Friday Links, May 28, 2021
The Letters of Magdalen Montague a novella by Eleanor Bourg Nicholson
Karen Barbre Ullo, DT Managing Editor from 2017 to 2021 —and current Editor of Chrism Press—writes:"Readers of DT may recognize this one. (If you don’t know, it first appeared as a serial in DT.) And now it’s coming back into print as our first book from Chrism Press!"
Click the above image for the full Facebook announcement. For sample chapters and purchase links, visit here.
100 Catholic Writers & Artists 1921-2021
Katy Carl, DT Editor in Chief, shared the above link, "h/t the marvelous Rhonda Ortiz over at Chrism Press."
Me: The list includes some Catholics who practiced their faith and many "who were raised in the faith, stopped practicing, and retained a Catholic sensibility within their storytelling."
Art is a Jealous God | Dr. Margarita Mooney & Dr. James Matthew Wilson
James Matthew Wilson, whose poetry is frequently published in DT, writes, "My conversation with Margarita Mooney of the Scala Foundation was, like all things these days, recorded. If you are curious about 'Art Is a Jealous God: the Necessity of Beauty for Human Happiness,' then I have good news for you. You can slake that curiosity below."
The Wonder-Working Laurus
Katy Carl shared the above link to a review of The Wonder-Working Laurus, which she mentioned in the year-end round-up, Books We Loved in 2019, Part Three. She writes, "Michael Rennier, so happy to see this novel receiving wider attention ❤." Fr. Rennier, DT Web Editor, replies, "I'm using a scene from it in my Palm Sunday homily."
Last night, after midnight, I read the last lines of Laurus, a newly translated Russian novel by Eugene Vodolazkin, and thought it surely must be the most perfect ending ever. There is no way it could have ended any more perfectly or profoundly. And then I did what I have done nearly every time I’ve put this astonishing novel down over the last few days: I picked up my chotki (prayer rope) and prayed, as I was first taught to do in an Orthodox parish in the Russian tradition.
"What kind of novel makes you want to enter into contemplative prayer after reading from its pages? I’ve never heard of one. But Laurus is that kind of novel."—Rod Dreher at the American Conservative
Graham Green's Dark Heart
Josh Nadeau, DT Associate Editor recommends this article, with the comment, "I try not to post things without reading them first, but I didn't have the time and thought this would nevertheless be interesting."
I relied, "Love it. I've been reading about Greene for years, and I learned many new things about him in this excellent article." One of the things I love about it is that it agrees with me that "'Our Man in Havana'—a dazzling blend of menace, humor, and resignation—is one of the finest things he ever wrote." I smile in admiration whenever I think of the book. And the movie with Alec Guiness, Maureen O'Hara, Ernie Kovacs, Noel Coward, and Ralph Richardson, oh my.
The next great American novel might be written by a Catholic
James Matthew Wilson recommends the above-lined article at Aleteia, written by John Burger, "Friends, I am pretty delighted with this article on the new University of St Thomas MFA program in Creative Writing. We have a strong first class recruited already, but there are available seats remaining. The enthusiasm with which the creation of this initiative has been greeted has been a reward in itself."
The Great American Novel: We’ve been looking for one since the 1860s. Why?
While we are on the topic, the above-linked article about the GAN by Maria Konnikova at Slate is an interesting look at the history of the concept.
