From 1903 to 1908, a 19-year-old cadet wrote letters to the famous poet and author Rainer Maria Rilke. Inspired by learning that Rilke had attended his same military academy but chose the artist’s path, the cadet Kappus had questions, as he too was an aspiring poet. Their correspondence explored the power of not just asking questions, but rather living them. Rilke responded,
“Be patient towards all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.”
As we enter into our thought-space for summer, we offer a theme to frame the upcoming school year: LIVING THE QUESTIONS. We frame our collective experience by listening to Radiolab’s rebroadcast of Signal Hill’s “Caterpillar Roadshow” – which you can find via this YouTube link or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
In this podcast, you will explore the power of written correspondence (much like Kappus & Rilke), see that one is never too young to explore big questions or to seek out experts – and if that is not enough, become one of them. We hope that Jo, the podcast’s young scientist, will encourage you to spend the summer living the questions without too much worry to find the answers.
In July, your January-Term course will be revealed. Each J-Term course has selected a summer read that will serve as the touchstone for your study this fall and winter. Stay tuned for a message and what text you need to read prior to the start of school.
So what are your next steps?
- Listen to the podcast “Caterpillar Roadshow” in June.
- Have thoughts about what you heard and want to discuss? Join us for an optional discussion:
Wednesday, June 18 – at UHS 10 – 11 a.m.
Friday, June 20 – at UHS 12 – 1 p.m.
Thursday, June 26 – via Zoom 2:00-3:00 p.m. (passcode UHS)
3. Look for an email in early July with your J-Term assignment and course specific summer reading title.
4. Lean into those questions!
5. Complete your summer reading, and take a few original notes as to what questions the text asks readers to grapple with, prior to the first day of school.
May your summer be a time of relaxation, rejuvenation, and exploration. We hope you find that, like Jo, no question is too big if you are passionate, persistent, and curious enough.
Cheers to LIVING THE QUESTIONS! We cannot wait to see you in August.
– Jamie MacDougall