Artist of the Month: Gina Ochsner
Keep an eye out for Gina Ochsner. Her first book, the weird, vivid, and intimate story collection The Necessary Grace to Fall, won the Flannery O'Connor Award last year, and no wonder. Set in far-flung locations, her stories make distant things present and real, never exotic or gimmicky; this is the real stuff, real stories about likeable, wounded, resilient people who feel as if they could live next door to you, though in fact they live in the Czech Republic, or Siberia, or Texas, or Alaska. Her fiction has an aura of timelessness, placing mythology and burdened history alongside modern, urban angst, sharply written dialogue, and urgent character conflict. As Robert Olen Butler says, Ochsner has "the big gift," and we can't wait for her next book.

For more, visit her Artist of the Month page.

Featured Glen Workshop:
Robert Clark, Fiction
Are you a "closet" fiction writer who perhaps needs a little nudge or would benefit from the feedback of other writers? Nothing is more helpful for aspiring writers than input, advice, and encouragement in a small group setting. Even Tolkien and Lewis, two of the greatest fiction writers of our time, adopted a small group in order to nurture their craft and receive advice from one another in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. In this fiction workshop, participants will spend time analyzing matters of narrative craft, exposition, and structure, but more importantly, they'll aim to discover and nurture those skills, gifts, and habits that allow them to become writers of finished works of fiction. The workshop's leader, Robert Clark, received the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography/Memoir for My Grandfather's House: A Genealogy of Doubt and Faith, and his novel Mr. White's Confession was chosen by The Times Literary Supplement as one of the best books of 1999. His most recent novel is Love Among the Ruins, and he is currently at work on a study of the late career of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Though his resume may sound intimidating, we encourage anyone who is interested in writing fiction to come and experience the encouragement and guidance of working in a small group alongside Robert Clark. Last year Robert's workshop received rave reviews from participants who loved his personable style and enthusiasm. Sign up soon and you're sure to feel the same way! Go to the Glen site for more.

Praying the Gospels through Poetry
Peggy Rosenthal
In Praying the Gospels through Poetry, scholar Peggy Rosenthal offers a delightful companion to Lent and Holy Week. Through commentary and contemporary poetry, Rosenthal has compiled a wonderful companion book for anyone looking to experience the holy season leading up to Easter in a fresh way. Poetry's ability to renew and make fresh the known is on full display in this book. Rosenthal achieves a rare feat, playing both literary critic and spiritual guide. She offers insightful commentary as she studies each marker of the season, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, through a variety of poet's voices. The book is compact but never simple, a wonderful and unusual guide to the Easter season.

More

Note: Peggy Rosenthal is on the faculty for this year's Glen Workshop and will be co-teaching a seminar on Poetry and Spirituality. For details, see the Glen page on the Image website.

Current Art Exhibits around the Country
James Disney: Votive Illusions
Pastor and artist James Disney paints with vibrant color and detail. A self-taught painter, Disney has been strongly influenced by traditional iconography, and his paintings incorporate "Mische" painting techniques, which look for new ways to add detail and color to paintings. His new collection of work, Votive Illusions, is on display through March 2, 2003 at Gallery W in Sacramento, California. Go to the gallery's website for more.

Aaron Lee Benson: What's Left
In their raw appearance and earthy medium, these sculptures seem chiseled "Out of the Heart of the Earth." Faces and limbs just barely emerge from the shape of tree stumps and rock formations like secrets that nature alone can express. The sculptures are on display through February 8, 2003 in the Louise Jones Brown Gallery at the Bryan Center on the campus of Duke University in North Carolina.

Two Artists and Their Spiritual Journeys
The Nancy Wilson Scanlan Art Gallery in Austin, Texas, presents Two Artists and Their Spiritual Journeys. James B. Jankgnet's paintings and Ginger Henry Geyer's ceramic works make up an exhibit entitled The Prodigal Son and Other Parables. These artists' renderings will find new and insightful ways to interpret old parables. For Gallery hours and directions, call (512) 327-1213 extension 139 or 144.

Act One: Writing for Hollywood
The genre of film has become one of the most powerful ways of communicating truth and beauty in our time. What makes a film good, what makes a screenplay truly beautiful, and how can we look at faith through the eyes of film and see truth in new ways? Act One is a program that addresses these important questions, providing participants with an opportunity to discuss what it means to be a Christian in the entertainment business and looking at ways believers can use their faith to create a powerful and truly beautiful screenplay. The workshop offers writers a chance to glean wisdom from accomplished Christian professionals in Hollywood. Among other things, writers will learn the basics of writing for movies and television, what makes a story powerful, how to create truly incarnational characters, and helpful information for getting a manuscript into the right hands. The faculty includes accomplished writers, actors, and producers of television shows and films who have learned how to integrate their faith and careers.

The deadline for application is April 1 for this summer's program; 30 students will be accepted. To find out more, visit the Act One program online.

Announcing The Glen Workshop
"Bringing Home the Work: The Artist and the Community"
August 3-10, 2003
Image's annual Glen Workshop is an innovative and enriching program combining the best elements of a workshop, an arts festival, and a conference. Add to this the intimate setting at St. John's College and the rich cultural, spiritual, and natural resources of northern New Mexico and the result is an unforgettable experience. This year's theme-"Bringing Home the Work: The Artist and the Community"-will provide a focal point for reflection over the course of the week. Daily classes will be taught by nationally known authors and artists, and will be small enough to allow the faculty to give close attention to each participant-to beginners as well as those advanced in their craft. The Glen also offers a retreat option for those who wish to join us for meals, readings, and worship, but prefer to spend mornings working, exploring the area, or in contemplation, instead of attending a workshop. Each participant selects either a workshop or the retreat option. Workshops are held concurrently each morning. Afternoons and evenings feature readings, lectures, and concerts. Each day will conclude with a worship service incorporating the arts. Free time (including a full free day) will offer all participants opportunities for conversation, hiking, visiting the many museums and sights in and around Santa Fe, and exploring the stunning scenery around the St. John's campus. Here in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, you will encounter a stimulating and inspiring environment saturated with the spirituality of Hispanic and Native American cultures.

In current issues of ImageUpdate we are presenting short features on individual workshops/faculty and other aspects of the Glen - stay tuned!

NOTE: Please be aware that certain workshops will fill rather quickly. We're not just using marketing language when we urge you to register early!!!

For more information, workshop descriptions, and to register online, visit the Glen page on the Image website.

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Image Study Guide
We are delighted to introduce a new feature to our website: The Image Study Guide. Perfect for use in high school and college classrooms, or for a reading or discussion group, this guide allows users to take a deeper look at the material in Image. The guide is based on material found in five recent issues of the journal. The guide has three main gateway pages: by issue, by genre (or art form), and by theme. The five themes are: The Artist as Prophet, The Body, Christian Humanism, The Individual & the Church, and Suffering & Grace. The genres covered are fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and visual art. Each page of the study guide contains questions for discussion, activities, and resources for further study (including books and websites). One of the issues covered in the guide is our special issue on the tragedies of 9/11. Discounts are available for bulk orders of Image. We happen to think that the guide will also be enriching for individuals who simply want to stop and reflect on some of the outstanding art and writing that we've been honored to publish. Have a look and expand your mind.

Go to the introductory page of The Image Study Guide.

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