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Jean Sulivan Discussion

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New Article from Joseph Cunneen

Joe Cunneen sent me this great
article, recently published in the American Catholic, in honor of
the 25th anniversary of Sulvan's death.

last changed: Sat Feb 25 14:08 2006
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worldawaits

the sulivan site begins. the mission as i recall--- 


to further the appreciation of the life and work of jean sulivan,
particularly in the english-speaking world. 


...or at least a place called america.

last changed: Fri Mar 19 10:24 2004
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sulivan sounds

sulivan's words set to music.


the intro to the cd reads as follows,



Jean Sulivan(1913-1980) is a highly idiosyncratic writer who has
never held center stage in the world of literature.


Sulivan fled the illusions of the media circus, criticizing its
perverse effects long ago, and won over an almost underground
following of fervent readers stirred by his vibrant calls for a
jubilant spiritual insurrection.


Reading Sulivan's writing aloud in a clear,distinct voice does
justice to his packed, rhythmical language, revealing its power and
unexpected harmonies, while setting his words to music underscores
the sweeping melodic lines of his style.

last changed: Fri Mar 19 10:22 2004
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abrupt ends and brief spaces

if sulivan would have been american, i presume he'd be a southerner.
a bluesman, of sorts.


he visited america once, i think. but like his trip to india,
however, it seemed to have had an abrupt end. it seemed also to have
only been for a brief space of time. i may be wrong. 


abrupt ends and brief spaces. like his words and sentences. like the
life lived.i don't know sulivan's words well. i won't ever presume
to. but i know his words hurt and i know his words heal.


as i left the parking lot of work today, i lit a cigarrette and i
listened to townes van zandt. the song reminded me of the same kind
of abrupt ends and brief spaces sulivan wrote of so well.


We all got holes to fill
Them holes are all that's real
Some fall on you like a storm
Sometimes you dig your own


But choice is yours to make
And time is yours to take
Some dive into the sea
Some toil upon the stone


To live is to fly
both low and high,


So shake the dust off of your wings
And the sleep out of your eyes
So shake the dust off of your wings
And the tears out of your eyes

last changed: Fri Mar 19 10:13 2004
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ambiva-ambulance

i was facing the sea, sitting on the little balcony at the hotel, the
casa maga, next door to a hundred little balconies just like mine. i
was reading 'anticipate every goodbye' and anticipating the taxi ride
to the airport in an hour. the wind whipped up the surf to a
whitewash that day. so unlike the two previous days, which had been
relatively calm. the late afternoon sun gone down behind the hotel at
my back, casting shadow on the white sand below my balcony. the
daytime sunbathers had fled to wash the sand and sun lotion off
before supper, leaving the beach empty save for the daily volleyball
match between the hotel employees just off-duty.

i was reading. my very pregnant wife was sleeping in the chair next
to mine. i was ruminating on poverty in these third world vacation
hotspots, middle-class american gringos like me jacking the local
economy with our midwinter hassle-free vacations (yeah, but it's a
finite universe, and that hassle has to go somewhere else if i'm not
dealing with it at the moment...what poor soul got the hassle i
normally contend with...). my sunburn was giving me at least a little
hassle, anyway.

and sulivan, like a balm. he never eases my conscience. he just
reminds me that i have one, that i can trust it, and that my hungry
spirit is just as poor as everyone else's around here.

last changed: Thu Mar 11 21:35 2004
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