“In their despair a number of those who no longer have confidence in the leadership of our society look up to the writer, the master of words… Maybe there is a spark of the prophet in the artist after all.”
The American Writers Museum used this quote by Yiddish author Isaac Bashevis Singer to describe its new exhibit, “American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture.” The exhibit highlights the direct and indirect effects a person’s religious environment has on writing, both as a writer and as a reader, thereby emphasizing the impact of religion on culture.
An explosion of colors hits the eyes as the doors to the exhibit open. Panels of different authors from Samira Ahmed to Ursula K. Le Guin line the wall with descriptions and items of their religious faith. A jukebox sits on a ’50s diner table in the corner. Click! “When you call my name/It’s like a little prayer/I’m down on my knees/I want to take you there.” The drum beat to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” begins to play, offering music as an alternate form of writing.
Carey Cranston, president of the American Writers Museum, includes interactive elements in all exhibits of the museum to entice those who come by. He wants visitors to grapple with the cultural significance of religion and how it interacts with other aspects of society including writing.
“It has a very large impact. And some people might be unhappy about that. Some people might be happy about it. I think you have to be understanding of it,” he explained. “If you don’t recognize that religion has an influence on our culture, even if you’re religious yourself, you’re going to run into the issue of how do you talk to people in a way that can create positive change?”
He gave the example of author Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad who wrote the book, “The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lorde.” He explained the author was Buddhist, but Christian thinkers James Baldwin and Audre Lorde had a significant impact on her life. Through this, she saw how these writers’ ideals align with Buddhism, showing how impactful religion is on people.
Ms. Ahmed, a Lab parent, is one of the featured authors. She is compelled by the exhibit’s exploration of the interplay between religion and American culture.
“Religion has always had a profound effect on American culture that it’s now naturally integrated into so many of our novels, so many of our books, so much American art,” she said in an interview with the Midway. “Whether it is directly or indirectly influenced by religion, it still speaks to faith and the role of faith in American life.”
Ms. Ahmed’s writing has been informed by her experience as a Muslim American. As her item in the exhibit, she included a religious protective amulet from her grandmother. In her novels she also included a fictional version of the amulet to protect her characters.
“My grandmother was definitely one of the people who taught me a lot about faith,” she said, “and she also was someone who told me many stories. She loved stories, and this amulet she gave me is kind of this protection prayer, this protection amulet. I have written that protection amulet in a number of my books. It felt like a nice way that I could honor her memory to include that piece in the exhibit.”
Visitors walk through the exhibit watching interactive videos and reading excerpts from different authors. At the end of the exhibit is a simulation with different peaceful nature settings and quotes. A quiet hum fills the ears. The simulation begins at sunrise and ends at sunset with quotes spread between to represent the true impact religion has on humanity.
A quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson reads, “The currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or parcel of God.”
