Simple Beginnings

An adventure, and I love adventures

When the idea was raised to gather the most often referenced works on the topic of simple living, I assumed it would take a few weeks—maybe a few months—to assemble some works into an anthology and have it published. Seven years later, I’m finally sitting down to write this project’s editorial letter. The simple project was anything but.

Maybe one day, some of the selections shared in the Simple Reading newsletters will wind up in an anthology. But, at least for now, a published book is the wrong format for this project. Simple Reading continues to be a morphing, living thing. I have so many questions I want to answer: What qualifies a piece of literature as being worthy of inclusion in a simple living anthology? How do you present diverse opinions when history wasn’t so great about publishing diverse authors? Where do you start and what year do you end? And, at least in the case of Thoreau, do you include the one selection that everyone expects or do you include the piece of his writing that is more concise and precise at conveying his opinions? (Heck, do you include him at all because he turned out to be such a big ol’ hypocrite?) A published book is so restrictive and…permanent.

This is why an email newsletter is such a better fit for this project—nothing is set in stone. You can suggest authors and works that I may not have previously known, and I can research and present the selections in future newsletters. I don’t have to choose just one work by an author. I can present a work, and you can respond and tell me it’s thought provoking or a complete disaster. You can join in the comments and be part of this minimalist adventure.

An email newsletter that arrives every two weeks is also less anxiety inducing than a tome of an anthology. In a year, just by reading emails, you’ll be exposed to hundreds of years of literature. You’ll be familiar with the words of Lao Tze, Gautama Buddha, Marcus Aurelius, Anna White, and so many more. The first emails will be of ancient Asian texts, and then they’ll wind their way through periods belonging to the Ancient Greeks and Romans, Judeo-Christians, authors during the Enlightenment, and on to the 20th century. It won’t be a perfect chronological order, but at least the first year will have a bit of that progression. After the first pass through written history, we will see where the literature takes us.

You’ll also find that with time, you will have a favorite work that speaks to you more than others. Mine is the Diogenes of Sinope, and I’m excited to share his work with you. He’s a man who chose to take the idea of minimalism to its extreme. His ascetic suggestions are far beyond my level of comfort, but during my research I was drawn to his outrageous commitment and diligence in his pursuits. I also laugh each time I come across his proclamation upon watching a child drinking from his hands instead of a cup: “That child has beaten me in simplicity!” It reminds me that simple living is not a contest to be won, though I’m fairly certain the Diogenes of Sinope would not agree with me on that point.

Maybe that is where we begin our discussion. I believe that minimalism is not the pursuit of the least. Minimalism is the pursuit of freedom from entanglements.

How do you define minimalism? Do you define it in your life differently than you do in your words?

Regardless of your definition, I hope that you find something in the Simple Reading newsletters that speaks to you. Whether you’re someone who is looking for more simplicity in your life or are merely curious about minimalism from an academic perspective, there should be something here for you to ponder.

Welcome, and thank you for subscribing. The first Simple Reading email with a literary excerpt should arrive in your inbox Thursday, January 21.