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Mary Magdalene is from Afghanistan?

ByMark Vallen

Apparently St. Mary Magdalene was from Afghanistan. While looking through an online edition of the Washington Post I discovered an article they ran about Mary Magdalene, which was accompanied by the illustration shown below. The graphic had the following caption: “This handout image released by the Grace Cathedral shows an icon of St. Mary Magdalene, the principal woman disciple of…

The Painter and the Poets

ByMark Vallen

RATTLE is an important national literary publication that offers contemporary poetry, translations, reviews, essays and interviews. I’m pleased to announce that my painting, The Red Dress, appears as the cover for the journal’s Spring 2007 issue. RATTLE publishes print issues twice a year, but also releases web based versions as PDF downloads during the months of March and September. The…

Anatomy of an Oil Painting: Iraqi Child

ByMark Vallen

I created this small oil painting of a war wounded child in observance of the March 19th, 2005, second anniversary of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq. People all over the world have shown their opposition to the war in that country, and my painting is just one small contribution to that powerful international voice demanding peace. Children in…

Oliver Anthony and the Rich Men North Of Richmond
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Oliver Anthony and the Rich Men North Of Richmond

ByMark Vallen

This commentary is a somewhat unusual take on the timelessness of American folk music, with its focus being a young Virginian named Oliver Anthony, a former factory worker who became a farmer that lives off grid, but now hopes to make a living as a country folk singer. On Aug. 8, 2023, Anthony released his song Rich Men North Of…

The 4th of July cancelled in 2022?

ByMark Vallen

This essay will focus on a current poster design for a July 4, 2022 event. But first, a few words about America’s Independence Day. American revolutionaries announced the separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain when a resolution of independence was approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 2, 1776. John Adams, Founding Father and the second president…