The Ecstatic Soul

Jelaluddin Rumi: His Life and Poetry

By: Coleman Barks

Narrated by: Michael Toms

How does a body of poetry written in a remote part of the world find its way to best seller lists published in leading newspapers in the U.S. over 700 years later? What is the compelling quality inherent in great literature that resonates throughout the ages? Coleman Barks, poet and translator of Jelalludin Rumi's poetry, explores the genius, mystery and rapture of Rumi's work; why he has become the most-read poet in America, and what his poetry has in common with the immortal writings of Dickinson, Emerson and Thoreau. "His poetry reflects the transcendent longing that we all feel," says Barks. "Rumi speaks to the times. He sees the divine in grace and kindness, and also in the terrible things, revealing to us the ecstasy that resides at the deepest core of all experience, and the way out of sorrow." Coleman Barks taught poetry at the University of Georgia for many years, and is translator of The Soul of Rumi: A New Collection of Ecstatic Poems (HarperSanFrancisco 2001); The Illuminated Prayer: The Five-Times Prayer of the Sufis (Ballantine Wellspring 2000); co-translator of The Essential Rumi (HarperSanFrancisco 1997) and co-translator (with John Moyne) of two volumes of Rumi poems, Unseen Rain (Threshold Books 1986) and Open Secret (Threshold Books 1984).

Topics explored in this dialogue include: how the story of Rumi and his poetry can have a powerful influence on your life, the stunning story of sculptor Michael Richards and his 9/11 prophetic work of art, how the soul makes art that can tell us of things to come, how you can balance the paradox of ecstatic grief, how Rumi's relationship with his teacher, Shams of Tabriz, inspired his poetry.

©2001 New Dimensions Foundation (P)2008 New Dimensions Foundation

Conversationally accessible developing ecstatic appreciation

Conversationally accessible developing ecstatic appreciation. Coleman Barks has a rich warm voice and conversational, informative

Loved the program

It was like a conversation between 2 friends over a cup of coffee on the subject of Rumi and finding the ecstatic divine everywhere and in all things light and dark

Backstop on Barks, Less Rumi

This was more of a conversational exchange with Coleman Barks than the other New Dimensions program he did. However, it has some delightful, transpersonal elements.

Coleman Barks is an interesting spiritual personality and if you want a bit of a look at him, it's here. Instead of a song/music at the usual point of the program, Barks recites a Rumi poem to music.

Rumi ~ ♡ ♡ ♡ ~

Love the poetry, love and fluidity of J. Rumi...Barks with the music is beautiful; great job.

The very joy and pain of Being...

Devoured it...digested it...and repeated the process 100 times. This is essential wisdom for the art of being alive.