We live in an anxious age. Our collective unrest is evident across every level of our culture, our politics, our everyday lives. Yet in his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul instructs us to “have no anxiety about anything.” Easier said than done, perhaps, but St. Paul does not leave us without a way to fight back: “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” There are no better words to explain why Dappled Things exists. In a world where our technology constantly turns our gaze to every outrage, every scandal, every threat, the work of Dappled Things is more relevant than ever. But we can only do it with your support.
Reflections: On the Edge
This past year has brought many successes. Thanks to a record level of donations, we were able to undertake new initiatives and publish some of our finest pieces yet. Among them are “Obedience Lessons,” the exquisite story by Abigail Rine Favale (now part of our editorial board!) that captured our 2017 J.F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction, the invitingly beautiful photography of Matthew Lomanno, and an essay by California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia on the striking sculptures of Luis Tapia. We’ve expanded our (all-volunteer) staff, improved our online offerings (we were recently picked among the top Catholic sites on the internet), and seen a 20% rise in visits to our website—indicators that Dappled Things is poised to reach even more hearts and minds in 2018.
Our goals for the coming year are ambitious, both in terms of increasing readership and developing our content. First, we aim to reach a broader audience through a more active blog, drawing more and more of those readers to our print journal. We also intend to expand our non-fiction section significantly, featuring a steady stream of reviews and essays engaging with contemporary culture from the richness of the Catholic tradition. Dappled Things runs on a shoestring budget, but we must raise $15,000 in order to undertake these initiatives and continue to thrive in our mission.
Our world is starving for truth and beauty. Dappled Things is feeding hungry souls, but we cannot do this without your generosity. Can you support us with a gift of $75, $50, $20, or even just $5? Or are you in a position to contribute $1,000, $500, or $250? Donors at this level, without whom we cannot reach our goal, will be recognized in the journal and will receive a signed, limited edition art print of Reflections: On the Edge by Michelle Arnold Paine, featured in our Candlemas 2017 edition.
Please consider at what level you can give and make your donation today.
Sincerely in Christ,
Bernardo Aparicio García
Founder & Publisher, Dappled Things
Donate to Dappled Things and receive the following rewards!
Give $10: Thank you on social media.
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Give $100: Thank you on social media and print edition (listed as a “Patron of the Arts”); a free 1 year print subscription (for current subscribers, subscriptions will be extended); plus a personally written Christmas card from our president.
Saint Francis De Sales Society
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Give $500 (Chaucer Level): All of the above, with a free 2 year print+digital subscription, and a signed copy of our first printed edition, featuring Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, Peter Kreeft, Michael O’Brien, and many others (or any back issue of your choice).
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Anxiety is a condition that exactly describes modern life. A lot of people live a busy life and accept it as granted. Anxiety is a serious mental problem that affects not only our emotional state but can harm our health causing such problems as heart disease, diabetes, insomnia, etc.