Sacred Bones Books – förlag

What is time? How is consciousness related to the physical world? Why is the simulation hypothesis so popular? These are just some of the questions LD Deutsch tackles in her first collection of essays, Time, Myth and Matter.

This book consists of five long essays, including revised and expanded versions of Deutsch’s highly esteemed zines published by Sacred Bones Books between 2018-2023, and an exclusive, previously unreleased essay, all of which explore the intersections between techno-scientific thinking and mythological narratives as they relate to life’s attempt at self-definition. Known for her ability to render complicated scientific and esoteric subjects accessible to wider audiences, Deutsch deftly traces the relationships between different theories and events in the history of science and technology, and various aspects of mythology, psychology, philosophy, (meta)physics and mysticism—resulting in a riveting inquiry into the nature of the self and the foundations of reality. By treating both science and mythology as serious subjects worthy of respect and rigor, Time, Myth and Matter opens up new avenues of thought and theory as to how the inner world of man and the outer world of Nature intersect and affect each other.

The essays in this book cover:

The history and cultural synchronicities between the discovery of the planet Pluto and the discovery of the element plutonium and development of the atomic bombDifferent scientific and philosophical theories about time and how these relate to mythological models of time and the psychological experience of synchronicityThe prevalence and popularity of the simulation hypothesis, and how it may be viewed as an actively operating mythological modelThe quantum history of matter and the metaphors we use to discuss how and from where matter emerges into the physical universeThe relationship between consciousness and the material world and how this relationship has been expressed in science, philosophy and mythology

Time, Myth and Matter covers the theories and ideas of world-renowned philosophers, scientists and psychologists such as Carl Jung, Marie-Louise von Franz, Carlo Rovelli, Brian Greene, Nick Bostrom, Bernardo Kastrup, Ruth Kastner, Jacques Vallée, Jeffrey Kripal, Hans-Peter Dürr, Albert Einstein, and more. 

How does one make a pot? According to ceramicist Maggie Boyd it requires expanding our definitions of skill and technique to include the immaterial in a material-centred craft.

HOW TO MAKE A POT is an illustrated treatise on art-making, a kind of cross between MC Richards’ Centering and Ram Das’ BE HERE NOW. The book is part spiritual manifesto and part practical guidebook, including the glaze recipes and surface techniques that have defined her work over the past 20 years. HOW TO MAKE A POT will appeal not only to those who work in clay but to anyone interested in the subconscious forces at play in art creation, and will take its place among other classic guidebooks for both the mind and the hands. 

The book is presented in two parts - part one is a kind of reflexive metaphysical exploration of making a pot. It asks the reader to explode the idea of a pot and then rebuild it from a place that will describe the maker to themself if they are able to create with curiosity and deep listening - to use a term of Pauline Oliveros'. Part two is an instructional ceramic guidebook, with images, tips and recipes for the studio. 

Key Features:

The book consists of two deluxe paper stocks to differentiate its two separate partsHundreds of full colour images included of ceramic work and illustrations by Maggie BoydAccessible to ceramicists and aspiring creatives of all levels (even if you've never held clay in your hands!)

HOW TO MAKE A POT is Boyd’s first instructional book and the result of many years of teaching and coming to learn that in this skill-based medium, the tricks and techniques aren't actually the most important factor in learning how to make a pot. It is the cultivation of the ability to carry on a conversation with the material, the process, and the self that gives a person the ability to make their pot.