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In Memoriam: Bill Moyers
- Bradley Olson, PhD
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
The death of Bill Moyers is not only the passing of a journalist or public intellectual. It is the loss of a distinctive American voice that, for decades, has asked us to think more deeply, remember our humanity, and explore with wonder the mysteries of life. The New York Times obituary, quoting Peter J. Boyer, the journalist and author, called Moyers “a rare and powerful voice, a kind of secular evangelist.”
For many of us—especially those working at the intersection of myth and culture—Moyers will always be remembered for The Power of Myth, his 1988 PBS series of conversations with Joseph Campbell. That series didn’t merely introduce Campbell to tens of millions; it reintroduced Americans to their own inner lives, as well as the power of mythic imagination. Moyers was not just a host in those conversations; he was a curious, participative co-creator, coaxing and shaping the conversation with generosity and gravity.
It takes a rare combination of intelligence and humility to listen well, to ask questions that are neither interrogations nor performances but genuine invitations. In his exchanges with Campbell, he never tried to outshine the material or outsmart Campbell; instead, he allowed the power of myth to shine through one of its most eloquent proponents. And in doing so, he modeled for us what it means to be a genuinely curious, thoughtful stakeholder in cultural life.
What has always struck me most about The Power of Myth is the way it illuminated myth’s capacity to offer consolation in the face of life’s complexities and human limitations. Moyers asked the questions we all wanted to ask, and he asked them not as a broadcaster but as a fellow human being, trying to make sense of the human project.
We mourn the loss of a man who helped so many of us hear the mythic resonance living beneath the noise and bustle of modern life. And in remembering Bill Moyers, may we also remember to be awake to wonder, to ask better questions, and to keep alive the power of myth.
MythBlast authored by:
Bradley Olson, PhD. is an author, speaker, and a psychotherapist. He serves as the Publications Director for the Joseph Campbell Foundation and the host of JCF's flagship podcast, Pathways With Joseph Campbell. Dr. Olson holds a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Dr. OIson is also a depth psychologist in private practice in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he has lived since 1995. Dr. Olson has graduate degrees in psychology from the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Olson offers mythic life coaching at What's Mything in Your Life (bradleyolsonphd.com).