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 Artist
of the Month: Robert Cording
In "The Mona Lisa as Self Portrait," Robert Cording writes
a poem about the mysterious process whereby the artist begins with the
subjective self and seeks, through the crafting of a work of art, to lose
the self in homage to the other. The tension between self and world is
an ancient one in art, and it runs throughout Cording's moving, lyric
poetry. What gives his poetry such freshness is that he takes this dilemma
and suggests, in subtle ways, that it can be seen in spiritual terms-that
grace can be found in poetic self-effacement. Of course, to quote the
title of one of his collections, what he often encounters can best be
described as "Heavy Grace." Cording's poetry, while religious
in ultimate concern, never rests easy in sentimental abstractions but
takes on pain, suffering, death, and other "heavy" issues. Yet
there is always in his work the arduous struggle to sacrifice the self
in openness-and praise-to the Other.
Visit Robert Cording's
Artist of the Month feature here.
Objects
of Grace: Conversations on Creativity and Faith
James Romaine
Objects of Grace is the kind of book that we've been waiting
twenty years to see. Here is a dynamic young art critic talking to a group
of exceptionally talented visual artists about both contemporary art and
Christian faith without a shred of self-consciousness or defensiveness.
If earlier generations witnessed Christian disengagement from culture,
and recent generations have labored to re-engage culture, this book offers
us a glimpse of the future-a fully integrated approach to that zone where
faith becomes incarnate. James Romaine has wisely chosen to emphasize
variety in this book by choosing artists working in a widely differing
media and styles, as well as representatives of several age groups. By
embracing this diversity, Romaine actually conveys more strongly the underlying
unity of faith and vision shared by these artists. To crown this achievement,
the book is itself a work of art, lovingly and vividly designed. If church
historians and cultural commentators want to find the cutting edge in
American religion today, they should look no further than Objects of
Grace.
Visit the
publisher's page.
 The
Green Earth: Poems of Creation
Luci Shaw
The Green Earth: Poems of Creation is a unique and beautiful new
book from poet Luci Shaw. Shaw's lines are generous and exacting. In her
broad and beautiful introduction Shaw describes her intent to praise through
observation. Shaw follows her goal with the delight and detailed awe of
a child. Here, any vessel Shaw's words leap toward is illuminated by her
radiant description. Truly, the precious is Shaw's topic. The real success
of this book is that the world itself and each odd or potentially overlooked
object in it become precious. The book is filled with green. Shaw's words
pierce the camouflage of the beautiful natural world and guess, so eloquently,
at the mystery behind, around and within it. As she says in "A Song
for Simplicity", "For all that's timeless, untutored, untailored,
and untooled/ for innocence unschooled/…for these, thank God."
Visit the publisher's
website for more information.
 Gillian
Welch -- American Primitive
Asked once how she would classify the music she creates with songwriting
partner David Rawlings, Gillian Welch said, "Someone applied the
label 'American Primitive' to John Fahey once. I thought that was a good
name for what we do." (imusic.com) With three albums to her credit--Revival,
Hell Among the Yearlings, and Time (The Revelator)--and the
acclaim garnered as a contributor to 2001's Album of the Year, the O
Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack, Welch's reputation as an artist
seems firmly established. Welch grew up in West Los Angeles where her
parents were a music team writing for the Carol Burnett Show. After
graduation from college she attended Berklee College of Music in Boston
where she met songwriting partner, David Rawlings. They began to write
songs in their trademark two-part harmony, and soon moved to Nashville.
There, at a gig opening for Peter Rowan, they were introduced to T-Bone
Burnett who told them he wanted to record them. The result, a year later:
Revival. In addition to her voice, one of the strongest elements
in Welch's music is the biblical imagery and idiom with which she weaves
her lyrics. "Gospel tunes are great to write, because you know what's
going to happen. You can sin. You can repent. And you can be saved....
It's a restrictive form. I like that." (imusic.com)
Whether or not she adheres to a Christian faith is unknown--though her
songs speak vividly about faith and redemption, she remains ambiguous.
"I didn't grow up in church," she's said. In any case, Welch
and her songs deserve great attention. Her music is a unique blend of
biblical images, people struggling with life, and a combination of voices
and harmony that call up a collective American history.
Visit Gillian
Welch's website.
The
Orchards of Syon
Geoffrey Hill
The Orchards of Syon is the end of a series of books for English
poet/critic/philosopher Geoffrey Hill. As always, the venerable Hill is
sweepingly ambitious in the allusions and inclusions of his verse. The
Orchards of Syon is composed of seventy-two blank verse sections.
There's a characteristic weight to Hill's work. The epoch fashions itself
in a historical and intellectual lineage too wide to trace together here,
but suffice it to say that minds from Frank O'Hara to Bach make appearances,
by name! However, despite the sweep and heavy self-import of the work,
Hill's epoch sings. The work leans incessantly toward a "language
of grace" which is "hard won." No doubt, but the achievement
is grand, bright, and whole.
Read reviews and
more on the
publisher's website.
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