[Stephen Gerringer]

In today’s entry on MythBlasts in the “30 Days Celebrating 30 Years of JCF,” MythBlast series editor Bradley Olson, Ph.D., provides a shout-out to Norland Tellez (I’m copying-and-pasting that here rather than providing a link, as these daily offerings disappear into the ether after 24 hours):

In conversations with JCF President, Bob Walter, and a few other colleagues at JCF, we’ve come to believe that the MythBlast series may be capable of functioning something like a digital Eranos, offering a space for thinking and speculative analyses at the edges of critical Campbell texts, as well as the important intellectual, scholarly, and cultural influences that shaped him. The MythBlast series can become a home to creative, intellectually rigorous, and novel explorations of Campbell and mythology by authors attempting to reach beyond the safe, established, often derivative, confines of traditional scholarship (Dr. Norland Tellez is a good example of a MythBlast contributor who is currently working at these edges, and you can find his MythBlasts archived at JCF).

I have to agree with Dr. Olson’s assessment. And not only do Dr. Tellez’ writings push the boundaries, but his willingness to pioneer discussions about those essays here in Conversations of a Higher Order, and the thought-provoking discussions that ensured, helped play a part in the decision to invite a variety of  innovative, often nontraditional scholars to participate. As the expansion of the MythBlast series into a sort of “digital Eranos” takes shape, we are exploring how best to encourage follow-up discussions with those authors here.

Thanks to all who have participated in these conversations, and especially to Norland Tellez for going above and beyond.