The new issue is out, with poetry by Tim Murphy and Gabriel Olearnik, a story by my fellow Christendom grad John Jalsevac, and some lovely art by Leonor Cerón de García.
And I think I can share this now: Katy Carl needs more time to take care of her son, who has reached the toddler-destroyer-of-worlds stage. So I'm taking over as Editor in Chief! Wish me luck.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Wislawa Szymborska, rest in peace
Nothing Twice
by Wislawa Szymborska
translated by Clare Cavanagh and Stanislaw Baranczak
Nothing can ever happen twice.
In consequence, the sorry fact is
that we arrive here improvised
and leave without the chance to practice.
Even if there is no one dumber,
if you're the planet's biggest dunce,
you can't repeat the class in summer:
this course is only offered once.
No day copies yesterday,
no two nights will teach what bliss is
in precisely the same way,
with precisely the same kisses.
One day, perhaps some idle tongue
mentions your name by accident:
I feel as if a rose were flung
into the room, all hue and scent.
The next day, though you're here with me,
I can't help looking at the clock:
A rose? A rose? What could that be?
Is it a flower or a rock?
Why do we treat the fleeting day
with so much needless fear and sorrow?
It's in its nature not to stay:
Today is always gone tomorrow.
With smiles and kisses, we prefer
to seek accord beneath our star,
although we're different (we concur)
just as two drops of water are.
Szymborska was one of the few living poets on my radar when I was in high school. I can recall finding a few of her poems on Wondering Minstrels and pasting them into the cluttered Word files I squirreled away for inspiration. I was just thinking the other day that I should read more of her and buy her collected poetry... and I don't want to touch whatever Seraphic's friend has against her at the moment. The one thing she is, without question, is a shameless poet.
by Wislawa Szymborska
translated by Clare Cavanagh and Stanislaw Baranczak
Nothing can ever happen twice.
In consequence, the sorry fact is
that we arrive here improvised
and leave without the chance to practice.
Even if there is no one dumber,
if you're the planet's biggest dunce,
you can't repeat the class in summer:
this course is only offered once.
No day copies yesterday,
no two nights will teach what bliss is
in precisely the same way,
with precisely the same kisses.
One day, perhaps some idle tongue
mentions your name by accident:
I feel as if a rose were flung
into the room, all hue and scent.
The next day, though you're here with me,
I can't help looking at the clock:
A rose? A rose? What could that be?
Is it a flower or a rock?
Why do we treat the fleeting day
with so much needless fear and sorrow?
It's in its nature not to stay:
Today is always gone tomorrow.
With smiles and kisses, we prefer
to seek accord beneath our star,
although we're different (we concur)
just as two drops of water are.
Szymborska was one of the few living poets on my radar when I was in high school. I can recall finding a few of her poems on Wondering Minstrels and pasting them into the cluttered Word files I squirreled away for inspiration. I was just thinking the other day that I should read more of her and buy her collected poetry... and I don't want to touch whatever Seraphic's friend has against her at the moment. The one thing she is, without question, is a shameless poet.
Friday, November 25, 2011
This Yelp review makes me so proud of my parish...
"I really used to dislike conservative Catholic churches and wanted all conservative churches to change to become more liberal, but for Our Lady of Peace, I hope this very conservative church never changes and here's why....
When you are experiencing a deep sadness you've never felt before, let's say your Grandmother (who you were close with) just passed away late at night and all you can do is cry, those same traditional conservative Catholics you can't stand will be up at 1:00AM praying the rosary for you at Our Lady of Peace.
Our Lady of Peace is one of the few churches in all of Santa Clara County that really means what its says. When it says "We have a 24 hour adoration chapel and pray the rosary every hour on the hour" THEY MEAN IT.
I went into Our Lady of Peace on a Tuesday night around 11:42PM after I learned my Grandma past away - low and behold there were a dozen people praying the rosary. Thank God they were there because I was too sad to say the words, but deep down I knew crying in church and allowing myself to mourn is what I needed to do.
Mind you this is NOT my regular church, but when life takes out a piece of your heart late at night, Our Lady of Peace (as conservative as it may be) will be open to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, because no one should be denied the chance to see Jesus whenever they want."
And I really ought to be there for Adoration more often...
When you are experiencing a deep sadness you've never felt before, let's say your Grandmother (who you were close with) just passed away late at night and all you can do is cry, those same traditional conservative Catholics you can't stand will be up at 1:00AM praying the rosary for you at Our Lady of Peace.
Our Lady of Peace is one of the few churches in all of Santa Clara County that really means what its says. When it says "We have a 24 hour adoration chapel and pray the rosary every hour on the hour" THEY MEAN IT.
I went into Our Lady of Peace on a Tuesday night around 11:42PM after I learned my Grandma past away - low and behold there were a dozen people praying the rosary. Thank God they were there because I was too sad to say the words, but deep down I knew crying in church and allowing myself to mourn is what I needed to do.
Mind you this is NOT my regular church, but when life takes out a piece of your heart late at night, Our Lady of Peace (as conservative as it may be) will be open to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, because no one should be denied the chance to see Jesus whenever they want."
And I really ought to be there for Adoration more often...
Saturday, August 20, 2011
new Dappled Things
You can see some of it here, but I warn you, you will need the print version to read most of it. Subscribe today, it's a classy publication! In this issue, I like "An Elegy for Rose," which is a really well executed villanelle. The art is also quite lovely. (I like "Woman in Irish Coat.")
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Job search concluded
I don't know if anyone is out there, but I have an update: it looks like I will be teaching Latin and Humanities at Live Oak Academy in San Jose! It is a Christian co-op school for homeschoolers, and it is about twenty minutes from the town I grew up in. I've spent six years now studying east of the Mississippi, and I never really thought I would return to the Bay Area to teach. Most of the jobs for Latin are concentrated in New England and the South. But it turns out that I had a connection here all along... a lady I met while doing pro-life work told me about the opening. I am feeling very happy about this, and I give heartfelt thanks to all of you who may have said some prayers for me. The past few months have been rough in some ways, and I have neglected the blog and my writing in general. Now I have a little certainty, and I feel very alive and optimistic.
I am in Santa Fe right now. It is so beautiful, and it has been raining, which is always a grace in this part of the world. After I read the email offering me the teaching job, I went to Mass in the San Miguel chapel, where my parents were married and which is the oldest church in America. It was the Old Form Mass. Afterward I walked around the corner and had some ice cream. Hmmm, I just have a feeling that this year is going to be awesome!
I am in Santa Fe right now. It is so beautiful, and it has been raining, which is always a grace in this part of the world. After I read the email offering me the teaching job, I went to Mass in the San Miguel chapel, where my parents were married and which is the oldest church in America. It was the Old Form Mass. Afterward I walked around the corner and had some ice cream. Hmmm, I just have a feeling that this year is going to be awesome!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Graduation; Dappled Things
The latest Dappled Things is out. I have a review of Nick Ripatrazone's Oblations. Also, I have completed my M.A. in Classics at the University of Kentucky. Now I'm looking for a teaching job. Let me know if there's a school in your area wanting a Latin teacher!
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