The soul of PLAYBOY

[Brian Sorgatz]

Peggy Wilkins wrote:
>I am someone who appreciates
>how printed materials such as books and magazines look and feel; I
>enjoy looking at and holding printed matter.  To me, printed materials
>are a bit like artifacts or relics: they have a real physical impact.
>I know most people would consider this strange, and to that I say,
>there are just people like me who appreciate books as relics.  Even
>the smell of a good book can have a positive impact.  I know that some
>people understand this, and some do not.

Right on, sister.  I believe what you have said is another way of saying 
that beloved cultural artefacts such as magazines have a certain quality 
that may be called soul.  The authors James Hillman and Thomas Moore (not to 
be confused with Sir Thomas More) have some fascinating insights on locating 
soul in inanimate objects.  Hillman says that most Westerners now consider 
this notion strange because of the legacy of Descartes, who confined soul to 
human beings and described the physical world as so much dead matter.  This 
email group doesn't seem to enjoy abstract philosophical discussion, but I 
thought I'd put this out anyway.

Brian Sorgatz