Mary Ann B. Miller, a distinguished professor of English at Caldwell University, will captivate audiences with “Blessed Fra Angelico: Celebrating Beauty in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition” at Mount Saint Mary College on Tuesday, February 20, at 4 p.m.
This event, an engaging examination of poetry, will be held in the Dominican Center on the Mount’s campus, located at 330 Powell Ave., Newburgh.
During this talk, Miller will read and examine a selection of poems from the first seven issues of Presence: A Journal of Catholic Poetry through the lens of a sacramental view of art. The poems explore the intersection of matter and spirit, depict the struggle between belief and doubt, question the faith, take joy in it, and even find humor in it.
The event is sponsored by Mount’s Catholic and Dominican Institute (CDI), which is directed by Charles Zola, Assistant to the President for Mission Integration, Director of the Catholic and Dominican Institute, and Associate Professor of Philosophy. The CDI not only upholds the Dominican heritage at the Mount, but also fosters dialogue between Catholic and Jewish communities and embodies the study and service charism of the Dominicans, providing a forum for discussing current ethical issues.
A Ph.D. holder from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., Miller is well known for editing St. Peter's B-list Contemporary Poem Inspired by the Saints. In the fall of 2019, America magazine’s The Catholic Book Club recognized this compilation, which includes more than 100 poems by 70 American poets.
Miller has achieved editorial success in addition to her role as guest editor for the women’s literary journal Adanna’s “women and spirituality” issue. With a strong editing background, she was appointed founding editor of Presence: A Journal of Catholic Poetry, where she is currently working on the journal’s eighth issue.