What are the roles of beauty, art, & the craft of writing in reviving Catholic culture? More fundamentally: what is beauty? What is art? What is writing, & can everyone become a writer? Max Kelbly, Michael Merimee, & Mark Kostelac attempt to tackle these tough questions from many angles: from high theology to daily practice, from philosophy & the heights of the Beauty of the Sacred Liturgy to simple folk, “hobbit art.”

This lecture & discussion comes from the First Quarterly Small Conference put on by the Catholic Writers Guild of Akron. Special thanks to our speakers for volunteering their time & talent, & for St. Sebastian Parish for granting us the space to host the event. Below you can find the mission for the Catholic Writers Guild, as well as links for more information about the speakers & their work.

Mission of the Guild: “The mission of this group is to cultivate both a peaceful time & space where Catholics can come together in prayer, fellowship, discipline, & accountability to hone the craft of writing, regardless of experience or skill level in order to draw closer to the Triune God, to excel in the virtue of magninimity, & use this craft of writing for the betterment of ourselves & others in charity & for the flourishing of the Church in our time & ages to come.”

Michael Merimee’s Bonfire Media & publishing house: https://www.bonfiremedia.art/

“To Speak Is to See” on Amazon

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Business inquiries can be directed to: etymosmax@gmail.com

Find Max on Instagram: @TacoVsSushi

What does it mean to ‘live liturgically?’ Max attempts to answer this question among many others in this public talk given in September 2022. When observed closely, all people–religious & irreligious alike–act out liturgy, & often it is those who claim to have no religion at all that currently act out liturgically better than believers: zombie walks, incessant political protests, sports as the center focus of American life, parades, designating entire months to certain causes, & the ever-growing size & impact of music concerts as just a few examples. But the question is begged: how can Christians live liturgically in a post-Christianity society?

To understand this topic, Max challenges the listener to ‘reimagine time’ in the strange, but intuitive way the ancients & medievals saw the world. Importantly, it is uncovered that time is a force of change, & that our liturgical calendar is inseparable from the natural flow & cycles of the seasons, the heavens, the stars, the planets, & the sun. Finally, Max dialogues & brainstorms with the audience on what practical, concrete steps can be taken to live closer to nature & the Transcendent.

Other subjects covered include the sinister symbolism of the suburbs, the cosmic significance of the placement of feast days, man as microcosm, the 24-hour day as Christ’s Life, the disappearance of distance, re-enchanting the days of the week, Advent wreaths, sanctifying time with music, planting gardens, among many more.

Checkout Max’s new guidebook on language learning & travel made simple:

“To Speak Is to See” on Amazon

Support Etymos on Patreon for as little as $1 a month

How to contact us:

Questions can be directed to: etymosmax@gmail.com

Find Max on Instagram: @TacoVsSushi

Etymos Podcast EP07

In this three-part series, Max discusses the universal human need to “enter into the desert” both proverbially, literally, & symbolically. To enter into the desert or go on “poustinia” is to go on retreat from the routines of everyday life either abroad or in the confines of one’s room to reflect, pray, meditate, do penance, return to the simplistic of life, & commune with the Spiritual. The desert is a place of exile, of complete material deprivation, of thirst, of starvation, & wandering yet it has also been the place of great encounter & revelation for monks, pilgrims, & lay folk regardless of their faith or lack thereof.

In this episode, the focus is on the importance of patience & silence in your daily life, while also reflecting on his 2020 trip to Albania in order to “find himself.” Traveling can be massively spiritually beneficial, but far too often it is a form of escapism & can lead to confusion, despair, & disaster. Why do we travel? On top of discussing retreat, Max identifies the two types of travelers & how different they are in their temperaments yet how similar they are in their search for meaning & re-creation. These episodes are short yet jam-packed & timely, as the desert of Lent is on our doorstep. Enjoy.

Check out Max’s new guidebook on language learning & travel made simple:

“To Speak Is to See” on Amazon

Support Etymos on Patreon for as little as $1 a month

Other Cool Links:

Exodus90

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Sayings of Saint Abba John the Dwarf

Aristotle’s Politics, 340BC- “... must be either a beast or a god”

Basics of Symbolism & Language - EtymPod Episode 01

How to do digital detox? Cal Newport responds (video).

The Urgent Quest for Slower, Better News - Cal Newport

How to contact us:

Business inquiries can be directed to: etymosmax@gmail.com

Find Max on Instagram: @TacoVsSushi

Music:

Living Voyage by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3985-living-voyage

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license