Award-Winning Author Speaks at Symposium

Sep 14, 2011

mccann

Artists should entertain while instilling belief in the possibility of change, said celebrated author Colum McCann.

"Art must rekindle our enthusiasm," he said, "and restore the belief that life makes sense."

McCann spoke at the opening plenary session of Concordia's Faith, Reason and World Affairs Symposium held Sept. 13-14. This year's topic is "The Role of the Artist in Society: Inspiration, Issues, Impact."

The Symposium includes plenary sessions on the destruction of antiquities for arts' sake and African-American filmmakers as social activists. Musical performances open each session.

The responsibility of the contemporary artist is to move, startle or anger the person engaging with the art, said McCann, author of the award-winning "Let the Great World Spin" and "Zoli."

"We become alive in another body. We become alive in another soul. We become alive in another time," he said. "To me that's the great dignity of art."

Art also should expand one's view of the world.

"It helps to know what lies outside your room," McCann said. And then repeated the line for emphasis.

Contemporary artists and readers flail against the noise of technology and easy cynicism. But McCann challenged the audience to grapple with darkness to find truth and beauty.

"The true value of art is there's always another story to tell," McCann said. "There's always another way to tell it."

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