“Alas those verses one writes in youth aren’t much. One should wait to gather sweetness and light all his life, a long one if possible, and then maybe at the end he might write ten good lines. For poetry isn’t, as people imagine, merely feelings (these come soon enough) it is experience. To write one line, a man ought to see many cities, people, and things; he must learn to know animals and the way of birds in the air, and how little flowers open in the morning. One must be able to think back the way to unknown places…and to paintings long forseen, to days of childhood…and to parents…to days on the sea…to nights of travel…and one must have the memories of many nights of love, not two alike…and the screams of women in childbirth…one must have sat by the dying, one must have sat by the dead in a room with open windows…but it is not enough to have memories. One must be able to forget them and have vast patience until they come again…and when they become blood within us, and glances and gestures…then first it can happen that in a rare hour the first word of a verse may arise and come forth” Rilke quoted in the introduction to Rilke Selected Poems, intro by CF MacIntyre p4, Malte pp25-27 from,

This qoute reminded me of a drawing teacher I had who said I was allowed to complain about painting a bad portrait after I had painted 500. Another prof in college said he can't think of any great art that didn't take a long time to make.

The kids at the Word Made Flesh Romania 'Valley Center' worked hard this year painting pictures to create a set of Christmas cards to sell to raise money for all the different activities that happen here. This little painting of a tree was done by one of my favorite kids. He sat down and did a group of paintings mixing color and brushing the paper like it was the most natural thing he could do. If you spent some time with this young man you would never guess the war he faces each evening when he goes home. His smile and handshake are all it takes to remind me that he is a hero of peace in our world and a sign that miracles happen in our broken work.

Click here for details on purchasing our 2008 Christmas Cards.

"Just now, even more than before the war, I feel the need to be in the cities among my fellow men. This is where our place is. We must take part in the whole misery that is to come. We must surrender our heart and nerves to the dreadfull screems or pain of the poor dissillusioned people...our superflous, self-filled existance can now be motivated only by giving our fellow men a picture of their fate and this can be done only if you love them." --Max Beckmann p32

from the book Max Beckmann by De Peter Howard Selz, Max Beckmann, Harold Joachim, Perry Townsend Rathbone

J. Micheal Walker began searching for the connections between the saints whose names became the streets names of Los Angeles and what is happening on those streets today. He found the street named for the patron saint of wanderers,San Julian Street, had a large homeless population. Through presence on the 100 some streets of Los Angeles, J. Micheal Walker, meeting those inhabiting the physical spaces and researching the Saints Walker pulls together a rich set of contemplative pieces.

He has some sample stories on his site.

Here is a video of his reading a section of his book which describes his process.




J. Michael Walker, All the saints of the city of the angels LA-IP 2008 from LA-IP on Vimeo.

I have never met Tuna but he is a friend of many Word Made Flesh staff who live in or have visited Calcutta. He loves to draw friends on napkins as they eat together. Here are some of the drawings he had done of Chris Heuertz over the years. As we look at more and more photographs I appreciate the vitality and the magic of drawing. In a few lines with a ball point pen on a napkin a human person appears. It is a record of an intimate dinner conversation. The pen is the sensitive instrument able to carry a pulse and the tender humanity of the person holding it.

Trumpeting Frog

Nina Sinca is back at our drop in center for the summer. She has one more year of art school left. This piece is trying to get at the power and nature of information.

'Nina in her studio'

Capcana Luminii 'Light Trap' Photography show 2008

Robin Fowler inspired me with her photos last year and gave me the idea that more people need to see her work. We found public space at the Cultural Centers Gallery and we invited our friend Dan Burlacu a local high school art teacher to present photos with us.

Take a look at Robins Work in our show we titled 'Light Trap'

Here are my (Joel's) contribution to 'Light Trap'.



The show opened with a short introduction by the new Art Guild director who is speaking in the picture. Then an art critic from the Modern Art Museum of Galati presented at length the exhibit as a whole and then took each artist in turn and discussed each.



The museum director spoke of a delight that the photos represented to him a return to nature and sensitive use and limitation of color and composition. I was proud to present Robin to the small crew gathered as a first time appearance in an official way in the art world in Galati. I am glad she was able to hear from the museum critic that her work is great.