Having written reviews of two of his earlier works, I was delighted when Mathias B. Freese reached out to me to read and review his latest book Again. Again and Again: Awakening into Awareness-Essays and Stories.
Again. Again and Again is filled with Freese’s mindful and thought-provoking musings on a multitude of topics that often focus on recurrent ideas and themes. This book is divided into three parts and encompasses both essays and stories where a certain man named Matt is the main character. Among these themes include life, death, culture, schooling, love, and one’s place in the universe.
Several of Freese’s works stand out to me. In “Vade Mecum,” Freese behooves his students to think in a deeper level by assigning them a writing exercise about the contents of their refrigerators. Hmm, who knew you could find meaning amongst the milk, leftovers, and condiments?
In “Raymonde,” a young woman describes what it’s like to be in a concentration camp during World War II. She talks about the atrocities in an almost flat affect that is unnerving. Yet, I wonder if this is done as a survival mechanism.
In “Talking to Stellar Root,” Freese writes about the talks with his late wife, the beloved Nina. Ever talking about the minutiae of his daily life comforts Freese. Perhaps Nina is listening somewhere.
And in, “Cro-Magnon,” Freese offers this notable quote, “I don’t think about the future. I don’t think about the past. One is long gone, the other out there where I am not.” This reminds us that instead of obsessing over the past and wondering about the future, we must live in the here and now.
As usual, Freese’s writing is elegant and profound. Again. Again and Again is not a book that merely entertains; it also makes you think. Freese behooves the reader to always be learning and growing no matter your age.
thebookselfblog 