Tag: art
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Creative Breaks: A Summer in Photos
Though I wrote a lot this summer, I also needed time to reflect on that writing and to not even think about that writing. I’m sure many parts of life – creative and otherwise – are like that. It helps to take breaks. This summer, two of my best “break” activities were morning bike rides…
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On Memories and Acts of Care
“It’s the memories of care that strike me in a different, deeper place.” – from “On Memories and Acts of Care” I’m pleased to share “On Memories and Acts of Care,” which was awarded the 2025 Award of Merit (Best in Book) prize in The Polk Street Review 2025. Watch the Youtube reading below or keep…
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On Ecclesiastes and Women
I’m trying to imagine myself among those gathered to hear Qohelet speak. (Qohelet, Koheleth, the Preacher, the Teacher – different translations of the Bible refer to the author of Ecclesiastes in different ways.) Would there be any other women there, and would we even have opportunity to experiment in the ways Qohelet says he experimented,…
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On Ecclesiastes and Hope … or Not
Does a story (or any other creative work, for that matter) need to evoke hope if it’s to be life-giving? Or liberating? Or beautiful, true, or otherwise “good”? I’ve been pondering this since a conversation with colleagues a while back. As I’ve mentioned, I’m in the middle of something called the Religion, Spirituality, and the Arts Seminar (RSA),…
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On Ecclesiastes and Pushing Back
What if I told you that all your efforts amounted to no more than a mere breath? And not even to a deep and life-giving breath, but only the weak vapor of an exhale? Hevel – breath. It’s the Hebrew word the King James Bible translates as “vanity.” More recently, Robert Alter has translated it as “mere breath,” like…
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On the Valuable Use of Time
I’ve been feeling the need to explain myself lately. Aware that I’ve put inordinate amounts of time into a hobby that I do (admittedly) love, I’ve felt the urge to defend myself (even if only to myself) about what I’ve been doing. What have I been doing? I’ve been writing a novel. In the dark…
About the author
Callie J. Smith writes about women who, like her, are finding themselves. Her stories and essays explore everyday things like hope, creativity, and grief.
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Callie J. Smith 