#81 | Iron John & The Wake of Robert Bly - Jonathan Stensland

The Mythic Masculine

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My guest today is Jonathan Stensland, a poet and long-time collaborator and friend of Robert Bly.

This conversation was recorded in 2024 at the 40th anniversary of the Minnesota Men's Conference. Speaking from the banks of the Saint Croix River, Jonathan offers a unique insider's perspective on four decades of men's work.

In his early 20s, Jonathan was involved with Bly as he worked on his seminal book ‘Iron John’, through typing-up handwritten pages, revisions, and countless conversations- a process he describes as practically like quilt making. His relationship was deeper than professional collaboration, as akin to a godson to Bly and his wife Ruth.

In our conversation today, we explore the origins and evolution of the mythopoetic men's movement, from its roots in Robert Bly's poetry about fathers and grief. We delve into the power of men gathering around the goodness that exists in the marrow of masculinity.

He speaks to the movement's influence on broader culture, and the morphogenetic field that made new ways of being available to men everywhere.

We ask: What does it mean for a 40-year tradition to cross from the wilderness into culture? How can we broaden the spaces where men can do the necessary soul work of maturation?

And what mythic stories might guide the next chapter of this work?

You’re invited to join the 41st Fall Conference Oct 7-12, 2025 “Men Who Stand Atop the Old Mound of Miracles”

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