We recently had the chance to connect with Miri Hunter Ph.D. and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Miri, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Fortunately for me, each day I get coffee in bed and then I read the NYTimes newsletter and the LATimes Essential newsletter. I try to journal each day, but that may not always happen. Finally I am out of bed and starting the rest of my day. I am writing this right before Thanksgiving, so I have to give thanks to my partner and to the Universe for this sustainable artistic life I have come to love and respect. It is difficult at times, but delicious most of the time!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am without a doubt a southern girl. Not from Southern California, but the Other American South. While some do not consider Virginia southern, I definitely do, especially the small town in Southwestern Virginia where I lived for the first part of my life. One of the museums there is currently doing an exhibit on the Native tribes that were there before colonization. I carry some of that blood in my veins and I thank my grandparents for having the insight/foresight to purchase land there. My father died almost a year ago, leaving the house and property to me. So when I go back East, I am actually living on the land that belonged to my Native American ancestors. It feels like home.
I am primarily a theatre person, but I also am a musician, visual artist, scholar and writer. I tried to narrow things down, but in my reality, each of those things feeds the other. I tell myself I am not political, but my work in theatre, my music and my academic writings say otherwise. I see my work tackling such issues as sexism, racism, economic inequality, but also embracing the joy. There is no human evolution or change without moments of joy, gratitude and of course, love.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I no longer pretend that I am not smart. I am. Smarter or should I say quicker than a lot of people. It takes too much energy to hide oneself. That energy could be used for artistic pursuits. Let’s face it, politicians are not really making this a better place to live, but artists are. Creativity is much more rewarding and healing. It releases positives vibes into our souls. What exactly are we on the planet for if not to spiritually evolve? War, political chess, do not provide spiritual evolution for anyone. We, as human beings, need to be smart about the legacy we are leaving to future generations. The planet is war weary. On the evening of April 4, 1968, in the aftermath of MLK, Jr. assassination, Senator Robert F. Kennedy made this appeal to the American public. “…What we need in the United Staes is not division. what we need in the United States is not hatred. What we need in the United states is not violence and lawlessness, but is love and wisdom and compassion towards one another…”
And to Senator Kennedy’s remarks regarding love, wisdom, and compassion, I add creativity.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
My maternal grandparents were always my rock. They died when I was quite young, 2-3 years old. But I remember they were always there. Their memory is still present in my life. My grandmother, as I always called her, since that was always what my mother called her, read me bedtime stories and when she was dying I sat by her bedside and pretended to read to her. Something about my grandparents’ house always felt safe, as if I was held securely in the arms of that place: that sanctuary. I remember granddaddy sitting by the wood burning stove in evenings quietly reading his Bible, and I would go sit beside him. When I was scared, they were there, understanding me as only grandparents are able to do. They listened and gave comfort. They instilled in me the importance of connection, of roots, and the importance of finding someone to trust with feelings. That was their idea of love and family: to be with people who care. If I had something to say to my younger self, it would be to follow that example and find people who care.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public thinks I am an extrovert and when I am out in the world, I am as present and functional as any extrovert. However, I am actually an introvert. After public events and outings, I need plenty of recovery time. I sometimes resent performances and other gatherings because it takes me away from my quiet and solitary creative activities like writing and painting. However, I am not ready to be a hermit, so bring on the gigs and exhibitions. Hermitage is still sometime away for me.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If immortality were real, what would you build?
I want to define immortality. My physical body will, no doubt end. Since I do not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame or anywhere else for that matter, chances are that part of me will be not missed by people I never knew. I will be forgotten. However, the work, the writing the art, the videos, etc. will still be around. My hope for my legacy is that even though I don’t have that proverbial Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, some aspect of my existence will still be around. I picked up a novel the other day at a secondhand shop in Palm Springs. I had never heard of the writer, but the cover was interesting, so I decided to give it a try. It was one of the best books I have ever read! I had never heard of the author, but I was inextricably touched by her storytelling. Her legacy lives on. I want my music and art and writing to live on so that someday, someone who had never heard of me might be touched by something I wrote or sang. This reminds me of the legacy of my favorite composer, JS Bach. His music died with him, but the interest in what he did musically was revived by Mendelssohn decades later. And today Bach is credited with codifying our western music tonal system……so his legacy was dormant for awhile and when his work was “discovered” it solidified his musical genius. Basically, he was just doing his job. I like to think that as an artist, I am just doing my job and whether it touches someone while I am alive in this body or after my body has gone, I am/was doing my job: Creating art that touches someone. That would be a good legacy, my immortality.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.projectsheba.com
Image Credits
Hilary Sloane
Steve Brown
Thom Merrick
Eva Franko
Miri Hunter
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
