We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
FOCUS: review
ORGAN OF THE CATHOLIC FILM INSTITUTE
Vol. IV
JULY 1951
No. 7
WORDS OF WISDOM
“I have very little idea of what is going on in the world: but occasionally I happen to see some of the things they are drawing and writing there and it gives me the conviction that they are all living in ash-cans. It makes me glad I cannot hear what they are singing.
"If a writer is so cautious that he never writes anything that cannot be criticised, he will never write anything that can be read. If you want to help other people you have got to make up your mind to write things that some men will condemn.
“The poet enters into himself in order to create. The contemplative enters into God in order to be created.
“A Catholic poet should be an apostle by being first of all a poet, not try to be a poet by being first of all an Apostle. For if he presents himself to people as a poet, he is going to be judged as a poet, and if he is not a good one his apostolate will be ridiculed.
“If you write for God you will reach many men and bring them joy.
“If you write for men — you may make some money and you may give a little joy and you may make a noise in the world, for a little while.
“If you write for yourself you can read what you yourself have written and after ten minutes you will be so disgusted you will wish you were dead.”
I have quoted these words from Thomas Merton’s book “Seeds of Contemplation” because there is a close affinity between the poet and the film-artist. What a poet does with words a film-artist does with pictures.
Thomas Merton was an American newspaper man, literary critic (I think, film-critic also), essayist, poet, who in recent times became a Trappist monk. His words of wisdom are worthy of attention.
Editor.