Personal Canon Formation (abstract noun): the process of discovering, interacting with, responding to, and assimilating into one’s consciousness works of art and other cultural artifacts of merit. The process is deliberate and thoughtful without being rigid or dogmatic; its results may be shared generously but not authoritatively. At its best it should cultivate honest, responsible criticism that does not shy away from passion even as it is meticulously analytical. It should promote stimulating conversation and debate without acrimony. It should broaden horizons and encourage empathy. It should enrich life without anxiety, without the dreaded FOMO. Finally, it should encourage actual freedom of thought and aesthetic experience rather than the apparent freedom of the endless “choice” that the algorithmic machine feeds us.
Hello Mr. Halbrooks, I enjoyed reading a couple of your posts. I couldn’t help wondering, is it just a coincidence that the title of your Substack is very close to that of my book which came out this past March, “Building a Personal Canon Pt 1: Formation”? Strange!
So good to hear from you! Yes, I’ve had this concept in my head for years, and about a month ago someone pointed out your book to me. A friend said that it was like Newton and Leibniz independently inventing calculus a the same time--though perhaps a bit less world-changing. The other coincidence is that I’ve been enjoying your music for more than twenty years, but I had no idea about your book. I write about jazz here sometimes, especially in the “Bird-Bolts” posts behind the paywall. I’ll be happy to comp you a premium subscription if you are interested. I would be great to have your comments.
I appreciate the remembrance. It brought me back to my experiences in college, although mine was different. Instead of a listening room--I'm not sure there was one at UF when I was there in the seventies--it was all my friends and acquaintances. Over time, when visiting, people would play music during my visits. Sometimes it was because they had discovered someone new and were anxious to share them. With other albums it was just something they happened to be listening to that just struck me because it was different, original. I didn't realize it in the moment, but my aesthetic was being expanded and my personal cannon enriched and I'm grateful for it. To this day I have been collecting CD's, and sharing them, so I can pass on the experience.
Yes, exactly. Pre-internet, people who were interested in music cultivated their personal canons without doing so consciously, because music wasn’t freely available all the time. We passed around records and books as if they were personal treasures that contained secret knowledge.
Found you via Jay Adler's most recent essay https://ajayadler.substack.com and would like you to consider writing as a guest for my collaborative Substack https://innerlifecollaborative.substack.com. Write me please if you're interested. You're doing terrific work here that others should know about.
Hello Mr. Halbrooks, I enjoyed reading a couple of your posts. I couldn’t help wondering, is it just a coincidence that the title of your Substack is very close to that of my book which came out this past March, “Building a Personal Canon Pt 1: Formation”? Strange!
So good to hear from you! Yes, I’ve had this concept in my head for years, and about a month ago someone pointed out your book to me. A friend said that it was like Newton and Leibniz independently inventing calculus a the same time--though perhaps a bit less world-changing. The other coincidence is that I’ve been enjoying your music for more than twenty years, but I had no idea about your book. I write about jazz here sometimes, especially in the “Bird-Bolts” posts behind the paywall. I’ll be happy to comp you a premium subscription if you are interested. I would be great to have your comments.
I appreciate the remembrance. It brought me back to my experiences in college, although mine was different. Instead of a listening room--I'm not sure there was one at UF when I was there in the seventies--it was all my friends and acquaintances. Over time, when visiting, people would play music during my visits. Sometimes it was because they had discovered someone new and were anxious to share them. With other albums it was just something they happened to be listening to that just struck me because it was different, original. I didn't realize it in the moment, but my aesthetic was being expanded and my personal cannon enriched and I'm grateful for it. To this day I have been collecting CD's, and sharing them, so I can pass on the experience.
Yes, exactly. Pre-internet, people who were interested in music cultivated their personal canons without doing so consciously, because music wasn’t freely available all the time. We passed around records and books as if they were personal treasures that contained secret knowledge.
Welcome to Substack from a fellow Walker Percy fan.
Found you via Jay Adler's most recent essay https://ajayadler.substack.com and would like you to consider writing as a guest for my collaborative Substack https://innerlifecollaborative.substack.com. Write me please if you're interested. You're doing terrific work here that others should know about.
I facepalm as I suddenly realize that I have your email address.
Happens to me all the time! xo
Thanks so much! Yes, I would certainly be interested. (And these are the moments when Substack needs a DM function.)