Signing on

On this 9/11, eight years on, I'm signing on for the Blog experience. We'll see how it goes. I want to think through issues of faith and art, with special interest in the Caribbean historical context. I am a Christian writer - meaning that my writing (poetry and prose) is influenced by my orthodox, Protestant Christian faith. My accompanying interests in media and education will no doubt impinge on the thinking through.
Question: Where are the Caribbean Christian artists, epecially writers - in a region that has been predominantly influenced by Christianity? How is their faith reflected in their work? The Christian literary tradition is a great one. One can find in the international sphere a few serious journals that follow the meeting of faith and art. I think of IMAGE from Seattle, Washington. In the contemporary Caribbean, increasingly secular (though still very religious) where are the Christian artists? I'm talking about serious artists and writers - concerned about craft and shaping, for whom their faith in Christ is also crucial. Where is the dialogue? Where is the interchange? I think of pioneers like AJ Seymour (Guyana) and John Figueroa (Jca), Literary icons of the Caribbean and men of deep faith. There must be more. I'd like to identify them. And my contemporaries. Final note: I've known of the late Thomas Merton, the writer and Trappist Monk. Have had his famous Seven storied Mountain, but not read it. recently found his The New Man (1961) and am entranced. They are his Pascal-like meditations. Years ago Lorna Goddison had encouraged that I read him. Well, I'm on now. So where are our own genre of religious meditations? That is a whole area, faith writings, waiting to be discovered and explored by Caribbean writers.
Finally, finally, while I speak so much of Caribbean, I read and think through widely.
On this 9/11, 09, may the Lord Jesus bless the venture. Come Holy Spirit, Father. "Rest our hopes fully on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."