The etymology of the word "catharsis" actually refers to a bowel movement. For Aristotle, catharsis afforded by tragic theatre involved the cleansing emotions of pity and fear, which we feel for the tragic hero onstage. The key there is that it's a play—we know it isn't real; it isn't happening to us. We can empathize with the tragic hero, and release emotions in a way that helps us in our own lives.

But how does it help? My dear mentor, Alejandro García-Rivera, who took up the theology of suffering even before his cancer diagnosis (he's in hospice right now), has suggested that catharsis is a means of reconciling ourselves to the human condition. In other words, we witness the tragic hero onstage, and recognize that—despite the terrible things that happen, the way fate, vice, human mistakes, and even virtue can entrap us in tragic situations and outcomes—it is good to be human. There's something so precious about our humanity that it's worth being human even if that entails suffering, pain, and death.

A couple RECords I've seen today made me think of doing this, making a collab specifically about catharsis. We've all been through some degree of suffering, and some of us may have felt pain so strong it's made us question the value of being human, even if only for a moment.

But the arts are uniquely poised to help us work through those feelings, and, hopefully, help others work through them vicariously, so that we are all reconciled to the human condition and can affirm that it is good to be human. The goodness outweighs the bad.

Please contribute RECords that deal with this, that bear witness to the goodness of being human despite the suffering. What we don't want here: pat answers, facile, saccharine or cheap optimism. That's not to say we don't want hope and happy endings; we do—but only if they ring true. RECords can be autobiographical or purely fictional—both express truth in their own way. Comedy and humor can also be cathartic.

And don't be afraid to contribute art that expresses pain and hopelessness without resolution. As I just heard the brilliant art historian/curator Peter Selz say last night, good art is never depressing, only art done badly is. (He has elsewhere described "good art" as "a visual metaphor for significant human experience"—his guiding principle when curating, which I find helpful because it doesn't refer to "beauty" or any specific emotions. It's pretty open-ended and easily translated to the non-visual arts.)

All types of RECords are welcome: essay, poetry, stories, scripts, videos, photography, drawings, paintings, music, spoken word—if it can go on hitRECord, it can go here.

Maybe we can figure out something to do with all these cathartic RECords. Maybe people can remix them into something (or things) very moving and healing.

Or maybe this will just be a good spot for a good dump when you need it. ;)

<3