is to encourage youth to consider Quaker testimonies and perhaps make a film that depict these values in action."

I haven't yet had time to explore the Bridge Film Festival you tube material, but I plan to do so when I can.  Others may wish to do the same, which is why I have posted the link here. 

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Permalink Reply by William F Rushby on 12th mo. 5, 2013 at 11:13am

Hello, Andrew!

I watched some of the films.  It was like peering into a different world!

The immediate question is: "whose way of life represents an 'arcane subculture'?"  The Mennonite church here is very rural, more working-class than the Friends school populations depicted and, by default, white in complexion (other races and ethnicities would be accepted, but are rare in these parts).  Film-making would be taboo, and the religious framework draws heavily from the church's "take" on the Bible, with a Mennonite overlay.  It is a very conservative subculture, but one with a strong emphasis on serving others, both inside and outside of the church.

An interesting side note: the young folks of the conference this group is affiliated with do venture into New York City periodically, to sing Gospel songs and pass out tracts and CDs to those who will accept them.  Occasionally, their messages do indeed hit the target for someone, and the contact persons may receive telephone calls from people in crisis days or weeks later.

 Bill Rushby

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Permalink Reply by William F Rushby on 12th mo. 5, 2013 at 9:17pm

Andrew:

Are you familiar with Quaker Aesthetics, edited by Emma J. Lapsansky and Anne A. Verplanck (Philadelphia: U of Pa Press, 2003)?  See the Amazon listing for details.  It gives a very good historical overview of Friends' involvement with the aesthetic.

Of special interest is the essay on Edward Hicks, who painted "The Peaceable Kingdom" and many other Quaker-themed classics.  He was a Friends' minister and a gifted artist.  He experienced great personal conflict over his excellent easel paintings, and endured some criticism by other Hicksite Friends for his work.

A cousin of Elias Hicks, the controversial Hicksite leader, Edward was actually quite orthodox in theology and critical of incipient Hicksite liberalism.

This volume also includes an essay by J. William Frost on the transition from plainness to simplicity.  As a historian, Frost is hard to beat!

I apologize for wandering from the subject of film-making, but I believe that this volume would be of considerable interest to you if you are not already aware of it.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Swartley Cohen on 12th mo. 8, 2013 at 5:23pm

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Permalink Reply by William F Rushby on 12th mo. 8, 2013 at 7:01pm

Andrew:  I enjoyed hearing your all too short autobiographical narrative.

I didn't catch what you said about your aunt's background very well.  I thought you identified her as a Mennonite; I know that the name Swartley didn't materialize out of thin air!  If she was a Mennonite, there are bound to have been many more in your background.

I hope that you will explore the Quaker faith beyond Howard Brinton's catchy acronyms.  It goes a lot deeper than that, even tying in with the Hebraic heritage that the name Cohen bespeaks! 

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Permalink Reply by William F Rushby on 12th mo. 8, 2013 at 10:14pm

"I hope that you will explore the Quaker faith beyond Howard Brinton's catchy acronyms."

Clarification: actually, the acronyms are based on Brinton's writing, rather than his own creations.  For an incisive critique of "SPICE", see Chuck Fager's essay on Brinton: http://quaker.org/quest/QT-22-Brinton-Review.html

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