Topic: Akashic Follies:  A Fool’s Journey into Mysticism

Presenters: Thomas Atwood

Welcome to our play!  Thomas Atwood, a Cobb Institute regular and retired fool, will discuss his first large-scale creative writing project: a three-act play with musical elements called Akashic Follies. An imaginative story suffused with historical verité, this “work in process” traces the co-evolution of four characters through multiple incarnations that span 3,000 years — from the siege of Jericho to an NPR newsroom. A panexperientialist worldview is assumed, revealed for the most part in non-coercive dialogue and action. Thomas will reveal a bit of his personal journey and influences, followed by a brief scene synopsis and summary of next steps toward completion. The presentation will close with a dramatic reading of a draft scene titled Deception, assisted by four readers familiar to the Cobb Institute community.

Bio:  In 1976, Thomas Atwood earned a Bachelor’s degree in music education and voice from Boston University. Never one to allow formal schooling to interfere with his education, he retired from a global software enterprise in 2014 with a job classification of Software Engineer, without ever having taken a computer science class. He’s an anachronistic dinosaur as well as a fool. Other formative experiences include 30 years as an Associate Member of the Westar Institute (convener of the Jesus Seminar) and a community internship with the Faithful Fools Street Ministry in San Francisco. In retirement, he co-founded a sister organization on the San Francisco Peninsula called Fools Mission. After a year and a half with the Cobb Institute community, he is overjoyed to share this “process report” on his play in such excellent company. You can visit his blog site at Fool’s Tales.

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