Dot Earth Blog: Reverend Billy: Preaching the Gospel of Sharing, Not Shopping

2:13 p.m. | Updated below |
From the first days of this blog in 2007, a focal point has been the word ?enough.? How much is enough? Can we learn to reach for an apple when we crave a cookie? Can we make something instead of buying something? Which good life do you seek ? the Vegas version or Plato?s?

With Thanksgiving nigh, and #BlackFriday both a promoted trend on Twitter and again pushing into Thursday, I thought it worth revisiting some of these themes, this time through a short Web ?visit? with Billy Talen, better known by his street and stage persona, the Reverend Billy Talen, preacher of ?the gospel of stop shopping,? and Savitri D., who directs his theatrical performances and political events* (they also happen to be married). Their motto this year, ?Sharing, not shopping,? was inspired by the outburst of giving and volunteerism following Hurricane Sandy.

The ?Reverend? Billy Talen on Sharing Instead of Shopping

You have a choice of listening to the audio below or watching our grainy Skype chat above. The stuttery, fuzzy video may be most appropriate in that Talen sometimes seems to be coming to us from another planet.

If you?re in New York City in the next few days, you can catch him after your Thanksgiving dinner as he visits Macy?s in Herald Square for the store?s midnight opening. On Sunday at 1 p.m., Talen and the full Stop Shopping Gospel Choir will be sermonizing at the Highline Ballroom.*

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This post has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: November 21, 2012

The post has been adjusted where there are asterisks. I added Savitri D.'s position. And, while the Highline Ballroom Web site says there is a $10 minimum for brunch, Talen said that is waived for his performance. The post originally ended with this line in parentheses: You can spend some of the money you saved by not shopping; there's a $10 minimum per person for brunch.

Source: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/a-preacher-of-the-gospel-of-sharing-not-shopping/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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