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We must take ourselves pretty seriously as an "emergent group" since the group itself has yet to be in a room together. And yet, we meet (we met) and points of engagement seem to be everywhere. A few things I hope we can keep in play:

Paul began our session by musing on the function of our work if (when) the discovery of the One True Meaning or Organizing Principle is no longer what drives us. I'm afraid that many of us ivory tower dwellers, though we have the cultural perspective to wag fingers in the direction of those who strive to accumulate Stuff, are in fact not so deeply in touch with the very personal ways in which this question of Why? might be asked of us.

My own provisional answer to this question I learned from reading Peter Handke, who says that he has faith in literature because it gives him the opportunity to change. I do think this has a lot to do with why I choose to create the work that I make. And I extend an invitation to my students, collaborators, and audiences to allow themselves to be changed also or, more accurately I hope, to change themselves through their openness to experience.

I am excited to see where this goes. It interests me a great deal to be a part of a process whose shape I can't see the end of. I feel enough points of connection with other participants to be more than just curious to see what happens.