Writing as Kenotic Experience: My Interview for The Fine Delight

Prolific writer Nicholas Ripatrazone, author of The Fine Delight: Postconciliar Catholic Literature, interviewed me for his series of conversations with writers whose work resonates with Catholicism. The interviews are a companion project to the book and include a broad spectrum of writers.

It's a privilege to have a reader give such careful attention to my words and ideas. I learned a lot by being asked these questions and in the process of responding to them.  

Here's the intro: 

"Pleased to share this wide-ranging interview with the thoughtful nonfiction writer, Cynthia-Marie O’Brien. Our subjects include methods of prayer (considering the writing act as a kenotic experience), construction of truth, how to write an essay is “to try” rather than to complete, the ability to ask questions without expecting answers, literary forms, and her new work. Her bio note follows this interview, and includes links to her great essays and articles."

Have a look: Cynthia-Marie Marmo O'Brien

Everything that Rises Must Converge

It's been one year since my Columbia commencement, five years since my Dartmouth commencement and ten years since I graduated from high school - what a privilege it was to be on the stage in the CEU commencement with colleagues on Thursday, and what a reversal of roles. My students were beaming, and I especially enjoyed that each and every one had the opportunity to shake hands with the founder of CEU, George Soros. It was a great tribute to the incredible diversity of CEU that every student's country was called as well as their name. It was a moment for reflection about how we relate identity and citizenship, however, as I was curious whether the basis for the country that could 'claim' each student was legal, practical, cultural or simply a matter of the students' preference.

I've been thinking about origins and mentors very much as I reflect on the academic year - especially since I received the news that my essay "A Figment of Your Imagination" will be published in the fall issue of the Bellevue Literary Review.

Ernest Hebert, who I described in my first blog post, was instrumental in encouraging me to work with ">Cynthia Huntington whose gracious scrutiny of every word of my undergraduate thesis has deeply influenced the way I conceptualize my writing and teaching - as a balancing act between form and content.

I remember, during a brief sojourn in San Francisco, when I met one of the Beat poets. I asked him if he had read her work and if he'd stock it in his shop. I haven't been back to California in the six years since then to see if her latest work is on the shelves, so I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite of her poems.

Enjoy, 'til I blog again.

The Radiant

PS The title of this post comes from Flannery O'Connor- it's the first book my godmother suggested to me after she had read my writing.