Conference Archive, Program, and Media
Highlights of the Third Biennial Catholic Imagination Conference
Poets, novelists, filmmakers, and more gathered at Loyola in September 2019 to reflect on the future of the Catholic literary tradition. Join us in a look back.
Catholic Imagination Conference Program
Media on the Catholic Imagination in the days and weeks leading up to the conference
From Church Life Journal: Protestant Fiction Needs the Catholic Imagination by Jessica Hooten Wilson
From Church Life Journal: What is the Catholic Imagination? by Michael P. Murphy
From U.S. Catholic: How to Nourish Your Catholic Imagination by Steven P. Millies
Articles, Blogs, and Retrospectives on the Catholic Imagination Conference
From Chicago Catholic: Catholic Imaginations Vigorous and Flourishing, Conferencegoers Say
From Church Life Journal: Has Literature Regained Its Faith? A reflection by Angela Alaimo O'Donnell
From National Catholic Reporter: Conference Considers Role of Women, Impact of Abuse on Catholic Imagination
From National Catholic Reporter: Home for a Visit, a Year After Leaving the Church, by Melinda Henneberger
From Crux: Catholic Voice in Fiction and Fine Art Poised for New Relevance
From the Hawaii Catholic Herald: Hurling Words Against Suffering and blog posts from the conference
From Catholic Artists Connection: What We Saw at the Catholic Imagination Conference
From Judith Valente: Can Catholic Writers Help Heal a Wounded Church?
From Brent Little, Sacred Heart University: The Catholic Imagination and the Challenge of Apathy
Patheos blogs from David Russell Mosley and Eve Tushnet (1, 2, 3)
Loyola University Chicago CIC student reflections on the conference
Media emerging from the Catholic Imagination Conference
Benedict XVI Institute's Catholic Arts Today interview with Alice McDermott
The Image Podcast: Jessica Mesman interview with Molly McCully Brown: Belief and the Body
Commonweal: Fallen Priests, an essay inspired by Richard Rodriguez's conference plenary
Many live-tweeted and reflected on the conference using our hashtag #CatholicImagination2019
And a new poem from Ed Block:
Winthrop Garden
On a city corner, between brown stone,
and ringed by wrought-iron fences,
chicken wire, and weeds,
an eclectic garden thrives; throws
its greenery toward sky and sun.
The vines on lines, tomatoes and eggplant
hanging pendant; kale and cucumbers
below. Rows of young lettuce, onion
sets and peppers red in ripeness,
squash beneath their yellowing leaves;
neat rows and fallow patches, quiet
in September. Who tilled the soil; breaking
up the clods, showering it with water?
Who pruned and weeded here? Who holds
the keys? It lights the heart to see the care
and diligence displayed; the hopes for harvest,
like things of spirit, before the Midwest
rains and winter white return to cover all.
©2019, Ed Block
Catholic Imagination Conference Program
Media on the Catholic Imagination in the days and weeks leading up to the conference
From Church Life Journal: Protestant Fiction Needs the Catholic Imagination by Jessica Hooten Wilson
From Church Life Journal: What is the Catholic Imagination? by Michael P. Murphy
From U.S. Catholic: How to Nourish Your Catholic Imagination by Steven P. Millies
Articles, Blogs, and Retrospectives on the Catholic Imagination Conference
From Chicago Catholic: Catholic Imaginations Vigorous and Flourishing, Conferencegoers Say
From Church Life Journal: Has Literature Regained Its Faith? A reflection by Angela Alaimo O'Donnell
From National Catholic Reporter: Conference Considers Role of Women, Impact of Abuse on Catholic Imagination
From National Catholic Reporter: Home for a Visit, a Year After Leaving the Church, by Melinda Henneberger
From Crux: Catholic Voice in Fiction and Fine Art Poised for New Relevance
From the Hawaii Catholic Herald: Hurling Words Against Suffering and blog posts from the conference
From Catholic Artists Connection: What We Saw at the Catholic Imagination Conference
From Judith Valente: Can Catholic Writers Help Heal a Wounded Church?
From Brent Little, Sacred Heart University: The Catholic Imagination and the Challenge of Apathy
Patheos blogs from David Russell Mosley and Eve Tushnet (1, 2, 3)
Loyola University Chicago CIC student reflections on the conference
Media emerging from the Catholic Imagination Conference
Benedict XVI Institute's Catholic Arts Today interview with Alice McDermott
The Image Podcast: Jessica Mesman interview with Molly McCully Brown: Belief and the Body
Commonweal: Fallen Priests, an essay inspired by Richard Rodriguez's conference plenary
Many live-tweeted and reflected on the conference using our hashtag #CatholicImagination2019
And a new poem from Ed Block:
Winthrop Garden
On a city corner, between brown stone,
and ringed by wrought-iron fences,
chicken wire, and weeds,
an eclectic garden thrives; throws
its greenery toward sky and sun.
The vines on lines, tomatoes and eggplant
hanging pendant; kale and cucumbers
below. Rows of young lettuce, onion
sets and peppers red in ripeness,
squash beneath their yellowing leaves;
neat rows and fallow patches, quiet
in September. Who tilled the soil; breaking
up the clods, showering it with water?
Who pruned and weeded here? Who holds
the keys? It lights the heart to see the care
and diligence displayed; the hopes for harvest,
like things of spirit, before the Midwest
rains and winter white return to cover all.
©2019, Ed Block