In need of a ‘Just Memory’ in Vietnam
Opinion article for The Mennonite online, August 12, 2019
“When it comes to Vietnam, what is it we have forgotten in the 50-plus years since the war ended? Whether we were for or against the war, are we remembering those who continue to be affected by our government’s actions half a century ago?”
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Running to the Fire: An American Missionary Comes of Age in Revolutionary Ethiopia
Article for Collegeville Institute, September 10, 2015
“People often read memoirs to find pieces of their own story. In my increasingly introspective and reflective mid 30’s, I find the genre fits my state of mind. But it’s uncommon for me to find a memoir that contains as much overlap with my own life as I found in Running to the Fire: An American Missionary Comes of Age in Revolutionary Ethiopia, by Tim Bascom.”
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Peacemaker Priest Still Missing in Syria
Article for Collegeville Institute, December 12, 2013
“On July 28, 2013, Jesuit priest Paolo Dall’Oglio went missing in the Syrian city of Raqaa. He had returned to Syria from forced exile to negotiate a truce between local Kurds and an Islamic militant group. ”
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Collegeville Institute
Interviews written for the Collegeville Institute, 2013–2016
Selected interviews:
- The Living Tradition of Icon Painting: An Interview with Philip Davydov
- The Art of The Saint John’s Bible: An Interview with Susan Sink, Part One and Part Two
- Letters of Love: An Interview with Calligrapher Wissam Shawkat
Engaging Arabic Typography
Article for Silk Road Studio, February 29, 2012
“It is challenging to find Arabic typefaces that are well-crafted and do justice to the beauty of the Arabic script. Most of the Arabic typefaces which a designer in the West has access to by default are only decent at best.”
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CalligraphyQalam.com
Website text, written as part of my MFA thesis at the University of Baltimore, May 2009
“As you’ve likely noticed, works of calligraphy in Arabic, Turkish or Persian can look very different from each other. The different styles of writing used in calligraphy are called scripts. Each script has distinct visual characteristics and follows specific rules. Once you begin to recognize these characteristics, you will be able to tell the scripts apart from each other.”
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Damascus Mosaic
Blog written during my year living in Syria, 2005–2006
“This last entry about Aleppo will feature its ancient citadel. Supposedly unconquered (although it has been surrendered), this formidable landmark served as a power base for the Muslims during the time of the Crusades. It was originally built between 364–333 BC, but what remains today was built more recently (between the 12th and 16th centuries AD).”
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