Papers by Stephen Mirarchi
This essay examines how scholars have interpreted Poe's Lyceum appearance and proposes that Poe's... more This essay examines how scholars have interpreted Poe's Lyceum appearance and proposes that Poe's objections were at least partly based on philosophical principles, a view that Simms shared. Further, this essay looks for the first time at how Simms approached several aspects of Roman Catholicism and argues for his sympathetic, intellectual response.
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Recent scholarly attempts to place Edgar Allan Poe in the nineteenth-century American mainstream ... more Recent scholarly attempts to place Edgar Allan Poe in the nineteenth-century American mainstream have resulted in a renewed discussion of the religious in his works. While a recent article depicts Poe's aesthetics as moderately Anglican, this study shows how Poe used Catholic eschatology, the study of the four last things; Mariology, teachings on the Virgin Mary; and liturgy, the rite of the Roman Catholic Mass and its extended prayers, in precise ways. While “Morella” and “The Raven” exhibit Poe's reliance on Catholic elements to show the horror of inverting them, “Hymn” expresses the speaker's hope that anyone could be brought by Mary to God. These conspicuous elements confirm Poe's interest in Catholicism and call for a fresh valuation of Catholic aesthetics in his works.
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One of America’s foremost poet-critics, Robert Pinsky has written two relatively unexamined poems... more One of America’s foremost poet-critics, Robert Pinsky has written two relatively unexamined poems about Jesus: “Icicles” and “From the Childhood of Jesus.” These works present three distinct senses of the paradox of the powerlessness of the Nativity through the unruly and destructive actions of an unnamed youth and the child Jesus, respectively. I compare the second poem in detail to the apocryphal Infancy Gospel of Thomas to show Pinsky’s transformation of it. In rejecting both a reductionistic God and a boy Jesus who imposes divine will violently, the two poems point via negativa to the paradox of powerlessness affirmed by historical Christianity.
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Religion and the Arts 2:3 (1998): 299-310.
Between the published versions of one of Carver's most famous stories, the author made significan... more Between the published versions of one of Carver's most famous stories, the author made significant revisions that emphasize obedience and authority as conditions of faith.
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Religion and the Arts 2:2 (1998): 279-298.
I edited this variorum edition of Carver's story, which delineates over two hundred differences b... more I edited this variorum edition of Carver's story, which delineates over two hundred differences between the Atlantic Monthly 1981 edition and the Vintage 1984 edition.
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In her Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Wild Iris, Louise Glück allows her speaker to work through... more In her Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Wild Iris, Louise Glück allows her speaker to work through various problems of unbelief in order to arrive at a position of mature faith: one who continuously seeks understanding. That Glück, for the record a non-believer, intuits this deep understanding of faith speaks to the book’s prominent but as yet unrecognized place in the literature of natural theology.
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The Red Badge of Courage: Ignatius Critical Editions (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012): 243-59.
I contributed this essay to Ignatius's Critical Edition of the novel. While I acknowledge that Cr... more I contributed this essay to Ignatius's Critical Edition of the novel. While I acknowledge that Crane's self-described "pot-boiler" revels in irony and satire, I argue that grace endures, even to the author's surprise. Crane, who had significant training in Christianity and even attended seminary for while, shows a keen awareness of spiritual warfare and uses Bible verses liberally throughout the novel.
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In the major scenes of spiritual warfare in The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien shows an understanding... more In the major scenes of spiritual warfare in The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien shows an understanding of the material infused with the spiritual guided to respond to the multi-dimensional axes of personal intellects and wills. Yet Tolkien always allows room for uncertainty; he leaves the act of assent to his readers.
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Homiletic and Pastoral Review, May 12, 2015
In his eight-book _Odd Thomas_ series, Koontz avoids a too-explicit "parable tale" style of Catho... more In his eight-book _Odd Thomas_ series, Koontz avoids a too-explicit "parable tale" style of Catholic narration, just as he avoids the contemporary trend to present religion obscurely. I argue that he presents Catholic teaching in the series "hidden in plain view."
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St. Austin Review 14:6 (Nov/Dec 2014): 25-29.
Gordon Lish's existential editing of Carver's "The Bath" stands in stark contrast to the redempti... more Gordon Lish's existential editing of Carver's "The Bath" stands in stark contrast to the redemptive collected story "A Small, Good Thing." I examine the virtues Carver emphasizes through his revisions, arguing that humility and obedience are prerequisites for communion.
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Seminary Journal 13:1 (Spring 2007): 104-107.
This short article looks at the challenges facing social media when it began to pick up steam in ... more This short article looks at the challenges facing social media when it began to pick up steam in the late 2000s. I argue that a recovery of the new humanity espoused by John Paul II is an effective means of beginning to address these challenges. The article draws on several Vatican II documents to make its case. NB: the journal mistakenly attributed co-authorship to Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, who merely submitted it; he will happily verify that I was the sole author.
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Annotated Editions by Stephen Mirarchi
This edition is the first scholarly treatment of Connolly's 1950 novel of the humor of trying to ... more This edition is the first scholarly treatment of Connolly's 1950 novel of the humor of trying to live the Gospel seriously. I wrote a 4,000-word introduction and about 20 pages of notes, with references for those who wish to research further.
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The first reissue in 50 years, and the first to feature annotations and a scholarly introduction,... more The first reissue in 50 years, and the first to feature annotations and a scholarly introduction, this edition of _Dan England and the Noonday Devil_ shows why author Myles Connolly, who wrote the bestselling _Mr. Blue_, considered _Dan England_ his best work. The many allusions to Chesterton and Aquinas--as well as the historical events, theological concepts, and inter-textual allusions referenced in the text--are explained in the notes.
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This is the first annotated edition of the best-selling novel Mr. Blue, first published by Myles ... more This is the first annotated edition of the best-selling novel Mr. Blue, first published by Myles Connolly in 1928. It features a new introduction that places the book in critical context and explains its literary structure, and the 200+ annotations explain the historical, theological, regional, and Scriptural allusions in the text. Connolly himself saw his novel, at least in part, as a G. K. Chesterton-inspired response to Fitzgerald's Gatsby.
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This reprint of Francois Mauriac's novel Vipers' Tangle includes a new introduction and annotatio... more This reprint of Francois Mauriac's novel Vipers' Tangle includes a new introduction and annotations by Timothy P. O'Malley of Notre Dame, and a new preface by Stephen Mirarchi of Benedictine College.
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Book Reviews by Stephen Mirarchi
In the third novel of the popular Jane Hawk series, Dean Koontz has taken up more explicitly the ... more In the third novel of the popular Jane Hawk series, Dean Koontz has taken up more explicitly the role of the artist-evangelist.
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St. Austin Review, 2018
More than an encomium, Philip Kolin's new book of poetry _Benedict's Daughter_ pays tribute to th... more More than an encomium, Philip Kolin's new book of poetry _Benedict's Daughter_ pays tribute to the rich Benedictine tradition of prayer and work. Kolin's deft poetical technique and illuminating insights provide an all too rare combination of intellectual art and devotion.
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Raymond Arroyo's latest adventure novel for the middle-grade set is a winner: he has the literary... more Raymond Arroyo's latest adventure novel for the middle-grade set is a winner: he has the literary skill of a suspense writer and satirical wit to match.
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St. Austin Review 17:2 (March/April 2017): 36-7.
David Craig and Kathleen Hart are two contemporary poets who embody the revival of Walker Percy's... more David Craig and Kathleen Hart are two contemporary poets who embody the revival of Walker Percy's injunction to "love in the ruins."
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This collection of nominally Catholic-influenced poetry suffers from a glorification of the abject.
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Papers by Stephen Mirarchi
Annotated Editions by Stephen Mirarchi
Book Reviews by Stephen Mirarchi
command of liturgy, prayer, philosophy, sacraments, salvation history and even cosmology."