Issue #182 | November 18, 2009

Features
Grace Pettis Debut Album
Wounded Angels by Murray Bodo
Grave Images by Kathy Hettinga
In Bed with the Word by Daniel Coleman
Want to Work for Image this Summer?

Gallery Watch
Georges Rouault - Makoto Fujimura: Soliloquies
John Cobb: Modern Icons
Laura Lasworth Exhibit: The Western Wall
Ted Prescott Exhibit: Inscape

Message Board
Pecha-Kucha Night Returns to Detroit
Elektra Women's Choir: "Chez Nous"
The New Renaissance Rising: Arts Renewal Celebration

ImageNews
Image Readings: Marilyn Nelson
Time to Support Image: A Poem
The Milton Center Postgraduate Fellowship: Call for Applications
Join Image and Kathleen Norris in Oahu, February 2010
Subscribe to Image in Print

Features

Grace Pettis Debut Album

Grace Pettis—daughter of a musician well known to the Image community, Pierce Pettis—has just released her self-titled debut album, and it certainly lives up to the family name. This selection of guitar-and-vocal-driven folk songs stands on its own feet, with soulful lyrics that belie her age, wrestling with identity and heartache while coming to grips with the uncertainties of adulthood. She starts off the album with a startling confession in “The Gypsy Code,” letting us know we’re not in for an easy ride. “We all want acceptance, to know that we are us and they are them,” she declares in a full, clear warble. In “Nine to Five Girl,” Ms. Pettis, who does her own booking and promotion as well as writing and performing, speaks to a generation of twenty-somethings—and anyone who’s ever worked retail. “For all you know that’s all there is to me / For all I know that’s all there is to me,” she admits, with an appealing honesty that’s woven throughout all her songs. In “What You Didn’t Want to Know,” she tackles the delicate tension between an artist spurred by the muse and a listener reliving brokenness through her music: “But who’s to say this ain’t bigger than the both of us here? Who’s to say the voice is more important than the ear? I don’t know....” Interpretation, she realizes, brings as much meaning to art as its creation. Consider adding this album from Grace Pettis to your collection, but keep room on the shelf, because there will certainly be more on the way.

Buy the album directly from Grace’s website here.

Wounded Angels by Murray Bodo

It’s possible to finish reading books of poetry with no real sense of the author, what he or she is like as an individual, or what personal history and experience inspired the work. Such is not the case with Father Murray Bodo’s recent volume Wounded Angels, a collection of poems that are individually striking, and collectively feel like they could function as an autobiography of the author, detailing the defining struggles and joys of different periods in his life. In the volume’s first section, we are introduced to a boy in physical and emotional peril, confronting his father and stepmother after leaving their abusive home at the age of thirteen, rifle in tow: “When I was seven you taught me care / of the guns that would take care of me.” This narrator is acutely sensitive to injury and violence, vividly describing the bloody gills of his father’s caught trout, and the “red and purple puddles” on the floor of Hog Johnson’s slaughterhouse. This early voice, however, later develops a maturity and peace, along with a willingness to accept the impossibility of full control: “Sometimes he wishes he’d seen what’s coming, / but then, watching it recede is like the memory / of a never realized future that worrying over / wouldn’t have changed now that it’s passed.” The landscapes that come and then recede are many and varied—from sage-scented Gallup, New Mexico to inner-city Cincinnati to peaceful Assisi. Readers are likely familiar with Fr. Bodo from his many earlier publications (including the international best-seller Francis, the Journey and the Dream, and Poetry as Prayer: Denise Levertov), and Wounded Angels joins three earlier volumes of poetry in proving what Herbert Lomas writes in the foreword, “Father Murray’s been on a quest for the face of God since childhood, and there’s no doubt about the force of that vocation, as well as the vocation of the poet.” Overall, these poems have the same effect as the embroidered pillow cases in “Sewing Box,” (first published in Image Issue 56): “They comfort and hurt, / these flowered calligraphies....” Also don’t miss the title poem, a response to the Hugo Simberg painting of the same name, used as the cover art.

Purchase your copy here.

Grave Images by Kathy Hettinga

Coming upon it in a bookstore, you might give Kathy Hettinga’s Grave Images a quick glance and think: “Gorgeous coffee-table book! Look at the quality of the photography, the richness of the color reproductions, the culture and history that seem to be covered with such care! But it’s a recession and I shouldn’t indulge.” Well, we’re here to tell you why you’d be wrong, why this volume could mean much more to you than that. What makes Grave Images different from even the nicest coffee-table book is that this book is personal. To be sure, it has a subject and that subject is rendered with grace and intelligence, but the book has been shaped by Hettinga’s life-experiences, including the death of her first husband and her decision to buy a home in the vast open space that is the San Luis Valley of south-central Colorado. An area the size of the state of Delaware, the San Luis Valley is flanked by the first ranges of the Rocky Mountains. It was settled by the same Hispanic immigrants who shaped the culture of New Mexico to the south. This is a remote place—a place rich in natural resources but far from prosperous—where a traditional culture, permeated by the Catholic faith, has persisted. Grave Images had its initial inspiration in Hettinga’s fascination with the way the people of the San Luis Valley commemorated their dead—from gravesites to the roadside memorials that mark the location of a tragic road accident. This dimension of the book is well documented through Hettinga’s first-rate photography and text: she demonstrates that the intersection of faith, iconography, and the rituals of grieving and remembrance has given rise to a folk culture with deep human and spiritual resonances. But Grave Images goes beyond this to provide a broader picture of the landscape and the people who inhabit it, and why Hettinga has found such solace and inspiration in their faith and capacity to endure hardship and isolation. This book is not a mere exercise in cultural anthropology and aesthetics, but a true labor of love. By all means, put it on your coffee-table, but take it to your study and beside as well.

To buy the book, click here.

In Bed with the Word by Daniel Coleman

In our fast-paced, high-powered society of technological media and instant “connections,” reading—a solitary, time-consuming, contemplative act—is profoundly countercultural. In his book In Bed with the Word: Reading, Spirituality, and Cultural Politics, Daniel Coleman writes an apology for reading, arguing that the practice provides a rare combined encounter with literature, spirituality and cultural-political discourse. Pivotal to the work are the stories of two children who are changed by an encounter with the written word: one by the King James Bible, and the other by the writings of L’Ouverture on the Haitian Revolution. Through these experiences, Coleman shows how engaging a sacred text or cultural record is an avenue for situating oneself within a larger framework. Reading, he argues, baptizes the reader into a community, whether faith-based or cultural, and requires the reader to extend the self to engage in a conversation that includes both the living and the dead, both local and global voices. However, Coleman is not blinded to the potential for book “idolatry” or addiction, nor does he advocate reading as a means of escape. Rather, reading is a means of transcendence, of going beyond the limits of one’s own mind and experiences, which Coleman explains can have both liberating and alienating effects on a reader. Emphasizing the connection between the reading and spirituality, Coleman suggests that the reader who is “compelled by a burning love for God and others will do the hard work of interpreting a challenging passage carefully.” Reading, then, can be a means of meditation, of opening oneself up to a “companionable ghost,” as the author’s thoughts become your own in a singular communication. In Bed with the Word is a book that advocates the importance of reading with vulnerability and attentiveness, and of approaching a text with honest contemplation. With profound sincerity, the author urges the reader to believe that “It does matter what we read, but it matters even more who we become by reading.”

To buy your copy, click here.

Want to Work for Image This Summer?

Are you an undergraduate student who'd like to work for Image this coming summer? Or do you know someone who might be interested? The Luci Shaw Fellowship was started to expose a promising 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. There's grunt work galore in this job, but also plenty of opportunities to grasp the vision at the heart of a dynamic arts organization. The Shaw Fellow will also receive a scholarship to Image's Glen Workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Applications are due February 1, 2010.

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

Gallery Watch

Georges Rouault – Makoto Fujimura: Soliloquies

A current exhibition at the Dillon Gallery in New York City features the work of Georges Rouault and Makoto Fujimura. The collection pairs original works by the renowned Rouault with large-scale paintings Fujimura created in homage to him. While Rouault (a contemporary of Matisse, Picasso, and Chagall) has been associated with many artistic movements, he remains in his own category, difficult to classify either stylistically or thematically. The juxtaposition of Rouault’s work against that of a contemporary artist of Japanese descent who claims him as an influence presents this great painter in a contemporary global dialogue. The exhibition will run from November 12th until December 24th. For more information, click here.

John Cobb: Modern Icons

The Antelope Valley College Art Gallery in Lancaster, California will be hosting the work of nationally- acclaimed and featured Image artist John Cobb. His work consists of highly rendered tempera paintings of intensive contemporary likenesses combined with gold leaf background and symbolic gestures, reminiscent of holy icons. To display his works, Cobb erects a temporary wooded 'chapel' that creates a profoundly reverent space for contemplation. The exhibit runs from November 16th to November 21st.

Laura Lasworth Exhibit: The Western Wall

The Seattle Pacific Art Center at Seattle Pacific University is proud to announce The Western Wall, a solo show by Seattle artist Laura Lasworth. Lasworth is a professor at Seattle Pacific University and has been called a “literary painter of rare quality” (Art in America). Her new works transform Puget Sound into a subliminal space poised between the present and the transcendent, the mystical and the matter-of-fact. The exhibition will run from November 9 – December 9. An opening reception will be held November 13 from 5-7 pm. The SPAC Gallery is open Mondays through Fridays from 9-5.

Ted Prescott Exhibit: Inscape

Inscape, an exhibition of sculptures by Ted Prescott, is open at Franklin and Marshall College as of October 24th. Prescott sculpts with a variety of materials—from limestone to wood to found objects. Through the combination of such diverse mediums, he explores what Gerard Manley Hopkins called the “inscape," or specific nature, of particular things. While recognizing that inscape is both a source of and challenge to his art, Prescott seeks to find a balance between leaving objects in their original form and using artistic manipulation to create a renewed perspective and understanding of the subject. Preview the work of Ted Prescott here.

Message Board
Post here to reach thousands of readers interested in the intersection of art and faith. We welcome messages about job listings, local events, conferences, prizes, calls for papers, and more. Submit your messages by sending an e-mail here.

Pecha-Kucha Night Returns to Detroit

Detroit’s sixth annual Pecha-Kucha Night will take place on November 24th at the Detroit Institute of Art’s Detroit Film Theater. The event, which first began in Tokyo as a way for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public, has grown into a worldwide celebration of visual art. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of conversation, the show consists of a variety of presentations structured the same way: twenty images (of sculpture, painting, architecture, etc.) are projected onto a screen, each for twenty seconds, while the presenter discusses them. Presentations begin at 8:20 p.m. (20:20...get it?), but doors open at 6:30. A donation of $10 is suggested for those who attend what promises to be a night of fun, community, and design. Click here for more information.

Elektra Women’s Choir: “Chez Nous”

The Elektra Women's Choir of Vancouver, BC will usher in the holiday season by performing their Christmas concert entitled "Chez Nous" at two venues on Nov. 28. The performance will feature a new musical setting by renowned Canadian composer Ed Henderson for Luci Shaw's poem, "Star Song," from her volume of poems Accompanied by Angels. The choir will also sing ancient carols from the 15th through 17th centuries. If you can’t make the first performance at the New Westminster Christian Reformed Church in Vancouver at 2 p.m., be sure to catch the evening show at Ryerson United Church at 7:30 p.m. Learn more here, or contact the Elektra office for tickets at 604.739.1255.

The New Renaissance Rising: Arts Renewal Celebration

The Vatican has announced that the Pope will hold an Arts Summit on November 21st, 2009 with 500 world-renowned artists who will gather in the Sistine Chapel for the purpose of “rekindling the special historical relationship between faith and art”. According to church officials, this is to be the first of many initiatives aimed at bridging the gap that has developed between spirituality and artistic expression. On the day of the Summit, artists, churches and organizations around the world will gather in churches and public venues to celebrate the movement to reestablish the arts in the church. More information and free resources are available to churches, organizations and individuals here.

ImageNews — The Scoop on Our Programs

Image Readings: Marilyn Nelson

The poems of Marilyn Nelson wander through forgotten corridors of the past and bring forth treasures. Deeply imaginative, graceful and plainspoken, they often cry out against injustice; sometimes they cry out with gratitude to God. They insist ferociously on the full dignity of each particular human being, which they bring before our eyes with demanding vividness. Marilyn Nelson’s books include Carver: A Life in Poems, Fortune’s Bones (both from Front Street), and A Wreath for Emmett Till (Houghton Mifflin). Her honors include two NEA fellowships, a Guggenheim fellowship, three National Book Award finalist medals, the Poets’ Prize, the Boston Globe/Hornbook Award, a Newbery Honor medal, two Coretta Scott King Honor medals, and two Pushcart Prizes. She is an emeritus professor at the University of Connecticut, former poet laureate of Connecticut, and founder and director of Soul Mountain Retreat.

Click here to hear poems recorded at the 2009 Glen Workshop.

"Time to Support Image": A Poem

It’s twenty years since Image first
Began, to see its readers versed
In art that occupies a space
Of craftsmanship combined with grace.
Since then our reach has grown quite wide—
A matter of no little pride—
And what began a simple book
Through hard work, prayer, support, and luck
Has blossomed from its humble start.
Can you think of your favorite part?
Perhaps to touch the glossy page
At breakfast, or to watch the stage
As Over the Rhine begins to sing?
It’s hard to pick a single thing:
The Glen, Good Letters, and IU
Are just a bit of what we do
To bring together those who see
The need for art and mystery.
That’s why this time of year we ask:
Please make a gift so we can last,
And keep providing what we feel
Is work that’s challenging and real.
You know the why, you know the how—
Help prove that grace is “Always Now.”

Please take a moment to read this year's annual appeal letter, which ties in with editor Gregory Wolfe's recent editorial, "Always Now."

The Milton Center Postgraduate Fellowship: Call for Applications  

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.

Registration Is Open for Image Seminar in O'ahu with Kathleen Norris

You are cordially invited to spend a long weekend with poet and spiritual writer Kathleen Norris and the staff of Image in Honolulu, Hawaii, February 18-22, 2010. Registration is open now, and complete information and brochures are available at our website. Space is limited, so register early to ensure your spot. In the tradition of Image’s Florence Seminar, this event will bring a small group of inquirers together for a time of reflection, conversation, and personal enrichment. Our theme will be “The Habit of Attention: Renewing the Heart in an Age of Acedia.” Acedia is the ancient term for spiritual indifference and the subject of Kathleen’s latest book, Acedia & Me. In it, Kathleen, who grew up in Honolulu and returned with her ailing husband, David, chronicles her struggle with acedia after his death. As she began to investigate the meaning of her experience, going back to the works of the desert mothers and fathers and medieval monks, Kathleen realized how pervasive this malady is, and how deeply it permeates our culture of distraction. During our time together on O'ahu, we’ll take on the issue of acedia as both a personal and a cultural challenge. We will delve into the ways art and faith can move us beyond the distractions of media hype and pop culture and reawaken us to the world. In addition to Kathleen’s talks and readings, we’ll head out to explore the natural beauty of O'ahu and share a number of wonderful meals together.

To register, get more information, or request a brochure by mail, visit here. Find more on this special event here. Please contact Dyana Herron by email (dherron@imagejournal.org) or phone (206.281.2988).

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."

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