For my first blog, I am going to re-print a very rare essay about a Carl Sandburg poem. Enjoy.
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The Elements of Happiness

There is a poem by Carl Sandburg called "Happiness", in which the speaker tries to find out "what is happiness". This modern Socrates visits people he presumes might know: professors, businessmen, etc., but all of them just smile as if he were playing a joke on them, trying to analyize the unanalyizable. But then he comes across this scene:

"I saw a crowd of Hungarians under the trees
with their women and children and a keg of beer
and an accordian"

This stanza contains five elements which, working in harmony, make for the happiness that Sandburg contrasts with the wisdom of the professors or the power of the businessmen. His archetypally happy Hungarians have:

a) 'a crowd'
b) are 'under the trees'
c) are 'with their women and children'
d) have 'a keg of beer'
e) have 'an accordion'

These five elements contribute to happiness in the following ways. The crowd means that the people have companionship and comaraderie, talk and argument, other faces, other hands, smiles, laughter, eyes, breasts, and buttocks. They avoid loneliness.They are together with their own kind.

The importance of being under the trees is that the people are out in the midst of the nature which bore them, taking shade in its peace and beauty. They are not locked away inside and isolated but are out in the open, plugged into the stirring mass of Life.They are connected to the greater framework of not only their own kind but all kinds.

That they have their women and children with them means that they have intimacy, love, and passion. They are part of a growing, vital, reproducing organism. They have those to give them pleasure and those to cause them grief. Those to teach and those to be taught by.Those to talk to and play with and kiss.They have no worries of lost loved ones. They are connected to both Life and Love.

These solid Hungarians have a keg of beer. This represents not drunkeness but material plenty and high spirits.They drink their beer and probably eat, have leisure and play. To top it of they have an accordian, meaning they have music, and one imagines, dancing. Music is the element of happiness that prefects the whole by forging a link to the transcendant, to a higher joy through the emotion and beauty provided by music. Music is the crown and seal of happiness.

Thus Sandburg creates a vivid image of exactly what happiness is through the use of these five elements. Sandburg's crowd of Hungarians having a party acheive what all the professors and businessmen will never have: each other, nature, their families, zest, spirit, and joy. They are what happiness is.

Why our fascination with sex scandals & politics? http://tinyurl.com/pecl2v Explore an alternative commonality between the two major political parties in the U.S.

A Note from the Editor

Cover Art: Casey BowmanIn the past several months, the recession has worsened, a controversial economic stimulus package was passed in record speed, the Obama administration decided not to reverse the reversal of key protections of polar bears, pirates seized millions of dollars in cargo, Amazon had a "glitch" that wiped sales ranks from more than 57,000 books (most relating to the GLBT community, but others relating to disability rights and feminism), Dick Cheney continued to serve as a walking beacon of evil, and Sarah Palin publicly defended Miss California.

It seems selfish to admit that I've just caught up on most of these goings-on. I didn't pay any attention to them at all as they were happening because my youngest son spent the majority of the month of March in the hospital. My husband and I traded off nights with our other three children during spring break at the Ronald McDonald House. It wasn't until I began putting together Issue 12 that I realized how completely out of touch I've been.

Luckily, we had the same strong work and subject matter as always and I was able to jump right in and even get a little angry. Anger is a welcome commodity during stressful times. Our Editor's Choice piece this month, "Gitmo Tune" by poet Ed Bennett, is sure to spark a bit of that. Thomas Sullivan's essay "In the Candy Store" takes a good look at the Wall Street/Main Street connundrum while Ron Burch's short story "Wooden Horse" explores issues of unemployment. Though we have fewer pieces than usual this month, those we have are exceptionally strong and I'm positive that you'll enjoy them as much as ever.

On a final note, since issue 11 published, we've been notified that Deborah DeNicola's poem, originally published in The Externalist, was recognized in the Best of the Net Anthology 2008. This is the second year work from The Externalist was chosen. Congratulations to Deborah, and many thanks to our readers who keep us looking for quality literature that matters.

Thoughtful reading,
L.

Over the next week, we will continue to add content to the new site with a special focus on completing our Contributor Directory. After that, we'll begin work on the Contributor's Books page to make it easier for you to find books to buy (please don't ask us to add an Amazon links to these books--we won't). Then we'll be able to begin the migration process from the old blog to this new one. In the interim, I'll try to remember post all of our contributor announcements and such in both places.

We're very excited about the changes coming to The Externalist and hope you are, too. But if you have any suggestions, please drop us a line. We love to hear from our readers!

Thoughtful reading,
L.

The Externalist is changing formats. The web site has been completely redesigned for better readability in a variety of web browsers and easier navigation. Our blogs are now attached to the general web site to make it easier to switch from blog posts to the current issue. We are in the process of completing a full directory of all contributors to The Externalist that should make it easier for individuals seeking reprint rights or to otherwise connect with our authors and poets.

In addition, we are changing the way we publish. We will no longer be publishing only quarterly, but will instead be adding new content throughout each three month period. One piece each month will be included on our Editor's Choice page and the best of work published during each three month period will be included in a quarterly .pdf. This new format will begin in August of 2009.