[Stephen Gerringer]

Craig,

You mention returning to The Power of Myth interviews “perhaps because it is an interview, and therefore, spoken-word, on-the-spot, and sincere in its spontaneity and simplicity.”

Indeed, over the years I have found myself dividing Campbell’s work into two broad categories, which in my mind I call “written Campbell” and “spoken Campbell.”

I love “written Campbell” – e.g. The Hero with a Thousand Faces, The Masks of God, etc – well written, densely packed sentences and paragraphs, with exhaustive footnotes.

But what most strikes a chord with the public seems “spoken Campbell” – whether the Power of Myth and other interviews (e.g. An Open Life: Joseph Campbell in Conversation with Michael Toms) and discussions (The Hero’s Journey; A Joseph Campbell Companion, etc.), as well as books edited from lectures (Myths To Live By, Pathways to Bliss, etc.).

Campbell’s writing is beautiful (he read every word aloud to Jean, which helps when I come across a complex passage that I don’t get at first: I’ll read it aloud, paying attention to the rhythm provided by the punctuation), but there is a spontaneity and charm to Joe just talking. I believe “spoken Campbell” is much more accessible than his more scholarly work, though both draw from the same well.