Friday Links

December 23, 2022

Fourth week of Advent 

“Let your heart be the manger that welcomes the Holy Stranger”

+A.M. Juster’s 2022 book recommendations in the Claremont Review of Books and John Wilson’s Bookish Christmas Gift Guide over at First Things

+2023 Book Awards from Christianity Today 

+Mary Consoles Eve, an interview with Joy Clarkson and Sr. Grace Remington

+ Chesterton Carol & O Antiphons at the Benedict XVI Institute 

+How Duke Ellington Kept Christmas All Year Long by The Anchoress

Christmas is almost here, so you may be out searching for the perfect last-minute gifts. Christmas shopping consumes most people now, but that was not always the case. My mother, Nora, was born in the small village of Creeslough in Donegal, Ireland. She and her siblings received very few gifts, usually a pair of socks, a new toothbrush, maybe a book of poems or stories, and an orange. When I was younger, that list seemed pretty lame, but now that I am older and wiser, I’m fascinated by it, especially that orange, so strange and otherworldly in the darkness of December. And the burst of sweetness with each bite must have been pure delight. I hope this Christmas you find delight in all of the season’s gifts.

A.M. Juster’s 2022 book recommendations on the Claremont Review of Books and John Wilson’s A Bookish Christmas Gift Guide  is over at First Things

This is the time of year for lists, and this Friday we are linking to two of the best. If you’re looking for some last-minute gifts, check out A.M. Juster’s poetry recommendations in the December 14th issue of Claremont Review of Books and John Wilson’s Bookish Christmas Gift Guide over at First Things. Even if you’ve done all of your shopping, both of these lists include treasures that will help you through the long, cold months ahead. 

Christianity Today’s 2023 Book Awards

Christianity Today announced their 2023 Book Awards. Christian Poetry in America Since 1940: An Anthology, the fantastic anthology edited by Micah Mattix and Sally Thomas, received the Culture and Arts award. This is one of the best poetry anthologies out there and a must-have for anyone interested in Christian poetry. 

Mary Consoles Eve, interview with Joy Clarkson and Sr. Grace Remington 

In the most recent issue of Plough, Joy Clarkson interviews Sr. Grace Remington, a Cistercian nun at Our Lady  of the Mississippi Abbey in Iowa. You may have seen Sr. Grace’s drawing, Mary and Eve, on Facebook or Twitter. For the last few years, the drawing pops up around Christmas. Sr. Grace drew The Ladies, as she calls them, while thinking about a talk she was to give at the monastery. She shared the drawing with one of her sisters, who asked if it could be used as the Abbey’s Christmas card that year. Supporters of the Abbey shared the drawing on social media.  Sr. Grace said that she hopes the drawing reminds us  “of the graciousness and gratuitousness of God’s mercy, and how God’s message of salvation is communicated through compassion and kindness.” The drawing is lovely and so is the interview. I hope you enjoy both of them!

Chesterton Carol & O Antiphons at the Benedict XVI Institute 

How Duke Ellington kept Christmas all year long by the Anchoress 

In a reprint of a column that originally appeared in National Review, Elizabeth Scalia tells the story of Duke Ellington’s practice of sending hand-signed Christmas cards all year long.

Mary R. Finnegan

After several years working as a registered nurse in various settings including the operating room and the neonatal ICU, Mary works as a freelance editor and writer. Mary earned a BA in English, a BS in Nursing, and is currently pursuing her MFA in creative Writing at the University of St. Thomas, Houston. Mary’s poetry, essays, and stories can be found in Ekstasis, Lydwine Journal, American Journal of Nursing, Catholic Digest, Amethyst Review, and elsewhere. She is Deputy Editor at Wiseblood Books.

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“Saint Joseph seeks a lodging at Bethlehem” illustrated, with notes by James Tissot

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War and Peace, and Advent