The Girl and the Philosopher reveals the tripart substance of the American spirit. What the reader discovers is that the spirit of America is not an abstraction, not a myth, not an ideology, not an idea. It is a concrete composite of place, history, and people. First are America’s spiritual soils—its mountains, deserts, Great Plains, oceans and beaches—each possessing a unique spirit of its own. Second, is its tragic yet heroic history that has contributed greatly to what the American spirit has become. Third, the American spirit is embodied in American lives defined by time, place, and circumstance. It does not transcend individuals but is made from the substance of their lives. Christine’s journey of self-discovery reveals the American spirit in the stories of the people who become part of her own story. These stories of struggle, success, failure, and tragedy of ordinary Americans contribute to the substance of the American spirit. Christine’s journey is an introduction to that the mysterious substance that is the American spirit, which is everywhere manifested yet hidden in plain sight.
I am an American expatriate who has lived for 12 years with
my wife Brigitte on the side of a mountain in French Alps. I’ve worked on farms
(Texas and Missouri) and for a couple years at Baker Oil Tools on Slauson
Avenue in Los Angeles. I began studying philosophy at Long Beach City College
where I earned an Associate of Arts in philosophy. I continued my study of
philosophy at California State University, Long Beach where I earned a BA in
philosophy. Tired of the city life and thinking I should know more about human
behavior I moved to Portales, New Mexico, to study psychology at Eastern New
Mexico University, where I earned an MA in psychology. The next step would be
literature—poetry, drama, short stories, and novels. Still having no desire to
return to a big city I moved to Canyon, Texas, to study literature, receiving a
MA in English. Then it was time to return to philosophy, this time at the
University of New Mexico. I earned an MA in philosophy. Considering pursuing a
doctorate in philosophy, my advisor gave me a flyer that said 8,000
individuals with PhDs in philosophy do not work in the field of philosophy. Worst yet, most doctoral students never finish their dissertation. That means getting a job as a waiter since the demand for philosophers in the U.S. is miniscule. Philosopher is not taught in most American high schools, whereas in France it is a requirement. But he noticed that my minor was in English and literature. Thus, he advised that if teaching was my goal I should stick with English and literature. They are taught in all American schools. So, I ended up Greeley, Colorado, a
small town surrounded by farms and fields, where I earned a doctorate in English. That was the end of my academic wanderings. It was a terrific journey.
