Symphony #1 in a Minor Key
A Meditation on Time and Place
by
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After four committed decades as teacher, professor and scholar; enjoying (for the most part) the progress of two delightful daughters; still in possession of a mortgage and an enduring commitment to the public sphere that has roots in the Sixties; and all too aware of the presence of mortality, Alan Block felt that there were some fundamental things about life that he had yet to sound. Fascinated with the classical symphony and particularly with the compositions of Ludwig van Beethoven, Block has patterned Symphony #1 in a Minor Key: A Meditation on Time and Place after the form of a classical symphony, written in four distinct yet connected movements, each uncovering and complicating emotional depths and intellectual themes. What does it mean to leave home in search of a home? What do the ceremonies that attend death tell us about life? How do we ever make sense of the life that too often doesn’t seem to make sense? And how do we celebrate those overwhelming but fleeting moments when our lives seem to us transcendent and sublime? What does it mean to leave home in search of a home? What do the ceremonies that attend death tell us about life? How do we ever make sense of the life that too often doesn’t seem to make sense? And how do we celebrate those overwhelming but fleeting moments when our lives seem to us transcendent and sublime?
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About the Book
When instruments are harmoniously joined together, beautiful music ensues. Just as in a classic symphony, life often occurs in phases, or movements. In his creative comparison Symphony #1 in a Minor Key, literary exegete Alan Block shares his philosophies on four movements reflected in his own life, each loosely modeled on a different musical form linked to the emotions of a life both fully lived and joyously celebrated.
In the first movement, “Sonata Allegro,” Block juxtaposes biblical stories with personal experiences as he explores the contradictory nature of what it means to leave home in search of another home. In the second movement, representing a slow march to and from the grave, he focuses his examination on the funerals of three very different people from a Jewish perspective. In strong contrast, Block presents a glimpse into his absurd daily world in the third movement, punctuated by jokes and commentary. Finally, he shares a celebration of life and hope inspired by the final movement of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, encouraging others to be open to the sublime and realize that none of our worlds is perfect.
Symphony #1 in a Minor Key shares one man’s reflections as he offers a fascinating meditation on life, death, and everything in between.
About the Author
Alan A. Block was educated at Roanoke College, Hofstra, and St. John’s University. For the past forty years, he has taught in public schools and universities in New York and Wisconsin. Alan divides his time between homes in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and St. Paul, Minnesota.