Forefront 360

Interview: Gregory Wolfe

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Gregory Wolfe. 

Gregory Wolfe is a writer, editor, publisher, and teacher. He has been a pioneer in the resurgence of interest in the relationship between art and religion. He is the founder & editor of Slant Books, which is an independent, not-for-profit literary press. In 1989, Wolfe founded Image, which Annie Dillard has called “one of the best journals on the planet.” Now one of America’s top literary quarterlies, Image is a unique forum for the best writing and artwork that is informed by—or grapples with—religious faith. 

Interview: Gage Forster

Heather and Rich talk to Gage Forster, a photographer living in Southern California with a unique penchant for travel. Gage takes us through the unique joys & challenges of being a freelancer who is focused on building relationships with people rather than simply gaining industry clout.

Discussion: The Rings of Power

Rich, Nate and Megan discuss the new series from Amazon Prime Video, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. This is a long episode—but so are the best adventures. It is divided up into three "rings," so you can listen to different parts depending on how many spoilers you want.

• 00:02:44 Ring 1: General Reactions (Spoiler-Free)
• 00:38:41 Ring 2: Specific Reactions (Spoilers for Season 1)
  • 00:43:21 The Harfoots & the Stranger
  • 00:49:28 Galadriel, Halbrand and Numenor
  • 01:20:43 The Southlands
  • 01:28:37 Elves and Dwarves
  • 01:37:07 Favorite Characters
  • 01:40:22 Favorite Scenes
• 01:51:02 Ring 3: Speculation on the Future of the Series
  • 01:57:35 Closing Thoughts

Discussion: Spirited Away

Rich and Zack discuss Hayao Miyazaki's 2001 film, Spirited Away, including its depictions of beauty and its resonant themes.

 

Film synopsis: During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.

Interview: photographer Caroline Jensen

Forefront podcast host Heather Morgigno talks to photographer Caroline Jensen.

Caroline is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and a creative artist. While she adores making all sorts of photographic art, her biggest passion is guiding other people to success, whatever that may be. 

Caroline's images strive to always take one step out of reality, be that digital painting, moving photos (cinemagraphs, time-lapse, or stop-motion), or creative editing. Photography can be therapeutic in many ways, and making the connection between this art form and stress relief is a huge part of her work.

To learn more from Caroline, check out the Creative Photography Network!

Interview: Andrew Nemr on Spiritual Formation for Artists

Nate and Zack talk to tap dance artist & TED fellow Andrew Nemr about his all-new virtual course developed in partnership with Forefront, Spiritual Formation for Artists.

As artists, we are always in the act of formation: crafting sentences, mixing colors, shaping sounds, cultivating audiences. But as we practice our disciplines, how are we being formed? Taught by Andrew Nemr, an internationally renowned tap dance artist & TED fellow, this course will consider the link between our art practices and who we are becoming as we create. Sessions will include discussion on spiritual formation and disciplines, artistic practices in both personal and professional spheres, and draw from authors such as Dallas Willard and Makoto Fujimura. It is our hope that in considering how we are formed by our art making, we will be formed into the likeness of our loving Creator.

Learn more at ForefrontFestival.com and register starting August 30.

Breakout: Josh Tiessen on Becoming a Professional Artist

We're excited to share this breakout session led by Josh Tiessen, recorded at Forefront Festival '22: Making New. It's called Becoming a Professional Artist while Keeping Your Faith (and Sanity!). Renowned painter Josh Tiessen shares the practical side of making an art career, from a Christian perspective. How do we regularly produce quality work? How do we network or market ourselves to have our work seen and appreciated by others? Josh does Q&A afterward and provides encouragement to aspiring artists.

Discussion: Stranger Things

Forefront podcasters Rich, Cody, and Heather, plus returning guest Dan Becker, discuss all things Stranger Things. Note: the first 20 minutes are spoiler-free, but spoilers abound after that.

• 02:19 - When Did You Start Watching Stranger Things?
• 05:59 - What Made Stranger Things Successful?
• 20:08 - Spoilers Begin / What Did You Think of Season 4?
• 28:14 - Should Everyone Watch Stranger Things?
• 34:56 - Biblical Themes in Stranger Things
• 01:02:09 - Favorite Character / Which Song Would You Play?

Interview: poet Sarah Collins

Cody and Nate interview poet Sarah Collins about her new book, Recovery from Unusual Attitudes.

Sarah Collins is a copywriter, poet, and emerging author. Sarah's writing style is fluid, flexing between different writer identities. And her work explores a variety of themes — faith, identity, emotions, nature, the mundane, the extraordinary. Her parents are from Jamaica, so she's proud of being a second-generation American. Her culture informs everything she does, from her creative expression to how she cleans the kitchen or folds fitted sheets. She lives in the Greater Rochester Area with her husband Ed and their sassy house rabbits, Buddy and Birdie.

Breakout: Timothy Leaven on Songwriting & Revision

We're excited to share this breakout session led by Timothy Leaven, recorded at Forefront Festival '22: Making New. It's called Songwriting: Befriending Revision and Re-Writing Your Way to Better Lyrics. “Most strong songs are not written. They are re-written.” How does one press into the songwriting process after the initial spark has faded? How does one know when lyrics are developed enough? What tools are worth having in one’s back pocket while revising? Timothy Leaven will share from his ten years as a songwriter and re-writer, with Q&A afterward.