Everyone has their Daemons

 

If you are under the impression this is Stelmaria, proud snow leopard-daemon of Lord Asriel, you are most mistaken. While a powerful daemon indeed, this is my own, which I was assigned via the quasi-official daemon sorting offered on the movie-official site when The Golden Compass debuted back in 2007. 

Her name is Anthora and, much like with my Sorting Hat quiz on Pottermore, I was so honestly enamored with the results I refuse to take another one. I'm probably not going to do better than Gryffindor as far as Hogwarts Houses, and I'm certainly not going to have a daemon settle as anything better than a snow leopard. Okay, personally I would have loved to have scored a wolf as that has been my favorite animal ever since I was a kid, and admittedly I am more of a dog person than a cat one, but still ...

And as appealing a thought as having a real, fully grown snow leopard softly padding beside me as I go about my daily business may be, I opted for this little critter courtesy of the Aurora Store as a nice symbolic representation. If only my deepest, truest self were that effortlessly adorable. Not to mention I thought she might play as a nice mascot here at Building the Republic. So welcome aboard Anthora, and may we never have to separate, witch-style. 

Does anyone else have a settled daemon they just can't seem to let go of? 

And as Always 

Stay Dusty My Friends

#HisDarkMaterials #TheBookOfDust  #PhilipPullman 

#BuildingTheRepublic  #PullmanStudies  #JordanScholarship

#InDustWeTrust  #DaemonsAndDust   #TheGreatProject

"He took the Golden Compasses"

 

So this is a cool illustration of everyone's favorite truth-telling symbol-reader, the alethiometer. This particular rendition was released as part of a brochure by Philip Pullman himself when His Dark Materials was released as a two-part stage play. This formidable theatrical attempt was launched in 2004 by the National Theatre, along with a pamphlet that explains the history of the alethiometer as well as how to use it.

Sadly I did not get to see the play, and the brochure is now tragically out of print. Still, I just had to share because I've never seen an illustration this detailed and it's coming from the author himself. 

As for the picture, I should note I found a copy of it lurking in a copy of Discovering the Golden Compass by George Beahm. It is meant to serve as a lead-up to the release of The Golden Compass movie (and please see my big retrospective if you're interested in that), and while I just picked it up in a used bookstore a month or two ago thinking I might need it for research, I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the Pullmanverse. For a tie-in book, it is very comprehensive, covering all sorts of things from the books themselves to the audio presentations to the upcoming film, and also features lots of cool illustrations. It was also very fun to read, and best of all, it features a twenty-plus page autobiography by Pullman titled "I have a feeling this all belongs to me," which I'm not sure is available on the web anymore. 

But speaking of alethiometers, I was rereading The Subtle Knife, and a curious modern analogy hit me. 

Lyra's speed and accuracy with the alethiometer is remarked on again and again. She's a natural,, as quick as a bird, her hands dart around so fast you can barely see them. Older people, on the other hand, are slow, ponderous, require books and manuals to operate it, etc .... 

A certain parallel with the way younger and older people text, no? Anyway, I posted the thought on social media and it got a lot of laughs, so there. 

But to close out, this is a video reviewing one of the original replicas that were produced some dozen years ago when the film came out. It is courtesy of the ever-popular Noble Collection, though once again, sadly it is unavailable because apparently they have since lost or forfeited the rights to sell it. A few are still available out there in the dark corners of the web, or maybe even Ebay. Still, they seem to be about as rare and unseen as the alethiometers in Lyra's own world.

And I personally can't deal with a square one as designed on the HDM series, but that's just me ...

And as Always 

Stay Dusty My Friends

#HisDarkMaterials #TheBookOfDust  #PhilipPullman 

#BuildingTheRepublic  #PullmanStudies  #JordanScholarship

#InDustWeTrust  #DownAndDusty   #TheGreatProject

The Coolest T-shirts in the Many-Worlds

 

Designed and sold by Coloor

So lest everyone thinks posts here at Building the Republic only revolve around philosophical musings on The Book of Dust or deep poetic analysis of His Dark Materials, I not-so-subtlely draw your attention to the shirt I received in the mail the other day. 

As we all know, even with the HBO series, the Pullmanverse isn't anyone near as popularized as say, Harry Potter. For better or worse, there are no HDM theme parks sporting witch-style pine-cloud rides or mulefa-inspired roller coasters. For that matter, there's not really a lot of merchandise period, especially for those of us who grew up with Star Wars and the like, as I've lamented before. However, I did chance upon a site called Red Bubble, which offers a rich array of really, really cool Dark Materials. Some of my favorite shirts are as follows, so get ready to get down and Dusty -

Designed and sold by morphmaker

Designed and sold by JuloCreation

Designed and sold by Merchmanga

Designed and sold by JuloCreation

 

Designed and sold by kanekolinkk

There are a lot of other great ones, such as the one that simply says "DUST" where the NASA logo usually is, and it would be hard to go wrong with the "Make Dust Not War" design, though it may raise some curious eyebrows at the mall. And of course all the prerequisites with Iorek and the alethiometer as well as some nice images from the series for those of you into such things. Not sure about the licensing, but whatever.

And of course, my first foray into Red Bubble was simply scavenging for t-shirts. There is more. Much much more. Say, if you feel you can't face another day without a Pantalamion throw pillow, or an Iorek blanket, or even an alethiometer clock (honorable mention obviously has to go to the very timely alethiometer face mask!), this is your one stop shop. 

The quality of my one shirt is very satisfactory, and fits quite well. I will say perhaps the color is a little lighter than I would have thought, but all in all quite awesome. I can't attest to the quality of the other merchandise on offer, except that some of it looks quite cool, and most of it seems to have earned pretty solid reviews.

Check out all of it here. I should also mention you can apparently use your Amazon account when you check out, which is handy. In the meantime, don't let the Gobblers grab your wallet, 

And as Always 

Stay Dusty My Friends

#HisDarkMaterials #TheBookOfDust  #PhilipPullman 

#BuildingTheRepublic  #PullmanStudies  #JordanScholarship

#InDustWeTrust  #DownAndDusty   #TheGreatProject

The Republic Index

It occurred to me that as this blog grew and expanded and some of the posts became longer and longer, perhaps a nice friendly index of sorts would be in order. It seemed like a Dusty thing to do, and I will add it to the relevant links portion on the homepage so it will be immediately accessible. The blog archive is of course also available on the sidebar, but this adds more specific information. And keep in mind I was a librarian for years, and that need and appreciation for literary order and indexing doesn't just go away. 

Hopefully it will help make navigating these maiden voyages into the waters of the Pullmanverse a little easier, and point to any specific areas of interest any roving Pullman Studies majors might have. I plan on adding every individual post to it if I can remember, so it's not going to be a static thing. I want to be - if not the best Jordan Scholar I can be - certainly the best Pullman one. 

I'll also mention that certain titles will repeat with alternating subtitles, such as "My Jordan Library," documenting my growing Pullman collection, or "Readings in the Republic," regarding what current relevant books I may be perusing, or "Citizens of the Republic," highlighting certain people who have or are now making vast contributions to a Republic of Heaven lifestyle. 

Perhaps one of these days I can add some kind of virtual Retiring Room, complete with a lantern projector and photograms and decanters of Tokay, and even some smokeleaf and poppy for everyone to enjoy. As they say, the latter clarifies the mind, stimulates the tongue, and makes for rich conversation, but hopefully this blog provides much the same experience online!

Welcome to the Republic - Published on 10/12/20 - The very first post providing an introduction to not only this blog, but also the worlds of Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials, The Book of Dust, and what exactly this Republic of Heaven stuff is all about. 

My Jordan Library - Published on 10/16/20 - My own little version of Bodley's Library, as I share some facts about myself, but specifically all the HDM and TBoD related books and novels I love to collect. Considerably more editions have found their way into my hands, and I will try to keep things updated throughout. Hopefully my book photography skills will also improve. 

Sincerely Serpentine - Published on 10/22/20 - My review of Serpentine, the quaint little novella that was published last year. It chronicles Lyra's return to Trollesund, as well as some drama developing between her and Pantalamion. This was my first time attempting to write anything scholarly about the Materials, so bear with me. No Svalbard pun intended. 

Northern Lights Online Event - Published on 10/22/20 - Easily the least relevant post thus far. This was my announcement regarding a special live event featuring Pullman and others to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Northern Lights. Most notable here is the release of the Illustrated Edition, which will soon be available in the U.S. Said event is obviously over, though I do cover it later. 

Trailers and Featurettes and Subtle Knives - Published on 10/27/20 - A first look and some talk regarding season two of the HBO His Dark Materials series. 

On First Looking Into Pullman's Materials - Published on 10/28/20 - This is a not-so-subtle nod to Keats' "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer." Just as Keats beautifully outlined his own feelings upon first reading a translation of Homer, I frame my own readings of His Dark Materials, as well as the profound impact they have had on me. Literary and otherwise. I'm proud of this one, as it also begins to delve heavily into the poetic scaffolding this enterprise is built around. 

Poe, Pullman, and Poetics - Published on 10/31/20 - Ending a very prolific first month here at BtR, this commemorates a certain edition of Edgar Allan Poe I secured that features a wonderful introduction by Pullman himself. It seemed relevant for Halloween, and it also continues to explore the more poetic approaches to life. 

My Jordan Library: Subtle Scores - Published on 11/6/20 - A short but sweet post chronicling not only my acquisition of the deluxe tenth anniversary edition of The Subtle Knife, but also my long lost movie Lyra-themed bookmark.

My Thoughts on the Evening with Philip Pullman Event - Published on 11/7/20 - Just a recap of what the online event was like, as it featured not only Philip Pullman but also others such as his longtime publisher, as well as people who are working on the HBO series. 

A Boy, a Canoe, and Eternity's Sunrise - Published on 11/13/20 - A post that I harbor a certain fondness for, as it explores some of the symbolism of La Belle Sauvage, specifically as seen through the lens of William Blake and his visionary experiences. This is the sort of thing I plan to write a lot of in the future, not the least of which in any upcoming scholarly books. 

Into This Wild Abyss (Of Speculation) - Published on 12/3/20 - One of my two longest posts, but by far one of my most popular. This is an admittedly detailed look at what may or may not happen in the third and final installment of The Book of Dust, as  thoroughly explored through Pullman's philosophy of fiction and literature. 

Philip Pullman, Michael Sheen, and a Great Conversation - Published on 12/10/20 - A short and simple post regarding an interview on YouTube with Philip Pullman and the performer who worked on The Book of Dust audio versions. Informative and entertaining. 

Readings in the Republic - Published on 12/15/20 - My first in a series of articles detailing books I am reading that I have found to be very complimentary to Pullman Studies, normally of a poetic nature. This not only centers on William Blake and John Milton, but also contemporary thinkers that Pullman has noted or recommended, such as Philip Goff or Iain McGilchrist. It also highlights the importance of tracking a trail of inspiration from the writers who inspired you, all the way to the writers who inspired them. 

The Golden Compass Illustrated Edition - Published on 1/11/20 - Starting out the new year with a post announcing the release of the first His Dark Materials novel to receive an illustrated edition, as well as a handy link to pre-order it. Here's hoping The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass will eventually receive similar treatment.

The Golden Compass 2007 Retrospective - Published on 1/12/21 - My other longest post beside "Into This Wild Abyss," and yes, also easily my second most popular. This is something I have been meaning to do for awhile, in one context or another. This inches toward being a rather definitive discussion of The Golden Compass film by New Line Cinema, documenting everything from the cast to the director to the screenwriting to the reviews to the soundtrack to the video game to its eventual cinematic fate. I am reasonably proud of this one too, and a lot of people seem to have genuinely enjoyed this look back at what was, and what might have been ...

Pan and the Alethiometer - Published on 1/18/21 - Simply a wonderful image I found that features everyone's favorite daemon and alethiometer and just had to share. The artist was hard to track down, but apparently Andrew Ferez is the one, and his picture is painted with a stunning vibrancy.

My Jordan Library: Film Edition - Published on 1/21/21 - Hopefully a fun one. The "My Jordan Library" series continues, only this time, I'm sharing the few artifacts I've managed to secure from the 2007 Golden Compass film. This includes a poster, bookmarks, a tie-in book, as well as a full-on review of the Blu-Ray special edition. 

"Appareled in Celestial Light" - Published on 2/5/21 - This features a stunning video clip of the real world aurora borealis, as well as a substantial quote from Northern Lights itself that beautifully captures the phenomenon in prose. This is followed by a few paragraphs where I once again try to wax lyrical regarding poetry and nature and Romanticism, and draw an honestly pretty neat parallel between Coleridge's "Eolian Harp" poem and the alethiometer. 

Lyra & Will: A Poetic Tribute - Published on 2/13/21 - Actually it was published right after midnight on Valentine's, because how could someone's thoughts not to turn HDM's power couple on that day? Featuring very appropriate poetry from the likes of Poe, Keats, Blake, and Byron, as well as a certain bench in the Botanic Gardens at Oxford. 

My Jordan Library: Unpacking His Dark Materials - Published on 2/21/21 - Another foray into my Pullman collection, this time featuring the deluxe tenth anniversary edition of The Amber Spyglass and, most importantly, my illustrated edition of Northern Lights, courtesy of Amazon UK. The standout here is my breaking out an old projecting lantern and actually posting the video on YouTube for your viewing enjoyment. 

Readings in the Republic: Bargain Book Edition - Published on 3/3/21 - Nothing too special, just my second in this particular series documenting any additional material I'm reading that I deem closely tied to this whole Republic of Heaven endeavor. In this case a collection of books scoured from the bargain section at Books-A-Million featuring naked eye astronomy, an intro the I Ching, and of course, more poetry. 

The Coolest T-Shirts in the Many Worlds - Published on 3/11/21 - A chronicle of my first purchase on Red Bubble, a novelty website which is overflowing with awesome His Dark Materials merch - so if you're in the market for an alethiometer clock or an Iorek throw pillow or a Cittagazze hoodie, this is the place for you. Links and recommendations provided, starting with ones for my Jordan College Alumni t-shirt!

"He took the Golden Compasses" - Published on 3/15/21 - A little Milton quote to kick us off, as I talk about an illustration of the alethiometer I found in a tie-in book, as originally designed by Pullman for the stage production of His Dark Materials. 

Everyone has their Daemons - Published on 3/24/21 - In which I introduce everyone to Anthora, the daemon I scored on the very old Golden Compass film website over a decade ago. As now existing in stuffed animal form. 

The Great Project - Published on 4/8/21 - Referencing an old quote from Pullman about the nature of Dust. In this case, specifically how we can adopt it as a metaphor through which to see the bigger world, as well as engage with it in the "great project" of keeping the universe alive and conscious ....

Taking Center Stage - Published on 4/17/21 - Information on the new date for the stage adaptation of La Belle Sauvage in London this holiday season. 

InstaDust - Published on 4/29/21 - A brief suggestion to go follow the duchessofcornwallsreadingroom on Instagram, as she is currently exploring The Secret Commonwealth. 

The Subtle Knife: Illustrated Edition - Published on 5/14/21 - A notice regarding Christopher Wormell and a preview regarding some of his work on TSK illustrated version. 

New Philip Pullman Interview! - Published on 5/29/21 - A video interview between Pullman and Charles Rosen on children's literature and The Book of Dust and lots besides, now available on Vimeo. 

BBC HDM Special - Published on 6/21/2021 - A linked YouTube video that hails all the way back from 2001 on the BBC ...

Epigrams and Anniversaries - Published on 7/10/21 - My announcement that not only have I finally started official work on my own scholarly HDM book, but that it unknowingly connected perfectly to the 26th anniversary of the publication of Northern Lights.

My Jordan Library: Northern Lights Edition - Published on 08/17/21 - A look at my collection of Northern Lights and Golden Compass books, complete with dramatic northern backdrop. 

Philip Pullman Meets Iain McGilchrist - Published on 10/9/21 - Links to potentially the most exciting event in the Pullmanverse this year! 

The Pullman and McGilchrist Event is Now Available - Published on 11/29/21 - A link to the published discussion between these two great poetic minds. 

The Golden Compass Character Posters - Published on 12/21/21 - A little series of posters featuring all the prominent actors in the Golden Compass movie. 

Of Portraits and Daemons - Published on 12/25/21 - A look at the da Vinci portrait that helped inspire and solidify the relationship of humans and daemons in His Dark Materials. 

The Illustrated Lyra's Oxford: Review and Analysis - Published on 1/3/22 - A review and philosophical look at Pullman's first HDM novella. And birds. Lots of birds.

Readings in the Republic: Alethiometers and Neuroscience - Published on 1/15/22 - A recommendation of the works of Tweedy and McGilchrist and how their work in brain science directly relates to HDM. 

The World of The Golden Compass and a Very Dusty Quote - Published on 2/13/22 - Information about an older compilation of essays about His Dark Materials.

New Release: The Imagination Chamber - Published on 2/26/22 - Information regarding the upcoming companion book to His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust. 

His Graphic Materials - Published on 4/6/22 - My review of the first two graphic novel editions of His Dark Materials. 

To Be Continued ....

And as Always 

Stay Dusty My Friends

#HisDarkMaterials #TheBookOfDust  #PhilipPullman 

#BuildingTheRepublic  #PullmanStudies  #JordanScholarship

#InDustWeTrust  #DownAndDusty   #TheGreatProject

Readings in the Republic: Bargain Book Edition

 

Is life or the pandemic wearing on you? Is winter lingering a bit too long? Is the Magisterium gaining a foothold in your world? Suspect the Consistorial Court of Discipline has you under surveillance? If so, what better way to counteract the situation than by going to a bookstore on a Saturday evening, claiming Scholastic Sanctuary, and loading up on some literature? 

In my case, it was a Books-A-Million and the bargain book section. Maybe I was "getting and spending" too much as William Wordsworth earnestly warned against, but I was also purchasing the very building blocks of our Republic of Heaven, so hopefully it will all come out even in the end. 

The big one at the back is Night Sky: Stargazing with the Naked Eye, and it contains some utterly sublime photographs of not only the stars and moons and Milky Way, but also the stunning aurora borealis itself, which should hold a special place in the hearts of Pullmanites everywhere. I took two semesters of astronomy in college, and would love to formally explore stargazing. The main problem is I live not far from a major metropolitan area, and light pollution is a significant issue. 

- It is food for thought that we are one of the few generations to ever exist on the planet who are not treated to a nightly celestial feast in the heavens, but as with many things now lost, this book seems at least a partial substitute for the real thing.

Next up is The Romantic Poets and their Circle by Richard Holmes, which I had never seen before or even heard of. Naturally I was pleased to obtain it, as it contains many exquisite portraits and paintings of the famous poets, writers, and other important figures of the Romantic era. It begins with a great portrait of Lord Byron, as striking and powerful as Lord Asriel himself, complete with all the requisite Byronic and Miltonic trappings of both men. 

- As I also like to point out at every given opportunity, Philip Pullman himself freely admitted he was a "Romantic extremist" as a young man, then wryly adding, "Well, you can't be a Romantic moderate." On that point, as on so many others, we agree. 

Following that is an edition of Walden, by of course Henry David Thoreau. He went to the woods to "live deliberately," and so accomplished his mission. Living deliberately is a major Republican virtue, so we can probably mark Thoreau as a Citizen of the Republic in good standing. 

Next is a quaint little introduction to that ancient Chinese divination book, the I Ching. Admittedly, I have not had too much exposure to this one, despite a fondness for ancient Chinese philosophy. But I figured this just might come in handy when writing my own book on His Dark Materials, as Mary Malone so famously references/uses it in The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. 

Hilary Barrett writes in the opening chapters of this version, "The I Ching is an oracle: something that speaks. Although it comes disguised as a book, it is really a voice in a conversation, and you can talk with it (or with what speaks through it) as you would with a wise friend or mentor." 

As Pullman has said, most cultures have an oracle of sorts, some way of "interrogating the universe." And of course, he himself invented arguably the most famous fictional device of this kind, the alethiometer. Above quote more than closely resembles it, no?

- Fun story: One of my humanities professors in college told my class about the first time he used the I Ching. He was faced with a big decision back when he was a young student himself, namely whether to travel to Hawaii and study philosophy there. Once the yarrow sticks had been cast and the hexagrams divined, the message came back very clearly, something to the effect of "It would be good for you to cross great water." He did so and travelled to Hawaii, which he claims was one of the best decisions he'd ever made. 

Beneath this came the Selected Poems and Letters of Emily Dickinson, who I haven't given enough attention in past years. Sitting on the front porch softly reading her poems aloud, I was struck by the enormous living quality of her words. Of course, she famously sent a letter (to the world that never wrote to her) asking the man who would become her patron "Are you too deeply occupied to say if my verse is alive?", which I find extremely lyrical and revealing. 

Exactly like with the Pullmanverse, everything in the Dickinsonverse is alive, aware, and animate in some way - bees, trees, gardens, woods, etc. This I see as one of the basic missions of poetry - to imbue the universe with an urgent and very tangible sense of life. Dickinson seemed to have lived in constant dialogue with the world around her, which adds a sensational quality to her quatrains, and is precisely the quality that so sings in Pullman's prose. 

I would particularly highlight this Dickinson quote at the beginning of the book - "I find ecstasy in living; the mere sense of living is joy enough." Juxtapose this with a line about the Latvian witch-queen in The Subtle Knife - "[Lyra] felt a quickening of her heart, for Ruta Skadi lived so brilliantly in her nerves that she set up a responding thrill in the nerves of anyone close by." 

This kind of imagery with the witches is brought up again and again in HDM, and it is not hard to see Emily as making a fine witch had she been born a few parallel universes over (a "queen of queens!" even, as Skadi might say?). I also feel compelled to mention the witch chanting and spell work is also one of the few examples we get of some literal rhythmic poetry buried in Pullman's prose. 

- In mentioning her "living" quality, I would submit that even when she's writing about death it's equally and ironically alive. Here I will also draw another Pullman parallel in that they both personified Death, Dickinson in some of her most famous poems, and Pullman of course in The Amber Spyglass. I should also note he quoted her several times in the epigraphs in the very same book.

And along those lines, I ended with a nice hardback edition of some William Butler Yeats. Pullman highly values his poetry, and the introduction mentions how Yeats saw poetry in general as naturally linked to the spells and incantations of the original mystics of his native Ireland. So perhaps one of the male-witches Ruta Skadi mentioned in her talks about Lord Asriel? Certainly Yeats is another poet I haven't perhaps paid enough attention to, but will hopefully make amends for that. 

So thanks for coming along with me on my literary shopping experience, 

And as Always 

Stay Dusty My Friends

#HisDarkMaterials #TheBookOfDust  #PhilipPullman 

#BuildingTheRepublic  #PullmanStudies  #JordanScholarship

#InDustWeTrust  #DownAndDusty   #TheGreatProject