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Journal

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ELEKTRONISCHES LERNEN MUZIK: Songs for Utopia

The wonderful Dr James Lamb invited me to contribute to this beautiful resource, which has playlists and commentaries from a diverse collection of contributors. To quote from the website, “Elektronisches Lernen Muzik explores the role that music plays in influencing and inspiring learning.” As I was in the process of putting together a lecture about poetic utopias for one of the courses at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, it seemed like a good opportunity to consider what music might inspire and help me learn about my utopias… and to encourage others to do the same.

https://www.elernenmuzik.net/jl-williams.html

 

Jennifer Williams, May 2025

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What is your Utopia?

I’ve heard many people say that it is easier to think of a dystopian scenario than a utopian one. I’ve also heard many people say that it is easier to write a good sad/angry poem than it is to write a good happy poem.

Even though we use the word Utopia for our events, I’m much more interested in the notion of utopia as a no-space or blank slate – I’d like to move away from good/bad, happy/sad, positive/negative – categories of judgement and, even in the context of feelings, the realm of the logical mind’s attempt to interpret experience, and go deep into the body. I want to encourage people to feel their way into the future. What future do you want? What future do you dream? What future does your heart want, your gut, your little toe?

When your grandchild is lying on their deathbed, what experience of the world do you want them to be remembering? When a person 200 years from now is writing in their journal, what do you imagine they might be writing?

Get up, do a little dance, have a little shake, look out the window, take a deep breath.

Then answer.

people in a circle with their arms raised

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