art ~ spirit ~ transformation
e*lix*ir

e*lix*ir   #16
Twin Birthdays 2023
Features
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Editorial

The Art of a Loving Correspondence

The Writing Life

Trust in Poetry by Tami Haaland

Features

The Beautiful Foolishness of Things, A collaborative work by poet Sandra Lynn Hutchison, composer Margaret Henderson, and painter Inger Gregory
Writing Music for The Beautiful Foolishness of Things, by Margaret Henderson

Poetry

Heather Anne Hutchison
Victor Kulkosky
Linette Kuy

Essays

The Art of Losing by Victor Kulkosky
Yearning for Water: The Story of a Traveling Quilt by Bradford Miller

Personal Reflections on Bahá’í Texts

Fire and Paradise by James Andrews

Letters

Dreaming of a Better Iran: A Letter to Our Fellow Citizens by a Few Bahá’í Students

Translations

“I Want to Walk With You” translated by Bashir Sayyah

Comics

Ruhi & Riaz by Eira

Voices of Iran

Keeping the Eternal Garden by Maryam Afzal and Saam Mozafari
Mrs. Mansouri’s Mission
Nothing but the Sanctity of the Desert
Five Days

Interviews

Art and the Creative Process: An Interview with Hooper C. Dunbar by Nancy Lee Harper
An Interview with Erfan Hosseini, Santur Player by Mehrsa Mastoori

Arts

Paintings by Hooper C. Dunbar

State of the Art

Books for Children by Allison Grover Khoury

Looking Back on Books

Forty-eight Fragments by Imelda Maguire
The Divine Melody: Song of the Mystic Dove by Lorraine Hétu Manifold
Walking to Martha’s Vineyard by Franz Wright
Soul of the Maine House by Bradford Miller

Films

‘Abdu’l-Bahá in France by Perry Productions


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The Beautiful Foolishness of Things

A collaborative work by poet Sandra Lynn Hutchison, composer Margaret Henderson, and painter Inger Gregory



Sandra Lynn Hutchison

Bio:   Sandra Lynn Hutchison serves as editor-in-chief of e*lix*ir, which she founded in 2015 to showcase art that celebrates the power of spirit. She is the author of a memoir, Chinese Brushstrokes (Turnstone Press), numerous essays, as well as two books of poetry: The Art of Nesting (GR Books) and a forthcoming volume, The Beautiful Foolishness of Things, which was a finalist for the Poet’s Corner Chapbook Contest in 2022. Hutchison holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Toronto and has been the recipient of various academic and literary awards, including the Emily Dickinson Poetry Prize from Universities West Press. She lives in Orono, Maine, where she teaches scriptural exegesis and mentors writers in the courses in creative writing she teaches through the Wilmette Institute in Chicago. She also serves as faculty for the BIHE (Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education).




Margaret Henderson
Bio:   After years of studying, performing, and teaching music, I have taken, in retirement, the opportunity to explore the joy of its creation. Having played classical and jazz piano, orchestral French horn and percussion, and having also performed jazz, blues, choral and world music, I have found many fresh vistas for exploration and improvisation. I believe that music has a unique ability to communicate deeply-held beliefs and emotional truths — the “things that are not seen.” By expressing this interior landscape through sound, my goal is to touch others deeply and encourage them to grow in a positive direction, beyond the level of conscious understanding. In this way, I strive to make a difference in the world, using the blessings I have received from the experiences of a lifetime.




Inger Gregory
Bio:   Inger Gregory is a former Art Educator, now retired and enjoying creating artwork from her home studio in North Hampton, New Hampshire. She has always considered herself an advocate of the arts and has served on the boards of various art associations. Currently, she serves on the board of an organization called Artists Building Capacity as World Citizens. Using the medium of alcohol inks, much of her current work is inspired by the beautiful spiritual metaphors found in the Bahá’í Writings. In her work, she has evolved over the years from realism to more abstract modes of expression. Her work with alcohol inks expresses a sense of awe at the mystery and beauty of all that surrounds us in this life. She believes that the fostering of creativity should be an integral part of education and that the arts are one of the best means to deepen understanding of diverse cultures and build empathy and respect for all people.