Mar 24, 2020
This episode features two young Catholic publishers who are
doing cutting-edge work to preserve and carry forward the Catholic
literary legacy, building on the accomplishments of the great
Catholic writers of the 20th century in particular.
The first guest is Joshua Hren, founder and Editor-in-Chief of
Wiseblood Books. Wiseblood’s focus is on cultivating and publishing
new works that maintain a high standard of literary quality
and Catholic vision: featuring up-and-coming writers
alongside established successes like Dana Gioia, Samuel Hazo, James
Matthew Wilson, and Michael O’Brien.
Besides introducing us to the Wiseblood catalogue, Joshua talks
about his own fiction and non-fiction writing and his calling as an
editor. He and Thomas discuss issues in Catholic fiction such the
danger of a narrow preoccupation with modern neuroses, and
flaunting the secular taboo of “cultural appropriation” (e.g., the
idea that white authors cannot write black characters).
The second guest is John Emmet Clarke, Editor-in-Chief of Cluny
Media. This family business is preserving and reintroducing
forgotten Catholic classics of the 20th century, bringing to the
surface the submerged lineage of many of our favorite
authors—republishing crucial writers like François Mauriac, Charles
Peguy, and Romano Guardini.
A recurring theme in both interviews is the influence of
Flannery O’Connor. Wiseblood Books is, of course, named after her
first novel, though that doesn’t stop Thomas and Joshua from
throwing some slight, friendly shade at her dominance over the
discussion of 20th-century Catholic “literary” fiction. Meanwhile,
John Emmet Clarke says that if she described the South she
portrayed as “Christ-haunted”, the Cluny catalogue could be said to
be “Flannery-O’Connor-haunted” in a reverse sense, as they publish
many authors who influenced her.
Contents
Joshua Hren
[4:11] The upcoming Colosseum Summer Institute, a workshop for
poets and fiction writers given by Josh Hren and James Matthew
Wilson
[9:25] The necessity of “cultural appropriation” in fiction
[12:59] The mission of Wiseblood Books: “Wide-eyed for
continuities of beauty and truth”
[15:55] Using short-form publications to generate interest in
the Catholic literary heritage
[18:10] Dana Gioia’s crucial support and encouragement
[21:48] Michael O’Brien’s writings for Wiseblood about the
Apocalypse and sexual abuse
[24:59] Wiseblood’s newest novel: Samuel Hazo’s If Nobody
Calls, I’m Not Home
[27:20] Wiseblood’s residency program bringing promising
works-in-progress to fruition
[32:22] Apologia for the role of a fiction editor
[42:43] Joshua’s conversion and marriage story
[50:41] Joshua’s fiction writing: Stream-of-consciousness,
poetic prose, people under pressure
[1:05:30] Examining “Christ-haunted fiction” in his How to
Read and Write Like a Catholic
[1:13:43] The dominance of Flannery O’Connor in our awareness of
20th-c. Catholic fiction and the need to rediscover other great
writers like J.F. Powers
[1:18:24] Is there a narrowness to O’Connor’s focus on uniquely
modern neuroses? Contrasts with Tolkien and Manzoni
John Emmet Clarke
[1:26:18] The mission of Cluny Media: promoting the 20th-century
Catholic literary tradition
[1:29:46] The process of republishing out-of-print works
[1:32:39] Showing the hidden lineage of well-known Catholic
authors; Mauriac’s fiction; writers who influenced O’Connor; Fulton
Sheen
[1:41:10] Scholarly works of Ven. Sheen
[1:42:21] New works published by Cluny
[1:44:09] Cluny’s connections to the Dominican Order
[1:46:18] A family business; looking to the past for directions
for the future
[1:49:06] Cluny’s distribution partnerships with parishes
Links
Cluny has made a discount offer available to Catholic Culture
Podcast listeners. To receive the discount code, sign up to their
mailing list at this link and include “Catholic Culture
Podcast” in the Affiliation tab of the form. http://eepurl.com/gNrNq1
All of Wiseblood’s offerings are discounted if purchased
directly from their website: http://www.wisebloodbooks.com
Colosseum Summer Institute https://www.colosseuminstitute.com/summer-institute.html
Wiseblood Books mentioned in this episode:
Ryan Wilson, How to Think Like a Poet
https://www.wisebloodbooks.com/store/p97/How_to_Think_Like_a_Poet%2C_by_Ryan_Wilson.html
Dana Joy, The Catholic Writer Today and Other Essays
https://www.wisebloodbooks.com/store/c4/Wiseblood_Essays_.html
James Matthew Wilson, The River of the Immaculate
Conception
https://www.wisebloodbooks.com/store/p96/The_River_of_the_Immaculate_Conception.html
Michael D. O’Brien (contributor), Abuse of Sexuality in the
Catholic Church
https://www.divineprovidencepress.com/store/p10/Abuse_of_Sexuality_in_the_Catholic_Church_%28Shipping_Included%29.html
Michael D. O’Brien, The Apocalypse: Warning, Hope &
Consolation
https://www.wisebloodbooks.com/store/p93/The_Apocalypse%3A_Warning%2C_Hope%2C_%26_Consolation.html
samuel hazo, If Nobody Calls, I’m Not Home: The Open Letters
of Bim Nakely
https://www.wisebloodbooks.com/store/p98/IF_NOBODY_CALLS%2C_I%27M_NOT_HOME%3A_THE_OPEN_LETTERS_OF_BIM_NAKELY%2C_by_Samuel_Hazo.html
Writings by Joshua Hren mentioned in this
episode:
“The First Commandment of Fiction”
https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2020/03/the-first-commandment-of-fiction
“A Crisis of Curiosity” https://www.crisismagazine.com/2019/a-crisis-of-curiositas
Joshua Hren has two forthcoming books: In the Wine
Presshis second collection of short stories, from Angelico
Press, and How to Read and Write Like a Catholicfrom TAN
Books. His previously published books are:
This Our Exile: Short Stories https://angelicopress.org/product/this-our-exile/
Middle-Earth and the Return to the Common Good: J.R.R.
Tolkien and Political Philosophy
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K81KLQ5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
Cluny Media books mentioned:
Lyra Martyrum: The Poetry of the English Martyrs,
1503-1681 https://www.clunymedia.com/product/lyra-martyrum/
Francois Mauriac https://www.clunymedia.com/?s=mauriac
Caroline Gordon, The Malefactors https://www.clunymedia.com/product/the-malefactors/
Fulton Sheen https://www.clunymedia.com/?s=sheen
Augustine DiNioia, OP, Grace in Season https://www.clunymedia.com/product/grace-in-season/
Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, OP, Philosophizing in
Faith https://www.clunymedia.com/product/philosophizing-in-faith/
Humbert Clerissac, O.P., The Mystery of the Church
https://www.clunymedia.com/product/the-mystery-of-the-church/
Past podcast interviews mentioned:
Dana Gioia https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/episode-44-catholics-need-poetry-but-do-we-want-it-dana-gioia/
Samuel Hazo https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/episode-28-introduction-to-maritains-poetic-philosophy-samuel-hazo/
James Matthew Wilson
https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/episode-57-river-immaculate-conception-james-matthew-wilson/
Poetry of the English Martyrs
https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/ep-69-poetry-english-martyrs-benedict-whalen/
Matthew Minerd on Garrigou-Lagrange
https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/episode-38-sacred-monster-matthew-k-minerd/
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