Links to: Advent Literary Arts Contest; O Antiphons Book with Mitsui Decorations; Cinder Allia, the Movie; Black Catholic Messenger Magazine; and Remembering Ruby Bridges’ School Integration Ordeal
Call for Submissions Catholic Literary Arts 2020 Advent Writing Contest
Deadline for submissions: 12:00 Midnight CST, November 28, 2020
The best five pieces of poetry or short prose will be featured on the Catholic Literary Arts website, and the winning writers will receive a $25 cash prize. Maggie Gallagher, Executive Director of the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Liturgy will judge the contest.
Everyone is invited for a virtual gala on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020 at 7:00 P.M. Winners will read and discuss their winning entries with Maggie Gallagher.
This gala is free, but you must reserve a space. For more information and to register, go here.
Cinder Allia… The Movie?
Dappled Things Managing Editor, Karen Barbre Ullo writes, “I am thrilled to announce that Believe Entertainment has purchased the film rights to Cinder Allia and will now begin fundraising for its eventual screen debut.” Karen Ullo is the author of two well-received novels, Jennifer the Damned (2015) and Cinder Allia (2017), and we want to congratulate her on this achievement. Ullo has an MFA in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California, and she brings her screenwriting chops to her novel writing.
[A]s those of you who’ve read Cinder Allia already know, it’s a story made for film. Gorgeous settings, lots of action, war, intrigue, a crippled prince, a mysterious fairy godmother . . . Yes, of course I wrote it to become a movie someday. And now, it will have the opportunity.
“If you didn’t already believe in fairy tales, hopefully you do now!”
O Shining Light: Old English Meditations for Advent and Christmastide
Artist Daniel Mitsui contributed his always interesting and accomplished decorative artwork to a new book of O Antiphons, which were translated from Old English by Jacob Riyeff with commentary by Jacob and Mamie Riyeff. You can order it here.
In the final days of Advent a haunting series of antiphons are sung, each beginning with an expressive invocation of longing—O! This is followed by some title of Christ. Each day brings some new title, some facet of the one we are awaiting. These O Antiphons count down the last days of Advent and build up an ever-richer understanding of the mystery to come.
“For those who are seeking Advent reading, this volume provides reflections from another era and, more than that, a joining in faith and communion with people from a millennium ago.”— Br. Paul Quenon, Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance (OCSO), Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani
Black Catholic Messenger
Natalie Morrill, DT Fiction Editor, writes, “Did someone share this already…? Can’t recall. Anyway, neat.”
In Fall 2020, the Black Catholic Messenger was formed among a group of Black Catholic laypeople and allies who agreed that the Catholic media landscape was missing something: an online publication for Black Catholics. We decided to change that.”—From the About page at BlackCatholicMessenger.Com
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
On November 14, 1960, sixty years ago this past week, Ruby Bridges became the first African American child to attend an all-white elementary school in the South.
On her first day, four U.S. Marshals escorted Ruby and her mother to William Frantz Elementary School when local officials refused to protect her. For the entire school year only one teacher, Barbara Henry, agreed to teach Ruby, and a classroom by herself due to the withdrawal of students by their parents from her class. For over a year, Henry taught Ruby alone. Her father was fired from his job and her grandparents thrown off the farm they rented. Ruby persisted and finished the school year, remaining a student there through elementary school.”—Nov. 14, 2017 post at the Facebook page for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
“The Problem We All Live With” painting by Norman Rockwell, originally published as a centerfold in the January 14, 1964, issue of Look magazine.
