We’re nearing the end, dear listeners.
In the first episode of our final series of the season, we dive into the physical reality of the Catholic Ghettos, the good, the very not good, and strangely beautiful. But I’ve never felt I could tell this story effectively on my own. To capture an entire history of the Ghetto’s in 25 minutes seemed too daunting (and impossible!), so I decided for this series that in order to best understand the Catholic subculture, we needed a guide.
I have for some time believed in the power of the arts to unveil the hidden stories of history, best and the worst. Artists have a unique way of unraveling everything on the surface to see all that which is beneath: the beauty and the heartbreak.
For this four-part series on the Catholic subculture, we will be using various artistic mediums as our guide. Arts, film, literature, and music all play important roles in the culture, and we are not afraid to use them to tell a much larger story.
For today’s story, we’re diving into one of my favorite pieces of American fiction: “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.” Using the story and the expertise of academics across the country, we’ll be uncovering the hidden beauty of the Ghettos beneath the immense suffering, and how these very Ghettos will establish the foundational structures for Catholics to flourish in American society.
Music for today’s episode:
Willow
Words and music by Sister Sinjin.
© 2018 Sister Sinjin. As recorded on Daughter of Jerusalem All rights reserved. Used by permission. https://sistersinjin.bandcamp.com/album/daughter-of-jerusalem
(oh my goodness, this song is just.so.good).
Exceeding
Words and music by Shaun Garrison.
© 2015 Shaun Garrison. As recorded on Exceeding All rights reserved. Used by permission.
God bless you!
Jules