William Blake and the Imagination | Interview with Mark Vernon

Well, a warm welcome to everyone coming out tonight uh for this discussion on William Blake which will last for about 40 to 45 minutes and then we'll move into discussion. We'll have a Q&A where you can ask questions to Dr. Mark Vernon for about 15 20 minutes. Uh so our conversation with Dr.

Mark Vernon is titled and I love this the power of imagination William Blake and the path to the infinite. So in addition to discussing uh Dr. Vernon's work and what Blake offers to our to our own moment. Uh we'll also have a close reading of one of Blake's uh paintings.

So I'm especially looking forward uh to that discussion. Before we begin, let me introduce uh the author. Mark Vernon is a writer, a psychotherapist, a former Anglican priest. He contributes to programs on the radio, writes and reviews for newspapers and magazines uh and gives talks and frequently podcasts.

His books cover themes including friendship in God, Dante uh in ancient Greek philosophy and well-being. He has a PhD in ancient Greek philosophy and other degrees in physics and in theology. His new book is Awake William Blake in the power of the imagination a timely book. Uh Dr.

Vernon, thanks so much for being here. >> It's lovely to join you guys. I hope we can have a nice discussion and when it comes to the Q&A, do make sure that you know your thoughts and questions are aired because we are, you know, an intimate group so we can do that very well. >> Let's talk about the book because William Blake is such an interesting figure who's often misunderstood.

I'm curious why do a single author study on Blake? Why Blake and why the imagination? >> The wise are partly directly personal. I live in South London and the kind of Christianity that interests me and draws me as it were from the heart is what you might call the mystical, the inner kind of Christianity.

There's many different kinds of Christianity of course and uh but that's what always draws me and but it's not always easy to find I think as a living tradition >> but it occurred to me that William Blake who I think is one of the most important mystics since the reformation um walked the streets that I walk um he famously saw ...