Story to Story Questions
Here are 10 Nexus questions for connecting new stories to our own life-stories. I originally wrote them for narrative forms, but they could also be reimagined for non-narrative forms, including films, music, poetry, paintings and nature encounters.
Three Suggestions for Meaningful Conversations
Be Present Show up physically, mentally and emotionally Keep phones off Give others the gift of your complete attention Be Open Ask ‘How does what is being said change me? Listen in order to understand rather than to reply Follow the
The Best Films of 2020
Like last year, the Dutch broadcaster VPRO invited the followers of their film-site to choose the 10 best films of the year and then to rank them. They offered a long list of films that were issued in The Netherlands in 2020, (which means that some of them have 2019...
A Jazz Listening Guide: 10 artists and 50 albums
In the course of my travels playing Jazz gigs here and there, I’ll occasionally have a post-concert conversation that starts something like this: “You know, I’ve never really listened to much Jazz, and before tonight, I never really thought I would like it, but I...
The Best Films of 2019
The Dutch broadcaster VPRO invited the followers of their film-site to choose the 10 best films of 2019 and then to rank them. They offered a long list of films that were issued in The Netherlands in 2019, (which means that some of them might have 2018 as their...
The 100 Best Films of the 21st Century – The BBC
A previous post presented the 100 best films of the 21st century as suggested by The Guardian. In a comment replying to this post Rinus highlighted another list complied for the BBC by 177 films critics from around the world. The BBC list is also referenced on...
100 Best Films of the 21st Century – The Guardian
The 100 best films of the 21st century according to the Guardian (13th September 2019). Which films have you seen? Which films do you want to see? Which films do you recommend? Which films shouldn't be on the list? Which films are missing from the list? What do you...
How to Host a Nexus Event: Sharing your Favourite Song
A Nexus Hang Plan A 'Nexus Hang' happens whenever you get together with your friends for meaning-making through the arts. The way it happens is through a simple three-step process: First we invite our friends together for this hang with a purpose. Secondly, somebody...
How to Watch a Film – my experience with ‘The Red Turtle’
My experience of watching Michael Dudok de Wit’s The Red Turtle was not what I expected. A fairytale, expressed in hand-drawn animation, had seemed like a pleasant enough prospect. I was not ready to have my emotional life reflected back to me. Normally I’m not the...
How to Watch a Film – Entering New Worlds
Italian film director Alice Rohrwacher talks of how, as a child, she used to fall asleep in the car on long family trips. She recalls that when she woke up, she was met by a completely different world from the one she started in. She says: 'this is film'. You close...
Listening to music without words?
Why listen to music without words? As a jazz trumpet player, I have a personal stake in this question. Recently I proposed to a local coffee shop to host some Jazz concerts. They responded positively, but insisted that I include a singer in my group (which I don’t...
Understanding Ourselves through Story
Life is so complex that it needs an unlimited amount of stories to express what we go through, how it feels, and how we survive. The writer John Berger asserts: "Between the experience of living a normal life at this moment on the planet and the public narratives...