Finding Common Ground

Lora Zill

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EDITOR’S ARIA


WITH THE ELECTION SEASON UPON US, THE AIR IS FILLED with rancor and divisiveness from both sides. I am old enough to remember the days of moderate Democrats and Republicans who appealed to voters not enamored with the extremes of their party. Now that space is gone. The “blue dog” Democrats have been  voted out, and the GOP mods feel they have no party anymore. I say this without judgment, just a (hopefully) bipartisan observation that you can nod to no matter what “side” you are on.


So once again I offer you this issue of TOS. I know art has been and is still used to make political statements, but that isn’t my goal as your humble editor. I aim to be inclusive and offer a space of peace and meditation that is outside the roar of the crowd. Any poet is welcome. Anyone who loves the art and craft of poetry, who loves using language to reveal the human condition and our relationship with God, and to ask questions, will find common ground with fellow TOS poets and readers in these pages.


Speaking of finding common ground, on a hot weekend in September my daughter married the love of her life. She asked me to write a poem for the occasion. I reworked a little bit of Yeats, a little bit of Browning, a little bit of Zill, and some song lyrics to channel the day’s emotions. I not only wanted to create a personal, memorable moment for her and Steve, but a communal moment for the audience.


Writing that poem also reminded me of the glory of inspiration. Words can be frustratingly distant, then suddenly fall into your lap. I was puzzling over an idea while listening to music. A song that my daughter and I love played and it struck me: “That’s IT!”


Such is the power of poetry to capture the moments of our lives, to create meaningful personal and communal spaces. I offer this issue as a retreat. I hope we find those special moments and spaces in words.   



Lora Homan Zill, Editor

 

 

 

 

 

A Tale Of Woe!

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Flannery O'Connor and Eclipses

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Creating Magic

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The Magic Of Grands

From Tent to Camper

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Mentorship in Poetry and the Arts

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Reflecting on Mentoring and Being Mentored

Parsing Language

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Parsing Language

A Woman Of A Certain Age

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A Woman Of A Certain Age

Preparing for Authentic Delivery

By Lora Zill • February 12, 2020
I thought I'd share something I found utterly fascinating. One of my favorite “old movie” actresses is Olivia de Havilland—she of Gone With the Wind fame, and two time Oscar winner—who is a woman of faith in the Anglican tradition. She lives on, at 103, and has served as a lector (one of the first women to do so) at the American Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Paris. The conversation between her and her interviewer, Right Reverend Pierre W. Whalon, centered around why Christians read the Bible in church. I was interested to learn how she would prepare for her Scripture reading for worship. She would print the verses in large type and then mark them up with “underlines, semi-colons, and other diacritical marks.” Ms. de Havilland shared that the punctuation marks help her to “get the right inflection.” She “wrestles with the text to find its underlying architecture.” “You have to convey the deep meaning, you see, and it has to start with your own faith.” She works to understand what the text means to her and then how to best communicate that to the congregation. “First I always pray.”* I think the insights for writers/poets and lovers of God’s word are many. Those of us who agonize over where to put a comma or a period (or no punctuation at all!) now have our “why” confirmed. Those of us who engage in public readings of the Scriptures are challenged to devote the time and energy to practicing the language, wrestling with the truths of God’s Word so we can be authentic in their delivery. I pray you would meet with God and share your discoveries with us through your poetry in 2020. My best to you and your loved ones. Full Essay on Olivia de Havilland: *”Reading the Bible as a Statement of Faith” by The Rt Revd Pierre W. Whalon, Ph.D. in Anglicans Online: anglicansonline.org/resources/essays/whalon/deHavilland.html 10 February 2012.

Planning with Intention

By Lora Zill • July 16, 2019
I am shopping for a new planner. Simplicity rules now, with monthly calendars and space for daily “to do” lists. But increasingly I feel like I want to be more intentional in the choices I make in my daily living and setting goals. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of planners, with so many varieties of emphasis. Monk Manuals seem more spiritually reflective (obviously!). Panda Planners and Full Focus Planners add spaces for goals, habits, and affirmations. I discovered the Bullet Journal which uses simple symbols to distinguish events, tasks, and insights and sort them from “completed” or not. There are lots more. * I’m looking for ways to focus and not get so distracted. I am organized to a point, but need to improve. Seems counter-intuitive, but I’ve read that creative people function better when they’re organized and operate by a schedule. They don’t wait for the Muse to show up, they show up at their desk and work. It seems from the Scriptures Jesus was very intentional about how he lived and conducted his ministry. He didn’t have a “planner” as we know it, He was submitted to the Planner. I think God wants us to live intentionally, too. Do you do your creative work according to a schedule? Why? If you use a planner, I’d be interested in which one you use and why you like it. Thanks for your ideas. Lora Homan Zill, Editor *I get no compensation from these mentions.

What's Found in a Translation

By Lora Zill • November 13, 2018
The NIV Bible has been my “go to” for study and devotion for 40 years. But I have discovered another translation I also love and heartily recommend to you, my dear readers. It’s called The VoiceTM (Thomas Nelson, 2008) and describes itself as “A Scripture Project to Rediscover the Story of the Bible.” What makes this translation unique is that it isn’t just a work by Biblical scholars. It is a “collaboration among scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, poets, and other artists.” The heart of the project is to create a version of great artistic value— holistic, beautiful, sensitive and balanced—as “fluid as modern literary works,” while remaining true to the original manuscripts.* A favorite feature is how the Gospels are formatted like a screenplay. The Voice also renders passages more dramatically, e.g. John 1:1-3: “Before time itself was measured, the Voice was speaking. The Voice was and is God….His speech shaped the entire cosmos. Immersed in the practice of creating, all things that exist were birthed in Him…” (Italics indicates words not directly from the translation but which may have been obvious to the original audience.*) voice bubbles True Confessions, I still prefer the NIV’s magisterial and mysterious Logos (λογος): “In the beginning was the Word….” But The Voice’s dynamic rendering grabs me in a more emotional way and helps me think more creatively about who Jesus is. If you’re looking for another Bible translation that appeals to the artist and poet in you, give this a try. A NT version is also available. I’d be interested in your reaction. To Him whom we worship as the Word and the Voice. Lora Homan Zill, Editor