A book written by recent 91福利社 graduate鈥檚 Carson Cawthon Matthews, What the Light Returned: Poems and Prayers for Dark Nights, will soon be published.听听
This will be the first book for Matthews, who has published several articles in national literary journals and in Ivy Leaves, 91福利社鈥檚 literary journal.听听听
鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e always been interested in writing and I鈥檓 a big reader. I started writing poetry my freshman year here at AU,鈥� said Matthews, who works as the University Storyteller in the 91福利社 Office of Marketing and Communication. 鈥淚t was just an extension of my prayers as I started writing poetry that reflected those emotions that I was experiencing and giving them back to God. The Bible has tons of poetry鈥攑oetry of lament, celebrations. There are all kinds of emotions in the Psalms and elsewhere, so I started trying my own hand at that, and that鈥檚 how I became a poetry writer.鈥��听
Matthews鈥� inspiration for her book鈥檚 subtitle comes from a poem by St. John of the Cross, who wrote about the dark night of the soul. Drawing from her own personal challenges, her poetry provides a reminder of God鈥檚 presence in dark times.听听
鈥淔or seven years I struggled with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) that went untreated鈥� No one could really give me an answer to what was going on in my mind and that felt really difficult. Poetry and stories were a way I felt I could connect with God and express that lament in a healthy way,鈥濃�痵he said. 鈥淚 have been diagnosed with OCD, been able to receive treatment and experience a lot of healing in that, but I鈥檓 still very passionate about connecting with people who feel like they don鈥檛 have God鈥檚 presence with them, maybe when they鈥檙e suffering for an extended period of time and begin to doubt the Lord鈥檚 faithfulness.鈥濃��听
What the Light Returned: Poems and Prayers for Dark Nights, will be published by Wipf and Stock, and will be available as a hardback, paperback and e-book through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and various bookstores.听