Once and Future Myths: The Power of Ancient Stories in Our Lives

Drawing from history, movies, pop culture, and his own life experience, filmmaker and writer Phil Cousineau shows how ancient myths continue to affect and shape our contemporary lives. Each chapter moves from the ancient to the modern, from the once, to the now, to the future. Chapters include both retellings of classical myths--Sisyphus, Odysseus, Kronos--along with new accounts of contemporary myths of time, cities, vampires, even baseball. Sisyphus is shown to be the inspiration for the French Resistance (and Cousineau's own struggles as a writer), Dionysus is made current by rock legend Jim Morrison, and new science and technology are laid at the feet of Hermes.

Cousineau, long-time student of Joseph Campbell, makes a compelling case that myths--the enduring fantastical tales of gods and goddesses, heroines and heroes--provide a map by which to chart the stories of our own lives. In "Once and Future Myths," he presents a unique path to personal growth with a deep examination of our lives in the context of the world's great myths.