Your Reading List, Simplified
Perhaps you read the reviews in ImageUpdate and think: I want to explore more of the art, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction I read about here, but I don’t know where to begin. Or maybe you wander into bookstores and then wander right out again without buying anything, overwhelmed by the sheer number of new titles. (This happens to us pretty often.) Image wants to help. Four times a year, our editors compile their favorite new art and writing in a sleek and portable package, which we can deliver to your door at a very reasonable price. Click here to sign up. Our winter installment features the delicate but dense etchings of Ruth Weisberg, whose images open dialogue with ancient Jewish texts, as well as the monumentally large and detailed paintings of Zhi Lin, who brings European Old Master techniques together with centuries of Chinese history. We also bring you an excerpt from acclaimed biographer Paul Mariani’s new book imagining the inner life of Gerard Manley Hopkins, a grandfather of modern poetry. And essayist Laura Good meditates on the pains and consolations of a new marriage in a rental apartment with a mysterious history. There’s also an interview with sassy, brassy poet and memoirist Mary Karr, Lynda Sexson’s tales of the supernatural and the canine, Sanda Scofield on a seventh son, and Alison Gresik’s fiction on a Very Famous Writer who goes unnamed in the story (See if you can figure out who). In poetry, B.H. Fairchild’s staggering new three-part work offers a weird and haunting vision of the last American century. And much more. When it comes to new art and writing, reading ImageUpdate is like looking at a map of what’s out there. Reading Image in print is like traveling to a new country. If you don’t already subscribe, it’s time to book your ticket.

More on the new issue...

Ambition and Survival: Becoming a Poet by Christian Wiman
Christian Wiman has been praised by Twentieth-Century American Poetics as “one of the most eloquent and authoritative poetry critics of his generation.” So his first book of criticism, released late last year, is a noteworthy event. Ambition and Survival: Becoming a Poet is not only a work of critical thought, but also a seamless blending of autobiography, rumination, and insightful analysis. Raised in a Baptist home, Wiman decided at the age of twenty to become a poet. Subsequently he became an itinerant traveler, maintaining a fierce regimen of reading and writing. “It’s a small miracle,” he writes, “that I didn’t take to wearing a cape.” Merging the personal and critical, Wiman delves into humorous and sad episodes with his father in “A Mile from Hell,” the intersection of faith and art in “Poetry and Religion,” and, in “In the Flux that Abolishes Me,” the poet’s vocation: “poetry is either a calling or it is not, its own reward or no reward, for the world can’t ratify what God demands.” Backed by his belief that traditional technique must be mastered for poetry to remain vital, Wiman’s own poems are formal and assured. Such a poetics, then, informs Wiman's musings on, among others, Thomas Hardy, Hart Crane, George Mackay Brown, and Basil Bunting. For all its autobiography and poetry, however, one of the book’s underlying subjects is Wiman’s own movement away from faith and his honest and perceptive struggle with it thereafter. This theme surfaces in an overt way in “Love Bade Me Welcome,” the book’s concluding essay. By 2002, feeling he’d “exhausted one way of writing,” Wiman stopped writing poetry. The following four years were intermittently joyous and painful: in 2003 he was appointed editor of Poetry, fell in love and was married, and—in 2005—found out he had an incurable cancer of the blood. Taking its title from George Hebert’s poem of the same name, the essay is a poignant conclusion evidencing not only Wiman’s acute insights, but also documenting his tentative return to both poetry and faith. At the end of the essay—speaking of his recent increased attentiveness to poetry, the world, people, and God—Wiman concludes: “I am listening with all I am.” As his readers, we’re thankful he’s let us listen alongside him.

Click here for more.

The Music of Burke Ingraffia
On his website’s home page, musician Burke Ingraffia comes right out and says it: his music “embraces his Catholic faith, and strives to create musically what writers such as Flannery O’Connor, G.K. Chesterton, and Walker Percy created literarily.... The Catholic music of Burke Ingraffia is not preachy and does not exclude any listener, but is rooted in a vision of Catholic humanism that hopes to unify everyone in peace.” This is not exactly the kind of faux-cool writing that most musicians use to sell their music, and it may keep reps from the big record labels from knocking on Burke Ingraffia’s door any time soon. And for that, we salute him. A native of New Orleans, Ingraffia is an eclectic stylist, drawing on jazz, blues, funk, and folk traditions. His most recent album, Independence, Louisiana is his jazziest. The title song, a poignant folk ballad, pays tribute to the Italian farmers from whom he is descended (and there’s a great slideshow on his website based on the song). The opening track, “I Like the Feeling,” has such a summery, jazzy joyfulness to it that you’ll find yourself humming after just a couple listens. He has been compared to singers like Michael Franks and James Taylor, and cites David Wilcox and John Gorka as influences who set him on the road to music-making. As a Catholic humanist, Ingraffia is incarnational, not preachy or ponderously philosophical—he is like O’Connor, Chesterton, and Percy in that sense and not because he tries to imitate their styles or overt subject matter. Yes, there may be allusions to St. Augustine, but there’s also humor, as in his song about Goldilocks counter-suing the Three Bears from his Throwing Shadows at the Sun album (she gets a Hollywood lawyer). And don’t let the lack of major label financial support fool you, either: the production values on Ingraffia’s CDs are terrific and feature a number of outstanding New Orleans musicians. This is the kind of artist we love to promote: one with integrity, a grounded, earthy faith, and first-rate craftsmanship. Please, get his music into your life.

Visit Burke Ingraffia’s website here.

The Book of Buechner by Dale Brown
Writing down the life story of an esteemed and holy man is no easy task. Just ask Reginald, the eager and at times fawning biographer who documents the life of an uncooperative hermit in Frederick Buechner’s ninth novel, Godric. Or ask Dale Brown, who—though his subject is much more willing than Reginald’s—just might have something in common with that enthusiastic biographer-of-a-near-saint. Brown, long-time admirer, scholar, and friend of Frederick Buechner, has penned The Book of Buechner, a survey of the life and writings of this much-loved novelist, essayist, and minister. The former director of the Festival of Faith and Writing and now the director of the Buechner Institute at King College in Tennessee, Brown provides a survey of Buechner’s works—from his earlier, pre-Bebb novels (which Buechner tends to dismiss) through his recent memoirs. When he first encountered Buechner’s fiction, Brown appreciated the way it portrayed “the reality of suffering and the legitimacy of doubt in marvelous counterpoise with the subtle sense that lives just might be going somewhere.” With that same tenacious faith that God speaks into the stories of our lives, The Book of Buechner weaves together various parts of the story of Buechner’s life, including biographical details, a history of his seminary education (where Paul Tillich and Reinhold Niebuhr both played important roles), and close studies of Buechner’s books—a chapter is devoted to each of eleven books. The book also contains extensive footnotes, a topical index, and a bibliography of Buechner’s writings. But one of the best things about Brown’s approach is that he devotes the majority of pages to discussing Buechner’s works, so that the portrait of the author that emerges in The Book of Buechner emerges from the books themselves. It’s not surprising, then, that Brown’s portrait of Buechner bears much resemblance to his characters—a man grappling with doubt, persisting in faith, and humbly listening for hints of meaning and grace. Perhaps the best endorsement comes from Buechner himself, who has written in the foreword to the book that Dale Brown “not only understands cerebrally what I was trying to say about the ragged, clay-footed crowd of saints and near-saints in whose company I have spent so many years of my life—Godric, Brendan, Jacob, and the rest—but has a real feeling for their oddball beauty and humanness and moments of holiness.”

Buy the book here.

The Trinity Arts Conference: Art and Change
The Trinity Arts Conference in Dallas, held this June 12 to 15, has always been one of our favorite Christian arts events of the year. It offers lovingly chosen themes, intimate community, provocative lectures, warm and useful workshops, and a challenging and supportive environment for Christian artists—a group who conference organizers know can often feel doubly estranged, both from the church and art worlds. This year looks to be no exception to the rule of thoughtful excellence. The theme, “Change,” will draw out one of the ancient problems of art practice. Art addresses itself to eternal truths; but techniques, methods, trends, and schools of thought change constantly. And the world itself, the thing art seeks to describe in a truthful way, also changes. As theologian Walter Brueggemann says, the great truths must be restated in every age in order to remain truthful. How do artists go about this while remaining faithful to their calling to produce work that stands the test of time? Speakers include Bruce Herman, whose thoroughly modern paintings of the human body find their origin is Renaissance sources; Reva Williams of the Boston-based folk and alt-country inspired band Gretel, who use some very old tools (including the accordion) to produce a very new sound; creative nonfiction writer Ann McCutchan, whose books are fueled by a lifelong passion for the great music of past centuries; and Image’s own Greg Wolfe, a Trinity Arts Conference fixture, who will offer the cultural long view. Says painter Ed Knippers, a past speaker: “Trinity Arts Conference is rich in thoughts and ideas. It explores and nourishes the life of the mind with care and enjoyment. It is like a happy family coming to an evening meal.”

Get a place at the table: book your calendar for June 12 to 15, and see the conference website, which will be updated soon, for information about last year’s conference. Write to info@trinityartsconference.com for more information.

Visit Image at the AWP Conference in New York

The annual conference put on by the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) is an event we look forward to every year. This year’s AWP Conference in New York City has sold out, but you can still visit the Image booth on Saturday, February 2, when the Bookfair will be open to the public (we’ll be located at Booth #B77). If you’re in the area, stop by the Bookfair at New York’s Hilton and say hello. We’ll have information about Image and its associated programs, including the low-residency MFA program at Seattle Pacific University. You can also get discounted back issues, purchase a cool Image t-shirt, and even pick up a free “Realist of Distances” button. Curious? Drop by. We love meeting our readers face to face.

If you have information other ImageUpdate readers might find interesting, share it here! Do you have a question that you hope a member of the ImageUpdate community might have the answer to? Ask it here. Have your messages posted by sending an email to gwolfe@spu.edu.

A Man for All Seasons at Pacific Theatre
Midnight Theatre Collective is proud to present, in association with Pacific Theatre, Robert Bolt’s award-winning classic, A Man for All Seasons. When Henry VIII sets out to divorce his wife he seeks the support of Sir Thomas More—revered scholar, lawyer, and churchman. The Lord Chancellor’s quiet defiance ignites a ferocious battle as he struggles to avoid the dreadful inevitable choice—between King and conscience, loyalty, and martyrdom. This production of the award-winning masterpiece is reimagined into post-world war II England, and features Ron Reed in the role of the unyielding Sir Thomas More and Chris (C.C.) Humphreys as the dread King Henry VIII. A Man for All Seasons runs Jan. 24 to Feb. 23 (opens Jan. 25). For tickets ($16-$32, GST incl.) call 604.731.5518 or go to pacifictheatre.org. 

Imago Dei Has Found a Home in Kansas City
After five years of ministry in Kansas City and the surrounding region, Imago Dei: Friends of Christianity and the Arts has found a home. The non-profit group will open an Arts Center in downtown Kansas City, KS, where they can further their calling to support the integration of art and faith. In addition to their annual worship arts conference and workshops, they will now be able to provide art instruction for inner city students. The center will dovetail with Imago Dei's other existing programs, such as their annual Sacred Art Show and Workshop which featured Wayne Forte as juror and workshop leader in 2007. Winners from the show will be featured in the Art Center gallery this spring. Playwright and poet, Lori Triplett, will launch her new book, Sermon Warmups II, at the Art Center on January 26. Attendees at Imago Dei's "Faith, Arts and Popular Culture Conference", February 15-16, will have an opportunity to tour the center.  For more information on these and other upcoming events, go to their website.

This section lists ongoing exhibits and events that have been featured in previous issues of ImageUpdate. Click on the links for more information.

Lynn Aldrich's sculptures arrange common household items—garden hoses, plastic tubes, and water spouts, among others—into surprising new forms in her new exhibit, All Nature Sings, running through February 2, 2008 at the Carl Berg Gallery. The gallery is located at 6018 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles. Click here for more information.

Application Deadlines for MFA, Shaw and Milton Center Fellowships
It’s that time of year again. Deadlines are approaching for three of Image’s programs: a summer fellowship, a world-class MFA program, and a yearlong postgraduate writing fellowship. Read on for more information....

Luci Shaw Fellowship: February 1
The purpose of the Luci Shaw Fellowship is to expose a promising undergraduate or graduate student to the world of literary publishing and introduce him or her to the contemporary dialogue about art and faith that surrounds Image, its programs, its contributors, and its peer organizations. In short, we're looking for summer fellows who share our vision for the place art has in the life of faith, and who are also diligent, meticulous, and responsible about the daily details. Applications are due February 1, and applicants will be notified by February 15.

To learn more about the Luci Shaw Fellowship, and to download an application, click here.

Seattle Pacific University MFA Program: February 15
The MFA at SPU is a creative writing program for apprentice writers—both Christians and those of other traditions—who not only want to pursue excellence in the craft of writing but also place their work within the larger context of the Judeo-Christian tradition of faith. Current faculty mentors include Bret Lott, Gina Ochsner, Robert Clark, Leslie Leyland Fields, Jeanine Hathaway, and Jeanne Murray Walker. Students work with faculty mentors during the year by exchanging manuscripts and critiques, and attend two intensive ten-day residencies each year, one in the summer alongside Image’s Glen Workshop and one in March on Whidbey Island, north of Seattle. The deadline to apply for summer 2008 admission is February 15.

Click here for more information, including a link to the online application.

The Milton Center Postgraduate Fellowship Deadline: March 15
The Milton Center postgraduate fellowship brings emerging writers of Christian commitment to Image, where their primary goal is to complete their first book-length manuscript in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. During their time at the Center, fellows will have a rich experience of literary and spiritual community; they will interact with the editorial staff of Image and the English department at Seattle Pacific University, participate in the Friday writer's workshop, and enjoy the lively literary scene in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

For more information and to download an application, click here.

Register Now for the 2008 Glen Workshop!
“The Artist and the City: Art and Faith in the Public Square”
July 27 – August 3, 2008
The Glen Workshop is an illuminating conference on the arts and religion, where participants practice and strengthen their craft and vision in community. This weeklong event combines the best elements of a workshop, an arts festival, and a symposium. By exploring this year’s theme, “The Artist and the City: Art and Faith in the Public Square,” participants will share a common ground for discussion during the week. Morning workshops are small enough to allow the faculty to give close attention to each participant—to beginners as well as those advanced in their craft. This year’s faculty includes poets Margaret Gibson and Daniel Tobin, fiction writer Valerie Sayers, photographer Kathy Hettinga, illustrator Barry Moser, assemblage artist Barry Krammes, playwright Mark St. Germain, musicians Linford Detweiler and Karin Berquist of Over the Rhine, and spiritual writer Ann McCutchan. A seminar class, “Art, the City & the Beloved Community” will be led by Tim Rollins. For artists and non-artists alike, the seminar is a forum to explore the workshop theme in more depth through discussion and hands-on collaborative art making. Afternoons and evenings at the Glen feature faculty readings, lectures, and presentations. Each evening concludes with an ecumenical worship service that incorporates the arts, led by pastor Debbie Blue. Free time offers participants opportunities for writing, conversation, hiking, and exploring the stunning scenery and cultural treasures in and around Santa Fe. Surrounded by the stark, dramatic beauty of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Glen is hosted at St. John’s College campus and is within easy reach of the rich cultural, artistic, and spiritual traditions of northern New Mexico. Please note that class sizes are limited: don’t wait too long to register!

To register for the Glen Workshop, or to find out more information, click here. A brochure will be printed and mailed in mid-January. If you are on the Image subscriber list, you’ll automatically receive a brochure. If you’d like to have one mailed to you, send us an e-mail by clicking here.