in case you’ve missed the buzz, here’s just a few things being said about “making manifest: on faith, creativity, and the kingdom at hand”…

posts by bloggers…

teddy ray

glynn young’s ‘faith, fiction, and friends’

addie zierman’s ‘how to talk evangelical’

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interviews with harrity…

sojourn arts + culture

rock & sling

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posts by harrity…

five rules for believing writers at forma

and here it is… the making manifest video trailer.

matthew lippman asked me to participate in in this self-interview project. if you have a book of poetry coming out in the next year or so and want me to tag you, please contact. i need five poets. it’s like a chain letter poetry explosion. here’s what it looks like… – dave

What is the working title of the book?

my next book is called “making manifest: faith, creativity, and the kingdom at hand”

Where did the idea come from for the book?

i was teaching seminarians creative/contemplative writing to help them cultivate imagination and sustain ministry—i thought, ‘hey, i should turn this material into an instruction manual of sorts’

What genre does your book fall under?

contemplative/meditative non-fiction spiritual writing? it’s kinda a strange hybrid of genres.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

this would make a … Read More »

{ in this piece, antler founder and director dave harrity reflects on coming to poetry. this piece, run by tweetspeak last year, is being reposted here to honor williams stafford‘s birthday today. the piece will also be included in harrity’s forthcoming book, “making manifest” }

I began reading poetry because I could never finish novels. I’m not sure this is how many people come to poetry, but it was my route. In high school, I only read a handful of the assigned novels (a mistake I deeply regret now as an adult!) but I read every single poem. When I got to the end of a poem I felt like I had accomplished some- thing, been invited into something—I felt like I’d been given a key.

I liked poetry at that point in my life, but I didn’t love it.

I began writing … Read More »

{in this snippet of his forthcoming book “making manifest”–available april 2013–teacher, author, and poet dave harrity asks some questions that invite believers to think about what they’re adding to the world, and the creative implications of faith. if you’re in or near louisville on thursday november 29, you can catch him speaking on a panel about thomas merton and millennial faith practice at st. matthew’s episcopal church (330 North Hubbards Lane) at 7pm…}

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord 

    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 

 for he has been mindful

    of the humble state of his servant. 

From now on all generations will call me blessed, 

     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

    holy is his name. 

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

    from generation to generation. 

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; 

    he has scattered those who are proud in their … Read More »

{an interview with professor and poet, Brett Foster, who discusses what is behind his creative process.}

when you picture someone reading your poetry, how do you see them? what do they think about, wear, and do? or, maybe a better way to say it: who do you write for? and how do you see your writing nourishing others?

Wow, I do care about readers and wish to have them, and find it gratifying when I hear from them, but I really haven’t thought about the question in quite this way. I’ve always enjoyed about poetry that it’s a “low-admission-fee” kind of genre, despite its intimidating reputation. I love that you can pick up a poetry book, read a few poems, think about whether or not you’ve liked what you’ve read, and either read a few more or put it down. Or read … Read More »

{the following is a quick sneak-peak at a reflection from the forthcoming book “Making Manifest: On Faith, Writing, and the Kingdom At-Hand” available from Seedbed later this year. let us know what you think! is there something sacred happening here? don’t be shy…}

My daughter once decided to stay with my wife and me during church, opting out of her preschool Sunday morning class. We were reluctant, worried she might get bored or noisy. We were completely wrong.

In our church, we have an open table policy for Communion—our clergy are firm on the idea that “it’s God’s table not ours—all are welcome.” I know this idea is offensive to many, fascinating to some, and supported by a few, but it’s our belief that if someone is hungry for the body of Jesus then maybe no earthly tie or verbal confession should … Read More »

For those innocent and experienced in the ways of writing, here are some rules to write by daily. Of course, when it comes to making art—to making manifest that still, small voice inside you—rules are more like strong suggestions, nothing hard and fast, so there’s no need to be stringent about the thoughts below. Here are some things I try to keep in mind as an author of faith…

1. Trust the process.

Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, learning to rely on your gut in writing will rarely steer you wrong. It’s important to remember that your life is a poem. And poems that we make on paper are just extensions of our living poetry. As Ephesians 2:10 says, you are God’s workmanship—God’s poemia (where the English word “poem” comes from)—and that’s reason enough to engage this process with … Read More »

Recently, I did an interview with Ruminate Magazine. In it, I discuss what I’m hoping Antler might become, some of my thoughts on writing and faith, and a few of the ideas found in my forthcoming book Making Manifest, available from Seedbed later this year. I hope you enjoy it! And feel free to send it to everyone you know!

Poet George Oppen wrote in his journals that “the search for truth is a passion, not a necessity.” He’s right. You can go through your life with your eyes completely open and never really see anything clearly. And one needs only to look around at the hollowness of the cultures around us, both secular and Christian, to know this can be true. Christianity can be made simple, boiled down to practices and platitudes, marketed and packaged for sale, and fall flat with some sentimental longing for some other plane of living rather than the reality in which God has asked us to exist, the reality that he loves so dearly. But the Kingdom of Heaven is nothing simplistic: things like the Incarnation and Resurrection can never be made easy. That’s mystery, and searching mystery is how we grow and bring … Read More »