Dappled Things

Dappled Things is that rarest of finds in the literary world: a magazine actively, and successfully, publishing works arising from the Catholic tradition. Certainly the interviews and profiles on this site should sway people who think Catholic-informed writing is absent from the general magazine and book culture, but Dappled Things is to be lauded for being open and consistent in its presentation of content informed by the faith.

My own poetry has appeared in Dappled Things: "Confessions" and "St. Luke's Church". I don't often write work that is explicitly Catholic (not that DT publishes devotional works), but it is nice to know that a market has existed and sustained with such a mission. I'm thankful that those poems appeared in such nice company.

The fifth anniversary edition is now available on their beautifully redesigned website. A healthy offering appears online, but you should purchase the issue. The editor, Katy Carl, notes that the issue contains "selections from among the Dappled Things editorial board’s favorite pieces published in our pre-print days."

The new site includes brief updates, as well as new material and reprints. One piece of particular interest is "Celibacy and the Eucharist" by Rev. Pang Joseph Shiu Tcheou. I've noticed the work of other priests appear in these pages (I'm actually surprised we don't see more such work in other journals. Mark Bosco, SJ, who I am currently interviewing for The Fine Delight, is a priest whose critical writing appeared in The Southern Review). Here Tcheou offers a condensed history of priestly celibacy, arguing that "clerical continence" was a practice that, though different than modern and contemporary celibacy, formed a reasonable ancestor. That Dappled Things will publishes such pieces speaks to the magazine's willingness to document the thought and experiences of the Catholic clergy--voices worth hearing.

Tomorrow: an interview with Bernardo Aparicio, President of Dappled Things.