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Author and Artist of the Month Robert Clark Contents
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FeaturesArtist of the Month: Robert Clark
As a crafter of narrative—both in his fiction and creative nonfiction—Robert Clark is a writer who is never in a rush. His stories unfold slowly, the melodic lines of various characters, themes, and symbols stretching over long arcs as they accrete meaning and emotional resonance. This narrative sweep is vital because it makes possible the process of discovery. As in life, Clark's characters don't know the plots of their lives; they simply live them. Their joys and losses and conflicts become the touchstones that reveal glimpses of their inner mystery. Readers pick up on the author's own sense of discovery and his gracious inclusion of them in the same process. Perhaps that's one reason why Clark's books are not better known: they demand patience, a willingness to sustain a compassionate gaze. But don't get us wrong: Clark's books never drag—there are many books that are much longer and yet which, ironically, still seem to be in a rush to dazzle or shock. Nor does Clark repeat himself: In the Deep Midwinter is a family tragedy set in 1950s Minnesota; Mr. White's Confession is a dark, psychological novel that won the Mystery Writers of America's prestigious Edgar Award (even though it's not really a mystery novel); Love Among the Ruins tells of young love in the heady days of 1968. And the nonfiction is even more diverse: a biography of chef James Beard, a history of the Columbia River, a memoir that explores generations of his family and his conversion to the Catholic faith. And now he has produced Dark Water, a multi-layered recounting of the 1966 flood that devastated the city of Florence and some of its greatest masterpieces. The center of the book is a page-turning account of the flood, but it is embedded in narrative strata that touch on art history, Italian politics, and the growth of Florence as a tourist destination. Dark Water's meditations on the relationships between beauty and truth as well as faith and doubt are solidly rooted in the experience of its many protagonists. In an era when we all bemoan the speed and superficiality of our daily lives, Robert Clark is the perfect antidote: his slowness reminds us of how much we miss and desperately need to recapture. Special treat for those in the Seattle area! Robert Clark will be reading from Dark Water at Elliot Bay Book Company on Wednesday, November 12 at 7:30 p.m. The event is free, and copies of the book will be available for purchase. Click here for more information. Click here to go to Clark's Artist of the Month page. Katy Wehr: In Others' Words
Three years after her debut album, Katy Wehr has released her second effort, In Others' Words. The title is not merely a play on words, but a play with words from the tradition of poets and writers engaging matters of spiritual importance. "Working with someone else's writing is like a conversation," Wehr says. "I set the words to music and respond, as if to say, 'Is this what you meant?'" With an eclectic range of instruments including uilleann pipes and a bodhran, the beautifully performed album takes its sonic cues from the long tradition of Celtic music. "It seemed to be the natural home of the poems and words I chose," Wehr says. "They're mostly from Ireland, Scotland, and England." The album begins with a Celtic prayer, followed by "All Things Well," an adaptation from Julian of Norwich's Revelation of Divine Love: "And you shall see yourself / That all manner of things shall be well." Subsequent songs include musical settings of poems by William Blake ("The Lamb"), George MacDonald ("That Holy Thing"), John Donne ("A Hymne to God the Father"), and W.B. Yeats ("When You Are Old"). Wehr also includes several of her own songs on the album. "Let's Start Again" uses the four seasons to help voice a story of renewed commitment between an aging husband and wife. Near the album's end, "The Far Side of the Sea" tells tales of the women on Australian convict ships, 1787-1868: "Farewell Dublin and Land's End! We're bound for sun-burnt lands / Adventure beckons us from the far side of the sea." Though her first album found its roots in Americana, the listener finds a good deal of commonality between the two efforts. Wehr sees this as natural: "It's like when I make quilts. I love using leftover fabric from an older quilt project in a new one—it creates a continuing story between projects." Currently living in Cambridge, England, Wehr is playing concerts in local pubs and planning a UK release party for the new album. Click here for more information. Ask any Christian these days about what the virtues are, and you'll often get a halting recitation, beginning with "faith, hope, and charity," dwindling into "isn't prudence in there somewhere?" In By Way of Grace: Moving from Faithfulness to Holiness, Paula Huston rediscovers the practice of the virtues as a way to help us begin the hard work of moving toward holiness. Looking at the rich tradition of the church, Huston intuits her way into an understanding of contemplation not as a security blanket, but a rewarding discipline that frees the heart to draw near to God. Each chapter is devoted to one of the cardinal virtues (which, as a reminder, are: prudence, temperance, fortitude, justice, humility, faith, hope, and charity), seen through Huston's own thoughtfully rendered struggles. Thirst for God is just the beginning, she discovers. Habits of prayer and good works get down to the nitty-gritty of the spiritual life, helping us to "become a source of living water for others." With a mixture of gentle humor and cutting honesty about herself, Huston creates moments that give the virtues human form. The mania of home repair reveals the force of creative energy that can destroy us without the virtue of temperance. The need to perform well in front of an eager crowd tempts one to steamroll over the virtue of humility. Huston also reaches back into church history, exploring the life of a saint for each virtue—the beautiful St. Teresa of Avila on vainglory, and Thomas Aquinas on the intimate connection between justice and forgiveness. To read Huston's candid, lovely words is to begin to feel the practices taking hold in one's own self-examination. But the virtues are never practiced for their own sake. Huston reminds us that "we are made for union with God, and the urge for that union is irresistible." The virtues help clear the path to that living stream. Buy the book here. A tale of a person's struggle to grapple with despair is rarely so sincerely rendered as in debut director Aaron Wiederspahn's first film. The Sensation of Sight delivers a mix of quirkiness and profundity by means of subtle, Oscar-worthy acting by David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum, Goodnight and Good Luck) and a strong performance from Ian Somerhalder (of ABC's series Lost). Strathairn's character, Finn, is a middle-aged high school teacher who is blindsided by a tragedy involving one of his students. Believing himself responsible, and no longer seeing his life as meaningful, he leaves his wife and child to reduce everything to an absurd simplicity. What unfolds is a wonderfully sensitive and well-paced journey through Finn's seemingly disconnected encounters. With some shabby professorial clothes and a vacant demeanor, Finn plods down the streets, selling a set of encyclopedias. "I didn't know they did that anymore," observes a passerby. "I don't think they do," he replies. We get the sense that he truly desires liberation from his anguish, but not at the cost of the meager insulation he has left. It takes fated meetings with a disgruntled ex-student named Dylan, who is in turn alienated from his father (Scott Wilson) and sister Daisy (Elizabeth Waterston), and Somerhalder's mysterious character known only as "The Drifter," to transform Finn's broken spirit and last vestiges of pride into true personality. These characters are unveiled as tactfully as a poker player advances, leaving us room to develop a relationship with them. While the work of staying with the characters, combined with some strained philosophical interludes, may put some people off in the beginning, the film rewards a patient viewing. A satisfying resolution, including a clever romantic subplot, along with superb cinematography and score, make The Sensation of Sight a credible debut film for Andrew Wiederspahn. Click here to buy the DVD. Remembering, Waiting and Hoping: The Countercultural Pursuits of ChristmasAn Evening with Kathleen Norris 
In anticipation of the Advent and Christmas season, Image journal invites you to an evening featuring award-winning poet, writer, and speaker Kathleen Norris. The opening event will be held at the Seattle Art Museum in downtown Seattle on November 8, 2008, at 7:15 p.m. Events will also be held at the Winnipeg Art Gallery on November 12, and at the National Gallery in Ottawa on November 14. Author of New York Times bestsellers The Cloister Walk, Dakota, and Amazing Grace, Norris will give a thought-provoking talk on the meaning of Christmas entitled "Remembering, Waiting and Hoping: The Countercultural Pursuits of Christmas." The event is a celebration marking the launch of the book God With Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas, edited by Greg Pennoyer and Gregory Wolfe. God With Us is a beautifully illustrated collection of daily meditations for the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, and includes scripture selections, master works of art, and reflections from writers such as Kathleen Norris, Luci Shaw, Eugene Peterson, Scott Cairns, and others. The collection invites the reader to slow down and reconnect with the often-overlooked meaning of Christmas. All three events are free and open to the public, and will begin with a wine and cheese reception at 7:15 p.m., followed by Norris's keynote at 8 p.m., and the book launch and signing at 9 p.m. For information about the Seattle event, contact Anna at (206) 281-2988. For directions to the Seattle Art Museum, click here. For the events in Canada, contact Greg Pennoyer at Greg.Pennoyer@IncarnationExhibition.org. Please RSVP here. For more information on the book, click here. Gallery WatchClearstory Gallery Grand Opening in SpokaneHaving recently opened its doors on October 3, the Clearstory Gallery presents its first exhibit with the theme Undone. The collection represents the contagion of churches across the nation embracing fine art as a spiritual medium. Twelve Christian artists from the Northwest explore the connection/disconnection of the soul regarding God; the truth/misconceptions of seen against unseen; and the freedom/chains of living in awareness of God. Clearstory Gallery is a Fine Art Gallery whose vision is to connect people to God through the influence of image, color, and form. The show runs through January 2009, and is located on the Life Center Campus at 1202 N. Government Way near Spokane Falls Community College. For more information, click here. Chagall's Bible: Mystical StorytellingThe Museum of Biblical Art (MoBiA) proudly presents Chagall's Bible: Mystical Storytelling. The exhibition features oil paintings, lithographs, and 55 of Chagall's hand-colored etchings of the Hebrew Bible—many from the Chagall family estate and never before seen in the United States. The exhibition explores an aspect of Chagall's work which stirs debate even after his death: the frequent, unconventional use of Christian iconography. Many regard Marc Chagall as one of the twentieth century masters of art and associate his work with the modern art movements of Cubism, Fauvism and Surrealism. MoBiA is located in New York City at 1865 Broadway and 61st Street. Chagall's Bible: Mystical Storytelling runs through January 18, 2009. For more information, click here. Message BoardIf 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 e-mail to gwolfe@spu.edu. A Reading of Arlene Hutton's Gulf View DriveNorthwest Playwrights Alliance will present a reading of Gulf View Drive, directed by Braden Abraham, at Seattle Repertory Theatre on Monday, November 10 at 7 p.m. Gulf View Drive is part of the Nibroc Trilogy written by Arlene Hutton, who has taught playwriting for the Glen Workshop. Set in the 1950s in an island community off the coast of Florida, the play follows the story of a marriage in strained times. The Northwest Playwrights Alliance is a nonprofit organization that showcases groundbreaking new works by Northwest playwrights. For more about the Nibroc Trilogy, click here. Jeffrey Overstreet Readings in Seattle and BellinghamJeffrey Overstreet will read from his novels Auralia's Colors and Cyndere's Midnight at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 14 at Cafe Babel alongside the canal in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood (126 NW Canal Street). A second reading is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 20, at Village Books in Bellingham, WA. Both readings will include a Q&A and a book signing. Do something different this Christmas: pick up signed copies of Cyndere's Midnight and Auralia's Colors for the readers among your family and friends. Jody Zorgdrager Poetry Reading in SeattleThe Backwaters Press is pleased to invite you to attend an evening of poetry by Jody A. Zorgdrager in celebration of the publication of her book, Of Consequence. The reading will take place at the University Heights Community Center Auditorium in Seattle on Friday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m. A book signing and dessert reception will follow. Jody Zorgdrager has been a long-time participant in Image's Milton Center workshop, and Of Consequence is her first book of poetry. For those interested, books may be purchased at the reading for a discounted price of $15 (cash or check only, please). Complimentary parking is available in the Community Center parking lot; no pass is needed after 5 p.m. The Community Center is located at 5031 University Way NE in Seattle, and the auditorium is on the second floor. ImageNews -- The Scoop on Our Programs
Image Readings: Daniel Tobin Whether he's tackling a large-scale subject, like Bosch or St. Bartolomé de los Casas (the saint known as the "Protector of the Indians"), or penning a lyric, Tobin knows how to mix gravity with levity, the downward pressure of sin and suffering with the unbearable lightness of grace. One minute he's quoting Simone Weil, the next he's uttering a "Brief Elegy for a Subdivision." Hear him read this month on the Image website. Click here to listen. Now Hiring a Director of Development at Image Image is looking for a full-time Director of Development to build our charitable giving and help us grow to meet the increasing demand for our programs. By giving our fundraising efforts the attention and guidance they need, the Director of Development will enable Image to remain at the forefront of cultural transformation and broaden its influence. We are looking for a creative, hard-working professional who is passionate about Image's mission in the world of art and faith and skilled at motivating others to support that mission. The position will involve creating a development plan for Image, building relationships with donors and potential donors, making asks for major gifts, writing solicitation materials and grant proposals, and systematically evaluating the results of Image's fundraising initiatives. Qualifications include a Bachelor's degree, excellent verbal and written communication skills, excellent relational skills, and an ability to work effectively and creatively, alone or as part of a team. Previous experience in development and/or experience working for a non-profit is a plus. Is this you or someone you know? To apply, send a CV; a cover letter that states how you came to know about Image and what you envision bringing to Image's development program, outlining your particular skills or areas of interest; and a 5-10 page sample of your prose writing. Mail to: Image, Attn: Director of Development Application, 3307 Third Avenue West, Seattle, WA 98119. Or email to jmullins@imagejournal.org with the subject line: Director of Development. If you have questions, contact Julie Mullins at (206) 281-2988 or jmullins@imagejournal.org. Click here for a complete job description and list of qualifications. Subscribe to Image in Print and Get More Art, Fiction, Poetry, Essays, Interviews, and Every Good Thing If you like reading about great new art and writing inspired by faith in ImageUpdate, and you're ready to get down to reading and seeing the stuff itself, it's time to subscribe to Image. Each quarter our editors comb the world of art and letters to bring you our favorite new work--work that respects transcendent mystery as well as the gritty truth of the material world that bears the divine imprint. A one-year subscription gets you four beautifully produced issues delivered right to your door. Ninety percent of the journal's content is not available on our website, but only through what we call "the sacrament of print." Click here to get the magazine Terry Tempest Williams calls "evocative and inspiring" and Bret Lott calls "the most meaningful literary journal being produced today." ImageUpdatePublisher: Gregory Wolfe ImageUpdate is the biweekly e-mail newsletter from Image, a quarterly print journal that explores the relationship between Judeo-Christian faith and art through contemporary fiction, poetry, painting, sculpture, architecture, film, music, and dance. Each issue also features interviews, memoirs, essays, and reviews. ImageUpdate brings you news about books, CDs, organizations, websites, conferences, exhibitions, and tours--all of which inhabit the intersection between faith and imagination. ImageUpdate will also notify you whenever a new issue of Image is printed, an Image event is upcoming, or new content is posted to our website. Copyright © 2008 Center for Religious Humanism. All rights reserved. |
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