In his new biography of Henrik Ibsen, Ivo de Figueiredo describes the story of the suffering artist, his father’s bankruptcy, his years as an apothecary’s assistant and his role as writer and theater manager.
Literature
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Review: James Cone, the father of Black theology
James Cone’s autobiography shows that theology does not arrive out of a sterile doctrinal laboratory but from the pains, sufferings and triumphs of the people of God.
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
Confessions of a Creative Writing Director
Students who read literature have done so most of their lives because of beauty, not because of literary theory.
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
Facets of the Maker: the life and work of Mary Oliver
In “Steepletop,” an essay in which Mary Oliver recalls her time living at Edna St. Vincent Millay’s estate of the same name, she insists: “We need to be each others’ storytellers—at least we have to try. One wants to know what the beautiful strangers were like—one needs to know. Still, it is like painting the […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Of Many Things
Reading for fun: introducing our Spring Books 2019 issue
Books for every kind of reader are featured in our Spring Books special literary issue.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
What’s new with the Catholic Book Club?
In late fall we discussed Kate Bowler’s poignant memoir about being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. We followed that with one of three recent volumes of the collected short stories of Andre Dubus.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Review: When giants roamed the earth
Armed with enthusiasm, command of his material and a knack for analogy, Steve Brusatte has written a book that incarnates dinosaurs with color, sound and fury.
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
C.S. Lewis helped me understand my grief—and reminded me why I write
C.S. Lewis does not come to lovely conclusions about his God or his religion or his suffering. He asks many more questions than he answers. He rants, questions, weeps and feels terrible, deservedly sorry for himself and for the woman he loved so much and has now lost. And in doing so, he renders in prose what it really feels like to grieve.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Review: There is more than one way to convert to Catholicism
Many will find Sohrab Ahmari’s account of coming to faith compelling and moving, while others may find his emphasis on an authoritative church confusing or even off-putting.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Review: Robert Caro tells us how he does it
In his new book about his work, Robert Caro explains why it takes so many years to research and write his books.