In Norton Juster’s children’s fantasy, The Phantom Tollbooth, there is a splendid line: “Have you ever heard a blindfolded octopus unwrap a cellophane-covered bathtub?” After reading this brilliance, it struck me as interesting that my mind first went scrabbling madly about for pictures to replicate the scene. You might note too that the word brilliance was used as an adjective. I couldn’t come up with another. I think it’s safe to say that our Western culture tends to privilege sight over sound. In this issue of Radix you will be invited to think a little further about the role that sound plays in the experience of our interior and exterior world. From some enriching theological cogitations by Dr. Stephen Roberts; the story of how Bob Souer, a voice-over actor, came to his well-established career of narrating books (more than three hundred of them); some thoughts on life from a non-sighted couple; to how a prison chaplain perceives “the sound of suffering,” we hope to help incite an appreciation for God’s imaginative gift of sound. On top of that – apologies for the visual, again – there is a timely “Incarnational Guide to Communication” from Greg Spencer; reviews of a book, Daniel Lanois’ new album, and a film; a resurrection reflection on the Armenian artist, Arshile Gorky; and a tribute to a beloved friend of Radix, David Fetcho.
We want to thank our readers, those who have been with us for many years as well as recent subscribers. We’d love to hear from you – your response to articles, ideas for future issues, and general comments. You can email us at editor.radixmagazine@gmail.com. – Peace, Matthew