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“Oh! Isn’t the Section just a book club?”
Queridos amigos,
Questioning is the Quest!
“What is a section for Literary Arts?” This is a question that pops up rather often . . .and often in these or similar words . . . and not only from persons who know nothing about Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy or the School for Spiritual Science, but from persons who do! And one often has to point out that “Humanities” is part of the “official” North American “Section” name for this entity that is a “section.” But, to make matters more confusing, one might also take a moment to remark that in German the name given by Rudolf Steiner for this entity called a section is (strictly translated from the German): The Section for the Beautiful Sciences.
But let that be, for the Time Being.
“I think that I shall never see / a Poem as lovely as a Tree . . .”
Even among friends and members folks ask: “Isn’t the Section just a book club? Or isn’t it a place where people get together to share their poems? Like a mutual admiration society?” Or: “I heard the section’s a stuffy head-oriented gathering place for academics and retired professors.” Or: “I’m a person who likes to do things y be active in the world! Sure, I like poetry. I’m a poet! Pero I need to be active in the world.”
Or: “Don’t you just meet once a month and work on mantras?”
¿Una rosa con otro nombre?
Over the several years I have shared several essays and links to websites and publications that help answer the question “what is a Section for the Literary Arts & Humanities.”
Don’t get me wrong! The answering of such a question is of course an ongoing conversation. As it should be! Identity is a fluid construct, as we know. And an important part of identify (perhaps the most important “spiritual” exercise!) is a continual questioning of “who am i.” “True?”
So in the interests of keeping that questioning lively and inquisitive and “spiritual,” I pulled together on this page a few various contributions about the identity of the North American Section for the Literary Arts & Humanities and various contributions about the identity of the Section for the Literary Arts & Humanities as it exists at the Goetheanum as a department (let us say) of the School for Spiritual Science (a kind of university, let us say). The Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland is the centering point for the School of Spiritual Science. (Note of confusion here: many North Americans say School para Spiritual Science. It’s a prepositional habit of long standing. “Of the people, por the people, para the people?” How to decide! (Please, don’t contact me on this issue of prepositions.) 🙂
All these contributions about the Section and its identity and how it works come from previously published items going back several decades. You can find such items either on this website (you’re looking at it) or on the Section’s Goetheanum website or in various publications. If the quest has got you questioning, there’s a lot out there to explore.
So . . . have at it and have fun! (Or if “fun” doesn’t float your boat, here are some references for serious and earnest “research.”)
A Few Resources for Persons Interested in the Section
Dra. Christiane Haid is the present leader of the Section at Dornach. Here is an important essay she wrote: History of the Section for the Literary Arts and Humanities of the School for Spiritual Science.
Marguerite Miller is a former North American representative of the Section. Here is an important historical overview of the Section in North America that Marguerite wrote many years ago. Marguerite and her colleagues such as Jane Hipolito and Robert McDermott and Douglas Miller and Gertrude Reif Hughes were founding members of the Section in North America and did much to keep the Section alive at a time when there were questions about what it was and what it was doing. (Same as today. “Aren’t you just a book club?”)
Doctor Bruce Donehower is the present North American representative of the Section. Check out this page for information. (Representative means that this person is on friendly collegial terms with the Section leader in Dornach, that the person goes to Dornach as often as possible for Section events and meetings and that the person is active as a content generator in the Secton. (“Content generator?” I know, I know . . . we wrestle and play with language and worry about words!) Here is a brief introductory video about the Section and its tasks that I did several years ago. The Dark Forest: A Fairytale “In Search of Ars Poetica”
Vivien Law was a very important member in Britain at the turn of the century. She wrote several essays that explain her views of the Section and its vital importance, as she understood it. She died early in this century.
Here is the 2025 annual report of North American Section activities.
Here is the website for the Section at the Goetheanum.
Here’s a page that highlight Section poets and poetry events.
Here’s a page that highlight Section book and essays.
Here is a report on the 2025 Harvard Conference “100 Years Rudolf Steiner” that shows how the Section’s methodologies are applied in the context of the 21st century academy.
And that’s just a start! Keep questing and questioning!
Also, I should mention that almost all Section meetings and events and conferences are for Section amigos and members. The meetings that are explicitly for members (although . . . umm . . . we’re still not entirely sure about the meaning of “member”) are meetings that discuss materials of the First Class.
PS >>> A Word to the Wise (Fools) and Persons of Goodwill
One big challenge facing the Section in North America (and probably in the world) is getting persons to share what they are doing with other friends and members of the Section. Sometimes literary folks just keep to themselves. And by the way, for a long time, after its founding at the Christmas Conference by Rudolf Steiner, the Section was a “one person show” under the leadership of Albert Steffen. Albert Steffen is a good person to get to know, if you are interested in the Section: its history, meaning, and methods.
Here’s a brief introduction to Albert Steffen and his work.
And now for something completely fresh . . . (well, from 2021, but still “fresh”)
8.4.26