According to information found on this website, the prologue to The Holy is based on an experience you had as a young child. From reading Providence, it seems pretty clear to me that other aspects of the book are drawn from your life as well. Some examples: the strong similarity between your experience in the garden at the Trappist monastery, Our Lady of Gethsemani, and Tim Kennesey’s experience in the desert; the Chicago setting; and David Kennesey’s background in educational publishing.I’m curious about the source(s) for other events in the book’s narrative, though, particularly regarding Howard Scheim’s early attempts to discover what happened to the old, “false” gods of the Bible. What experiences/research did you draw on in writing about the rite Howard participated in with the Satanists Verdelet and Delices? What did you draw on for Howard’s meeting with the tarot reader, Denise Purcell? Categories: I Have a Question On a Specific Subject|Tags: Animism, Anthropology, Christian, Quinn's Motivations, Religion| Read More
In a recent Q&A you stated “. . . the author of any literary work doesn’t begin with an idea and then set out to fabricate a story to convey it. Rather, it’s very much the other way around.” I wonder if you might expound on this a bit because it was my understanding that Ishmael was a story fabricated specifically to convey certain ideas. Am I wrong? Categories: I Have a Question About Daniel Quinn, I Have a Question On a Specific Subject, I Need Some Clarification|Tags: Education, Quinn's Motivations, Writing and Publishing| Read More
In The Story of B, I got the impression that the Antichrist is going to be responsible for “The Great Remembering.” Wouldn’t that make Christ responsible for “The Great Forgetting”? Categories: I Have a Question On a Specific Subject, I Need Some Clarification|Tags: Agriculture, Quinn's Motivations, Story Of B| Read More
I’m presently doing a research on Quinn’s books. What I would like to know is when exactly The Book of Nahash was published. You seem to mention that Tales of Adam was written between 1979 and 1982, but I’d like to have the publication date. I’d also like to know when Quinn’s first book was published and what was the title. There seem to be a lot of versions of Ishmael and therefore I’d like to know when it all began. Categories: I Have a Question About Daniel Quinn|Tags: Quinn's Motivations, Writing and Publishing| Read More
I was surprised to see your answer to Question 502, that you consider a vote for Nader to be throwing a vote away. It seems like that would be inconsistent with your arguments that a short term focus in government is a bad thing and that changed minds have to spread slowly one person at a time. I consider your works to be the authoritative guides on finding a better way to live, so please know I don’t mean this adversarially. But I was just curious if you would be inclined to reconsider this stance? Categories: Here's My Opinion; What's Yours?, I Need Some Clarification|Tags: Evolution, Priorities, Quinn's Motivations, Revolution| Read More
Sign language has played a significant role in the plots of both The Story of B and After Dachau. Is there any special reason for this that you’d care to reveal? Categories: I Have a Question About the Books/the Characters|Tags: Quinn's Motivations| Read More
In Providence, you describe how you became disenchanted with the Catholic Church. You described how the Church’s actions seemed to reject you. I know this isn’t quite the case, but it serves well enough for me to pose the question. Why did you automatically assume the Catholic Church was speaking directly for God, as they claim to do? I have been raised Catholic and I began to realize that it was just a big show. I assumed that the Catholic Church could not speak for God, that he could only speak for himself. See, I was still clinging to the thought of a singular, heavenly, benevolent God. What made you decide to abandon GOD instead of just the structure of the CHURCH? Categories: I Have a Question About Daniel Quinn, I Need Some Clarification|Tags: Christian, Quinn's Motivations, Religion| Read More
In Beyond Civilization, you mention an incident in which you almost killed someone. Since you write “remind me to tell you about it sometime,” I’m reminding you. Categories: I Have a Question About Daniel Quinn|Tags: Evolution, Quinn's Motivations| Read More
Recently someone asked me to clarify for them the meaning behind the sun and olive branch featured on the cover of Ishmael. What do you (all of you) think it means? Here’s the best I could do: “I’m not entirely sure what the olive branch and sun are supposed to symbolize. My best guess is that they represent the most basic elements that nourish life on Earth. The sun, through photosynthesis, nourishes plants. Plants—primary producers—in turn, nourish the entire community of life from insects to humans. I think the point is that all living things depend on one another. That is what makes the Community of Life a COMMUNITY. Everyone’s (and everthing’s) fate is intertwined.” Categories: I Have a Question About the Books/the Characters, I Have a Question On a Specific Subject|Tags: Ishmael, Quinn's Motivations| Read More
One of the most interesting and useful ideas for learning to me is the use of compact discs. I have been attracted to this format that Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky use to spread their ideas. One CD in particular is Zinn’s lecture given at Reed College, which can be found in most record stores. I would like to know if you have given any thought of producing some of your own lectures, interviews, or even readings on to CD. I believe it would do very well. I know I would be intrigued. Categories: I Have a Question On a Specific Subject|Tags: Quinn's Motivations, Website, Writing and Publishing| Read More
