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PAGE 6—October 2,1975 “PAUCITY OF AUTHORS” - John J. Delaney, editorial director of Doubleday and Co.’s Catholic department, said in an article in National Catholic Reporter that while religious publishing is “booming,” Catholic book sales are “pallid” by comparison because of an “appalling paucity of publishable Catholic authors.” (NC Photo by Sam Ross) CATHOLIC BOOKS ‘PLODDING’ Religious Books Booming KANSAS CITY, Mo. (NC) - Religious publishing is “booming,” but “the sales pattern of Catholic books is a pallid imitation of the rip-roaring success of tfieir Protestant counterparts,” according to the editorial director of Doubleday and Co.’s Catholic department. The principal reason why Catholic books “continue plodding along,” said Doubleday’s John J. Delaney, is that “there is an appalling paucity of publishable Catholic authors.” In an article in the National Catholic Reporter, an independent Catholic weekly published here, Delaney, who has been in the publishing business for more than 30 years, said: “Just as happened with the Protestant publishing scene of the past two or three years, the market for Catholic books has revived. But unfortunately, unlike our Protestant colleagues, we do not have enough competent Catholic authors to provide books for this market.” Among the reasons Delaney gave foi the lack of Catholic authors were: - The period since the Second Vatican Council “has seen change, uncertainty, questioning, groping, renewal, renovation, revolution, if you like, unlike anything the Church has experienced in centuries” and many men and women who might have been writing “have been too involved in the processes of renewal and reform to have time to write.” - This period “has witnessed an exodus of 'men and women from the Church and from their accustomed state who normally might be expected to produce books.” Many earlier best-selling Catholic titles were written by priests and nuns, Delaney said. “But in a period when many Religious had renounced their roles as priests and nuns and many of those who remained were redefining their roles in religion, little time or energy was left for that most demanding of man’s endeavors - writing.” - The “disappearance of many of the old-line Catholic publishers,” such as Bruce, P.J. Kenedy, Benziger Brothers, Herder and Herder and Helicon. “No longer were the editors of these publishers out in the field coaxing, cajoling, giving out with ideas - doing the myriad things a good editor does to get books into existence,” Delaney said. The drop in the number of publishing jfirms also meant that “potential authors were seriously limited in finding publishers for their work,” he added. - Many magazines that “had published original Catholic writing went out of business” and others cut down the amount of material they would accept for publication. “With this curtailment of sources offering publication, one more disheartening obstacle was added to an already formidable list facing one aspiring to a career of writing in the Catholic field.” -- “Increasingly, the allurement of general publishing, especially to lay authors, was brighter than religious publishing. For many years, the financial return in the religious field, and particularly in the Catholic field, generally speaking, was meager compared to the financial return from general publishing.” -- Priests and nuns provided a main source of readership for Catholic books. “When they became involved as they did in renewal and reform efforts, they spent less time reading,” Delaney said, adding that nuns spent money on “clothes, hairdos and the more materia things of life” that had formerly been spent on books. - Authors have sought to write for a broader Christian market rather than for the strictly Catholic market and the consequence has been “a loss of authors who are capable and competent in the Catholic field.” « To secure federal or state funds, many Catholic colleges have declared themselves secular colleges. “When the educational milieu changes from religious to secular, one of the consequences may be a loss of authors for Catholic publishing.’.’ “So now,” Delaney said, “those of us who are left involved in Catholic publishing are faced with the curious situation of a real revival of interest in Catholic books when very few publishable authors exist to meet that demand.” He pointed out that many widely recognized and read Catholic authors are middle-aged or elderly, and added, “we need new, young, publishable authors to replace them as the years take their inevitable toll.” Delaney is to receive the 1975 Thomas More medal of the Thomas More Association, a Chicago-based literary organization, for “five decades of distinguished contribution to Catholic literature.” REVIEWED BY JOSEPH A. BREIG (NC News Service) DICTIONARY OF FOREIGN TERMS, revised and updated by Charles Berlitz. Crowell Co. New York. 368 pp. $9.95. Often, in reading, we come across italicized phrases, words or expressions in a language we do not know. As a consequence, we miss something of the meaning of a passage -- perhaps all of the meaning. This volume by Charles Berlitz, famed linguist (not connected in any way with the Berlitz schools of languages), is the remedy. It provides, alphabetically, definitions of more than 15,000 words and phrases from all major foreign languages, even ancient Greek and Aramaic. Included are proverbs and popular sayings, mottoes, abbreviations, and expressions used in travel, dining and writing letters. A valuable addition to any book shelf or library. THE LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD, by Kenneth Katzner. Funk and Wagnalls. New York, 374 pp. $11.95. Ever see a game of jai alai? Ever wonder whence came the name? It comes from Basque, a tongue spoken by 700,000 persons in Spain and France. It stands alone; scholars have never proved any connection between Basque and any other language. And jai means “festival;” alai means “joyous.” That’s one of the countless fascinating things about languages which are compressed into this highly useful book, which capsules information about the hundreds of tongues spoken by mankind. FIRST NUN PROFESSED IN U.S. Liberty And Justice For All: American Catholics 1776-1976 BY ROSE MARTIN (NC News Service) Freedom to embrace a Religious vocation was one of the liberties won by American Catholics through the War of Independence. On the veiling day of the first nun to be professed in the original United States, a Jesuit priest, Father Charles Neale, declared that it was “by the happy Revolution of the Government in America” that God “has drawn us out of our bondage and restored us to our just rights.” The symbol of the liberty hailed by Father Neale was Elizabeth Carberry, 47, who on May 1, 1792, became a Discalced Carmelite nun, Sister Teresa of the Heart of Mary. In the United States at that time there were 25,000 Roman Catholics, two-thirds of them in Maryland. Many traced their ancestry to Catholics who had come to the New World in 1634 under protection of the first Lord Baltimore. Before the Revolution Catholics and Jews were barred from public office in the colony, and the rites oi the Roman Church were prohibited. Year after year the Mass was celebrated in private homes behind drawn curtains by a handful of Jesuit missionaries, disguised as country gentlemen, who carried the Host in their, saddlebags. Harassed and hunted by the colonial authorities, fined and even jailed at times, they kept the faith alive in cooperation with the people they served. In the midst of such troubles, Elizabeth Carberry decided at the age of 20 that she wished above all things to become a nun. Pretty, popular and courted, she had already refused several offers of marriage. She was born into a large and devout Catholic family and was apparently the favorite child of John Baptist Carberry II, a prosperous farmer in St. Mary’s County. Since there was no convent in the colonies, she begged her father to send her to Belgium where other Maryland girls had gone to be professed - and had never returned. John Carberry, however, would not hear of it. So there was nothing for Elizabeth to do but wait and hope to take her vows some day in her native land. Her wait lasted 27 years. Records at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., reveal that at least three of Elizabeth Carberry’s brothers - Henry, Joseph and Peter - served as soldiers in the Revolutionary War. One of them, Captain Henry Carberry, was mentioned in George Washington’s letters. With her father deceased and her brothers away at war, Elizabeth Carberry stayed home and helped manage the family farm. The experience of running a Maryland plantation would prove useful in later years, after she had entered a convent attempting to subsist on its own farm products. When peace came and with it a Constitution assuring religious freedom, Catholics of southern Maryland werd prompt to claim their reward. Repeatedly “several in Charles County” petitioned the bishop of Antwerp, Belgium, to send nuns to establish a convent in the United States. After more than six years those efforts were successful, and in April, 1970, four Discalced Carmelite nuns left Hoogstraeten, Belgium, for Maryland. Three of them were Maryland-born: their superior, Mother Bemardina who had been Anne Matthews, and her two nieces, Sisters Mary Aloysia and Mary Eleanora Matthews. The fourth was an English nun, Sister Clare Joseph Dickenson, from a neighboring convent in Antwerp. Escorting them were Father Neale, who was Mother Bemardina’s nephew, and Father Robert Plunkett, soon to be the first president of Georgetown University. Because of an edict of Napoleon banning religious dress in public in Belgium, the four nuns were obliged to travel in secular dress. Carrying luggage which included a host-baker and chapel fittings and wearing fashionable clothing contributed by well-wishers, the four women boarded a small vessel at Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Early in July they debarked at Port Tobacco in Charles County, where they were guests for a time at the Neale family residence. Elizabeth Carberry was among the first to welcome them. Acreage for a monastery was soon found on a secluded green hillside near Port Tobacco. Father Neale donated his entire patrimony to buy it. Several tiny clapboard buildings adjourning a small chapel were hastily erected, and the convent was dedicated Oct. 15, 1790, the feast day of St. Teresa of Avila, foundress of the Carmelites. One week later the convent’s first postulant arrived. She was, of course, Elizabeth Carberry, bringing with her a bedstead, farm implements, kitchen utensils, and for a dowry 150 British pounds left to her by her father. Eighteen months later, she became the first nun to be professed in the convent and the nation. As Sister Teresa of the Heart of Mary, she stayed at Mt. Carmel in Maryland the rest of her life. She died in her sleep Jan. 18,1814, at the age of 69. Concerning her, the original handwritten Book of Professions and Deaths of the Discalced Carmelites states: “She was our first Religious in this country and was remarkable for her gratitude to God and to us for entering religion.” By 1831 the nuns were obliged for economic reasons to leave Port Tobacco. The little convent buildings fell into ruins and were almost forgotten. In our own time, however, there has been a serious movement to restore them.' The site has been declared a National Shrine, and although it has been only partially restored to date, it has become a place of pilgrimage. (Rose Martin is an author and historian. She has compiled the life of Elizabeth Carberry from a family Bible, government records, and other original sources. I. STORY OF PRIEST -- Richard Angarolo plays a bishop who helps Father William Wasson, an American-born priest, in his founding of Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters), a home for orphaned Mexican children. At right, Jason Miller plays Father Wasson in the CBS drama special, “A Home of Our Own,” to be telecast Sunday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m.-lO p.m. Eastern Time. (NC Photos courtesy CBS) LIFE IN MUSIC BY THE DAMEANS Games People Play (Man) Can’t get no rest, don’t know how I work all day When will I learn, memories get in the way I walk around, I can’t hear a sound Folks talkin’ loud, well I don’t see at all I gotta get away, gotta get away. (Woman) I don’t know where to go, it’s hurt me so Guess I’ll leave it alone. (Man) Well, I spent all that day, fixing up to go somewhere Thought I was late and I found she wasn’t there I guess I’ll find love, peace of mind some other time But I still have today, I gotta get away, gotta get away. Why is such a system of communication needed? What is it about human persons which constantly calls us to be more honest and authentic in relating to others? Why do we play “games” and thus have unreal relationships with others? What are the barriers preventing good communications in our own lives? The song “Games People Play” by the Spinners describes a person who is tired of the hassles in his life, his work, and his general boring routine. He is looking forward to breaking out of this and being with a person where he can find “love” and “peace of mind.” He spends all day getting ready and then is late for the appointment. She gets tired of waiting and when he does finally arrive, she is gone. All of his plans have gone down the drain and he is miserable, “alone,” and “blue.” She, on the other hand, shares the same frustration that he is feeling. She is “hurt” and “lost.” She doesn’t know where to go. In this song, what happened to this relationship that had the possibilities of a happy ending? What were the games that were played that nearly destroyed this friendship? (Woman) I don’t know where to go, it’s hurt me so I guess I’ll leave it alone. Games people play, night or day, they’re just not mentioned What they should do, keeps me feelin’ blue Been down too long Right, wrong, I just can’t stop it Spending all day, thinking just of you. (Man) Twelve-forty-five, headed for the subway home, I took my time ’cause I felt so all alone Not far away, I heard a funny sound Took a look around and I could see her face, Smile as she came, calling out my name. (Woman) So I know where to go We’ll take it slow as I call it a day. Games people play, night or day, they’re just not mentioned What they should do, keeps me feelin’ blue ' Been down too long Right, wrong, I just can’t stop it Spending all day, thinking just of you. ( c ) 1975 Atlantic Games people play . .. Written by: J.B. Jefferson, B. Hawes and C. Simmons - Performed by: The Spinners Back in 1964, Dr. Eric Berne wrote a book which has the same title as the above song - “Games People Play.” This book was to become the basis for a system of personal communication which is popular today and which many people find helpful. The system is transactional analysis and the key to that communication is knowing how you react to another or a situation in terms of the child, the parent, and the adult in you. It basically calls a person to be keenly aware of his or her words and actions. The book “I’m O.K., You’re O.K.” by Dr. Harris gives a good overview of this process of communication. He may have been playing tlie game of “don’t know your feelings.” He may have kept her waiting so that she wouldn’t know just how much he was looking forward to being with her and how much he cared. So he arrives late and is “cool” and “ho-hum” about the whole event. The only problem is that she is not around to see how cool he really is. Another game played is the “I’ll show him” game. She was probably looking forward to being with him and when he was late, she might have felt that she had been “stood up” and made a fool of. Her pride comes through and she says, “Who does he think he is to make me wait -- I’ll show him.” So, she shows him, and ends up alone. Another game is the sulking and “it hurts me so” game. Because he makes her wait, she is hurt and feels rejected. Her response is to inflict the rejection on him - “guess 111 leave it alone.” Actually we don’t know why he was late, or how long she waited for him, but there is no doubt the “games” are in operation, and that they are both unhappy. The story doesn’t have a sad ending, though. After she wanders around “not knowing where to go” and after he spends the entire day “thinking of you” and “feeling blue,” they cease the game and get together. She is now happy and “knows where to go” and he now has his “peace of mind.” Playing these games can have a positive effect but just think of all the emotional and psychic energy that was spent in the above encounter. In playing these games, one should definitely be aware of what is going on and what the motive behind the game might be. However, the “games” can have a destructive quality when we kid and delude ourselves and when we use and abuse another. It can keep us from knowing our authentic selves or from communicating with the other at a more intimate level. If the games go too far, then our relationship is not based on “love,” but on images, masks, and sand. This song gives us the opportunity to think about the “games” we play with ourselves and others. Eric Berne says that uncovering our games,can be “frightening” and even “perilous.” However, it is in facing ourselves and our relationships squarely that we have the chance to “know where to go” and to have “peace of mind.” (All correspondence should oe directed to: The Dameans, P.O. Box 2108, Baton Rouge Louisiana 70821.)