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Florida island hermit

An article titled “Local hermit’s diary re-emerges after 20 years in Marco garage”
in the Marco Island Sun Times describes Naranjan, a hermit living on Dismal Island, among the Ten Thousand Islands, off southwest Florida.

Naranjan kept a diary of life on the island, a diary recently brought to light by a local captain who knew the hermit. Naranjan lived in a 1930’s-built shack, and began the diary in the 1980’s, highlighted by his experience of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The last entry before he apparently disappeared reads poignantly: “”Verdi’s Requiem w/Red Belly’s and Cardinals.”

URL: http://www.marcoislandflorida.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100819/MARCONEWS/8190331/1075/Local-hermit-s-diary-re-emerges-after-20-years-in-Marco-garage

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“And Then There Were Two”

Two Orthodox hermit nuns in a North Yorkshire monastery are interviewed in a 2002 article titled “And Then There Were Two” in the Guardian. The nuns live in separate hermitages, pursuing creative projects and spiritual practices, meeting for meals. And they grant the Guardian reporter an interview because they are seeking recruits. Brought to our attention by a friend of Hermitary.

URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/apr/16/gender.uk

One of the two nuns at the Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Assumption mentioned in the article, Mother Thekla, has been well-known in British circles as a scholar and translator of religious works as well as a creative inspiration and librettist for the contemporary British composer John Tavener, with whom she broke communications because of his growing interest in Hinduism, as mentioned in a Telegraph article in 2003.

URL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1445360/Composer-in-tempestuous-bust-up-with-spiritual-muse.html

Mother Thekla has edited an album of sacred music for Naxos and published at least half a dozen books, including Can Wisdom Be Taught?.

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Naoko Matsubara: “Solitude”

from Matsubara: Solitude
from Matsubara: "Solitude"

“Solitude” is a series of eleven woodcuts by contemporary Japanese artist Naoko Matsubara.

“Solitude” is presented as reflections on Henry David Thoreau. The style is expressionistic, wherein Matsubara strives to show the inner energy in living beings such as trees. To recognize this quality of sentient beings requires a sensitivity to solitude, for it sets aside our own consciousness to identify fully with — in this case — trees.

Solitude is Thoreau’s physical and intellectual setting, and the woodcuts seem to derive energy as much from his inspiration as from the physical beings themselves. Trees find their liberation into a charged nature sanctified by Thoreau’s presence.

A further clue into understanding the art is that fact that Matsubara was brought up in the Shinto tradition, which identifies closely the spiritual in living objects.

Many web references available, including (at this writing) a site with the eleven “Solitude” series woodcuts: http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/821279

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Hikikomori “crisis”

An opinion piece in Japan’s Mainichi News titled “‘Hikikomori’ bedroom hermits should be regarded as national crisis” summarizes the hikikomori phenomenon in Japan today, the extent of the issue, and the fact that all remedies so far have fallen short.

There are approximately 230,000 people who almost constantly shut themselves in their rooms except to go to nearby convenience stores, according to a survey conducted by the Cabinet Office. The number increases to about 700,000 if those who only go out to do something hobby-related are included.

Moreover, there are an estimated 1.55 million potential so-called ‘hikikomori’ who have felt like shutting themselves in their own rooms. Most of them are young people.

As the population of young people declines due to falling birthrates, the statistics have raised questions about the future of Japan.

Hikikomori are defined as those who shut themselves in their homes for at least six months but are not involved in child care or housework even though they are not sick.

The article acknowledges that even after 15 years of observing this phenomenon in Japan there is no consensus on the cause.

URL: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20100727p2a00m0na007000c.html

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Solitude on college radio

Two “radio” talks about solitude from the “Ethics Talk – Philosophy, Flourishing, and the Good Life” program of the Philosophy Department of Central Michigan University are available. The two programs are: “Solitude, its Virtues and Vices” and “Solitude; an In-depth Exploration.” The talks can be downloaded for listening at one’s convenience.

URL: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ethics-talk/2010/06/29/solitude-its-virtues-and-vices; and http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ethics-talk/2010/07/06/solitude-an-in-depth-exploration