The Project Gutenberg eBook ofChrist's JournalThis ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.*** This is a COPYRIGHTED Project Gutenberg eBook. Details Below. ****** Please follow the copyright guidelines in this file. ***Title: Christ's JournalAuthor: Paul Alexander BartlettEditor: Steven J. BartlettRelease date: April 8, 2012 [eBook #39400]Most recently updated: November 5, 2013Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Al Haines*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHRIST'S JOURNAL ***
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
*** This is a COPYRIGHTED Project Gutenberg eBook. Details Below. ****** Please follow the copyright guidelines in this file. ***
*** This is a COPYRIGHTED Project Gutenberg eBook. Details Below. ***
*** Please follow the copyright guidelines in this file. ***
Title: Christ's JournalAuthor: Paul Alexander BartlettEditor: Steven J. BartlettRelease date: April 8, 2012 [eBook #39400]Most recently updated: November 5, 2013Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Al Haines
Title: Christ's Journal
Author: Paul Alexander BartlettEditor: Steven J. Bartlett
Author: Paul Alexander Bartlett
Editor: Steven J. Bartlett
Release date: April 8, 2012 [eBook #39400]Most recently updated: November 5, 2013
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Al Haines
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHRIST'S JOURNAL ***
From the cover ofChrist’s Journal:InChrist’s Journal, the author takes a daring step in this unique novel and places the reader for the first time in the shoes of The Fisherman. In this finely crafted and historically realistic portrait of the ancient Biblical world, Bartlett recreates the moving story of the last months of Christ’s life as Jesus Himself may have experienced them when He brought to mankind a message of love and enduring hope.Bartlett’s writing has been praised by many leading authors, reviewers, and critics, among them:James Michener, novelist: “I am much taken with Bartlett’s work and commend it highly.”Charles PooreinTheNew York Times:“...believable characters who are stirred by intensely personal concerns.”Grace Flandrau, author and historian: “...Characters and scenes are so right and living...it is so beautifully done, one finds oneself feeling it is not fiction but actually experienced fact.”James Purdy,novelist: “An important writer... I find great pleasure in his work. Really beautiful and distinguished.”Alice S. MorrisinHarper’s Bazaar:“He tells a haunting and beautiful story and manages to telescope, in a brilliantly leisurely way, a lifetime, a full and eventful lifetime.”Russell Kirk,novelist: “The scenes are drawn with power. Bartlett is an accomplished writer.”Paul EngleinTheChicago Tribune:“...articulate, believable ... charms with an expert knowledge of place and people.”Michael Fraenkel, novelist and poet: “His is the authenticity of the true and original creator. Bartlett is essentially a writer of mood.”Willis Barnstone, Sappho scholar and translator: “A mature artist, Bartlett writes with ease and taste.”J. Donald AdamsinTheNew York Times:“...the freshest, most vital writing I have seen for some time.”Pearl S. Buck, Nobel Laureate in Literature: “He is an excellent writer.”Herbert Gorman, novelist and biographer: “He possesses a sensitivity in description and an acuteness in the delineation of character.”Ford Madox Ford, English novelist, about Bartlett: “...a writer of very considerable merit.”Lon Tinklein theDallas Morning News:“Vivid, impressive, highly pictorial.”Joe Knoeflerin theL.A. Times:“...an American writer gifted with...perception and sensitivity.”Frank Tannenbaum, historian: “...written with great sensibility”Worchester Telegram: “Between realism and poetry...brilliant, colorful.”²Readers of this book who would like to acquire the bound illustrated volume can do this through any bookstore by giving the store the published book’s ISBN, which isISBN 978-0-6151-5645-3or you can order the book online throughBarnes & Noble:http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?ATH=Paul+Alexander+Bartlett&z=yAmazon.com:http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books&field-author=Paul%20Alexander%20BartlettIf you would like to ask your local library to acquire a copy, it’s helpful to the library to give the book’s ISBN, mention that the book is distributed by Ingram and by Baker & Taylor, and give the book’s Library of Congress Catalog Card Number, which is 2006028950.²About Autograph EditionsAutograph Editions is committed to bringing readers some of the best of fine quality contemporary literature in unique, beautifully designed books, many of them illustrated with original art specially created for each book. Each of our books aspires to be a work of art in itself—in both its content and its design.The press was established in 1975. Over the years Autograph Editions has published a variety of distinguished and widely commended books of fiction and poetry. Our most recent publication is the remarkable quintet,Voices from the Past, by bestselling author Paul Alexander Bartlett, whose novel,When the Owl Cries, has been widely acclaimed by many authors, reviewers, and critics, among them James Michener, Pearl S. Buck, Ford Madox Ford, Charles Poore, James Purdy, Russell Kirk, Michael Fraenkel, and many others.eBook NoticeIn addition to this book’s availability in a printed edition, the copyright holder has chosen to issue this work as an eBook through Project Gutenberg as a free open access publication under the terms of the Creative CommonsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivslicense, which allows anyone to distribute this work without changes to its content, provided that both the author and the original URL from which this work was obtained are mentioned, that the contents of this work are not used for commercial purposes or profit, and that this work will not be used without the copyright holder’s written permission in derivative works (i.e., you may not alter, transform, or build upon this work without such permission). The full legal statement of this license may be found athttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/legalcodeChrist’s JournalBooks byPAUL ALEXANDER BARTLETTNovelsVoices from the Past:Sappho’s Journal`Christ’s Journal`Leonardo da Vinci’s JournalShakespeare’s Journal`Lincoln’s JournalWhen the Owl CriesAdiós Mi MéxicoForward, Children!PoetryWherehillSpokes for MemoryNonfictionThe Haciendas of Mexico: An Artist’s RecordChrist’s JournalbyPaul Alexander BartlettandIllustrated by the AuthorEdited bySteven James BartlettAUTOGRAPH EDITIONSSalem, OregonAUTOGRAPH EDITIONSP. O. Box 6141Salem, Oregon 97304ÎEstablished 1975ÓThis book is protected by copyright. No partmay be reproduced in any manner withoutwritten permission from the publisher.Copyright © 2007 by Steven James BartlettFirst EditionISBN 978-0-6151-5645-3Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2006028950Printed in the United States of AmericaLibrary of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication DataBartlett, Paul Alexander.Christ's journal / by Paul Alexander Bartlett and illustrated by the author ;edited by Steven James Bartlett. -- 1st ed.p. cm.Summary: "A historical novel that recounts the last months of Christ's lifefrom an autobiographical perspective"--Provided by publisher.ISBN 978-0-6151-5645-31. Jesus Christ--Fiction. I. Bartlett, Steven J. II. Title.PS3602.A8396C46 2006813'.6--dc222006028950CONTENTSPrefaceby Steven James Bartlett xiChrist’s Journal1About the author 67Colophon 71
InChrist’s Journal, the author takes a daring step in this unique novel and places the reader for the first time in the shoes of The Fisherman. In this finely crafted and historically realistic portrait of the ancient Biblical world, Bartlett recreates the moving story of the last months of Christ’s life as Jesus Himself may have experienced them when He brought to mankind a message of love and enduring hope.
Bartlett’s writing has been praised by many leading authors, reviewers, and critics, among them:
James Michener, novelist: “I am much taken with Bartlett’s work and commend it highly.”
Charles PooreinTheNew York Times:“...believable characters who are stirred by intensely personal concerns.”
Grace Flandrau, author and historian: “...Characters and scenes are so right and living...it is so beautifully done, one finds oneself feeling it is not fiction but actually experienced fact.”
James Purdy,novelist: “An important writer... I find great pleasure in his work. Really beautiful and distinguished.”
Alice S. MorrisinHarper’s Bazaar:“He tells a haunting and beautiful story and manages to telescope, in a brilliantly leisurely way, a lifetime, a full and eventful lifetime.”
Russell Kirk,novelist: “The scenes are drawn with power. Bartlett is an accomplished writer.”
Paul EngleinTheChicago Tribune:“...articulate, believable ... charms with an expert knowledge of place and people.”
Michael Fraenkel, novelist and poet: “His is the authenticity of the true and original creator. Bartlett is essentially a writer of mood.”
Willis Barnstone, Sappho scholar and translator: “A mature artist, Bartlett writes with ease and taste.”
J. Donald AdamsinTheNew York Times:“...the freshest, most vital writing I have seen for some time.”
Pearl S. Buck, Nobel Laureate in Literature: “He is an excellent writer.”
Herbert Gorman, novelist and biographer: “He possesses a sensitivity in description and an acuteness in the delineation of character.”
Ford Madox Ford, English novelist, about Bartlett: “...a writer of very considerable merit.”
Lon Tinklein theDallas Morning News:“Vivid, impressive, highly pictorial.”
Joe Knoeflerin theL.A. Times:“...an American writer gifted with...perception and sensitivity.”
Frank Tannenbaum, historian: “...written with great sensibility”
Worchester Telegram: “Between realism and poetry...brilliant, colorful.”
²
R
R
eaders of this book who would like to acquire the bound illustrated volume can do this through any bookstore by giving the store the published book’s ISBN, which is
ISBN 978-0-6151-5645-3
or you can order the book online through
Barnes & Noble:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?ATH=Paul+Alexander+Bartlett&z=y
Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books&field-author=Paul%20Alexander%20Bartlett
If you would like to ask your local library to acquire a copy, it’s helpful to the library to give the book’s ISBN, mention that the book is distributed by Ingram and by Baker & Taylor, and give the book’s Library of Congress Catalog Card Number, which is 2006028950.
²
Autograph Editions is committed to bringing readers some of the best of fine quality contemporary literature in unique, beautifully designed books, many of them illustrated with original art specially created for each book. Each of our books aspires to be a work of art in itself—in both its content and its design.
The press was established in 1975. Over the years Autograph Editions has published a variety of distinguished and widely commended books of fiction and poetry. Our most recent publication is the remarkable quintet,Voices from the Past, by bestselling author Paul Alexander Bartlett, whose novel,When the Owl Cries, has been widely acclaimed by many authors, reviewers, and critics, among them James Michener, Pearl S. Buck, Ford Madox Ford, Charles Poore, James Purdy, Russell Kirk, Michael Fraenkel, and many others.
I
I
n addition to this book’s availability in a printed edition, the copyright holder has chosen to issue this work as an eBook through Project Gutenberg as a free open access publication under the terms of the Creative CommonsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivslicense, which allows anyone to distribute this work without changes to its content, provided that both the author and the original URL from which this work was obtained are mentioned, that the contents of this work are not used for commercial purposes or profit, and that this work will not be used without the copyright holder’s written permission in derivative works (i.e., you may not alter, transform, or build upon this work without such permission). The full legal statement of this license may be found at
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/legalcode
Christ’s Journal
Books by
PAUL ALEXANDER BARTLETT
Voices from the Past:
Sappho’s Journal`Christ’s Journal`Leonardo da Vinci’s Journal
Shakespeare’s Journal`Lincoln’s Journal
When the Owl Cries
Adiós Mi México
Forward, Children!
Wherehill
Spokes for Memory
The Haciendas of Mexico: An Artist’s Record
Christ’s Journal
by
Paul Alexander Bartlett
and
Illustrated by the Author
Edited by
Steven James Bartlett
AUTOGRAPH EDITIONS
Salem, Oregon
AUTOGRAPH EDITIONS
P. O. Box 6141Salem, Oregon 97304
ÎEstablished 1975Ó
This book is protected by copyright. No part
may be reproduced in any manner without
written permission from the publisher.
Copyright © 2007 by Steven James Bartlett
First Edition
ISBN 978-0-6151-5645-3
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2006028950
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Bartlett, Paul Alexander.
Christ's journal / by Paul Alexander Bartlett and illustrated by the author ;edited by Steven James Bartlett. -- 1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: "A historical novel that recounts the last months of Christ's lifefrom an autobiographical perspective"--Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-6151-5645-3
1. Jesus Christ--Fiction. I. Bartlett, Steven J. II. Title.
PS3602.A8396C46 2006
813'.6--dc22
2006028950
CONTENTS
Prefaceby Steven James Bartlett xi
Christ’s Journal1
About the author 67
Colophon 71
PREFACESteven James BartlettSenior Research Professor of Philosophy, Oregon State UniversityandVisiting Scholar in Psychology & Philosophy, Willamette UniversityChrist’s Journalis one of five independent works of fiction which together make upVoices from the Past, a quintet of novels that describe the inner lives of five extraordinary people. Progressing through time from the most distant to the most recent they are: Sappho of Lesbos, the famous Greek poet; Jesus; Leonardo da Vinci; Shakespeare; and Abraham Lincoln. For the most part, little is known about the inward realities of these people, about their personal thoughts, reflections, and the quality and nature of their feelings. For this reason they have become no more than voices from the past: The contributions they have left us remain, but little remains of each person, of his or her personality, of the loves, fears, pleasures, hatreds, beliefs, and thoughts each had.Voices from the Pastwas written by Paul Alexander Bartlett over a period of several decades. After his death in an automobile accident in 1990, the manuscripts of the five novels were discovered among his as yet unpublished papers. He had been at work adding the finishing touches to the manuscripts. Now, more than a decade and a half after his death, the publication ofVoices from the Pastis overdue.Bartlett is known for his fiction, includingWhen the Owl CriesandAdiós Mi México, historical novels set during the Mexican Revolution of 1910 and descriptive of hacienda life,Forward, Children!, a powerful antiwar novel, and numerous short stories. He was also the author of books of poetry, includingSpokes for MemoryandWherehill, the nonfiction work,The Haciendas of Mexico: An Artist’s Record,the first extensive artistic and photographic study of haciendas throughout Mexico, and numerous articles about the Mexican haciendas. Bartlett was also an artist whose paintings, illustrations, and drawings have been exhibited in more than 40 one-man shows in leading museums in the U.S. and Mexico. Archives of his work and literary correspondence have now been established at the American Heritage Center of the University of Wyoming, the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection of the University of Texas, and the Rare Books Collection of the University of California, Los Angeles.Paul Alexander Bartlett’s life was lived with a single value always central: a sustained dedication to beauty, which he believed was the most vital value of living and his reason for his life as a writer and an artist.Voices from the Pastreflects this commitment, for he believed that these five voices, in their different ways, express a passion for life, for the creative spirit, and ultimately for beauty in a variety of its forms—poetic and natural (Sappho), spiritual (Jesus), scientific and artistic (da Vinci), literary (Shakespeare), and humanitarian (Lincoln). In this work, he has sought, as faithfully as possible, to relay across time a renewed lyrical meaning of these remarkable individuals, lending them his own voice, with a mood, simplicity, depth of feeling, and love of beauty that were his, and, he believed, also theirs.The journal form has been used only rarely in works of fiction. Bartlett believed that as a form of literature the journal offers the most effective way to bring back to life the life-worlds of significant, unique, highly individual, and important creators. In each of the novels that make upVoices from the Past,his interest is to portray the inner experience of exceptional and special people, about whom there is scant knowledge on this level. During the many years of research he devoted to a study of the lives and thoughts of Sappho, Jesus, Leonardo, Shakespeare, and Lincoln, he sought to base the journals on what is known and what can be surmised about the person behind each voice, and he wove into each journal passages from their writings and the substance of the testimony of others. Yet the five novels are fiction: They re-express in an author’s creation lives now buried by the passage of centuries.I am deeply grateful to my wife, Karen Bartlett, for her faithful, patient, and perceptive help with this long project.✧For my father,Paul Alexander Bartlett,whose kindness, love of beauty and of placewill always be greatly missed.
PREFACE
Steven James Bartlett
Senior Research Professor of Philosophy, Oregon State University
and
Visiting Scholar in Psychology & Philosophy, Willamette University
C
C
hrist’s Journalis one of five independent works of fiction which together make upVoices from the Past, a quintet of novels that describe the inner lives of five extraordinary people. Progressing through time from the most distant to the most recent they are: Sappho of Lesbos, the famous Greek poet; Jesus; Leonardo da Vinci; Shakespeare; and Abraham Lincoln. For the most part, little is known about the inward realities of these people, about their personal thoughts, reflections, and the quality and nature of their feelings. For this reason they have become no more than voices from the past: The contributions they have left us remain, but little remains of each person, of his or her personality, of the loves, fears, pleasures, hatreds, beliefs, and thoughts each had.
Voices from the Pastwas written by Paul Alexander Bartlett over a period of several decades. After his death in an automobile accident in 1990, the manuscripts of the five novels were discovered among his as yet unpublished papers. He had been at work adding the finishing touches to the manuscripts. Now, more than a decade and a half after his death, the publication ofVoices from the Pastis overdue.
Bartlett is known for his fiction, includingWhen the Owl CriesandAdiós Mi México, historical novels set during the Mexican Revolution of 1910 and descriptive of hacienda life,Forward, Children!, a powerful antiwar novel, and numerous short stories. He was also the author of books of poetry, includingSpokes for MemoryandWherehill, the nonfiction work,The Haciendas of Mexico: An Artist’s Record,the first extensive artistic and photographic study of haciendas throughout Mexico, and numerous articles about the Mexican haciendas. Bartlett was also an artist whose paintings, illustrations, and drawings have been exhibited in more than 40 one-man shows in leading museums in the U.S. and Mexico. Archives of his work and literary correspondence have now been established at the American Heritage Center of the University of Wyoming, the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection of the University of Texas, and the Rare Books Collection of the University of California, Los Angeles.
Paul Alexander Bartlett’s life was lived with a single value always central: a sustained dedication to beauty, which he believed was the most vital value of living and his reason for his life as a writer and an artist.Voices from the Pastreflects this commitment, for he believed that these five voices, in their different ways, express a passion for life, for the creative spirit, and ultimately for beauty in a variety of its forms—poetic and natural (Sappho), spiritual (Jesus), scientific and artistic (da Vinci), literary (Shakespeare), and humanitarian (Lincoln). In this work, he has sought, as faithfully as possible, to relay across time a renewed lyrical meaning of these remarkable individuals, lending them his own voice, with a mood, simplicity, depth of feeling, and love of beauty that were his, and, he believed, also theirs.
The journal form has been used only rarely in works of fiction. Bartlett believed that as a form of literature the journal offers the most effective way to bring back to life the life-worlds of significant, unique, highly individual, and important creators. In each of the novels that make upVoices from the Past,his interest is to portray the inner experience of exceptional and special people, about whom there is scant knowledge on this level. During the many years of research he devoted to a study of the lives and thoughts of Sappho, Jesus, Leonardo, Shakespeare, and Lincoln, he sought to base the journals on what is known and what can be surmised about the person behind each voice, and he wove into each journal passages from their writings and the substance of the testimony of others. Yet the five novels are fiction: They re-express in an author’s creation lives now buried by the passage of centuries.
I am deeply grateful to my wife, Karen Bartlett, for her faithful, patient, and perceptive help with this long project.
✧
For my father,
Paul Alexander Bartlett,
whose kindness, love of beauty and of place
will always be greatly missed.
Christ’s Journal
Christ’s Journal
Peter’s HomeElul 10The sun is setting. The evening is very warm. Across the fields I hear children’s voices as they play.This evening I have been reading thePsalmsand their beauty fills my mind. I have decided to write my thoughts, not because I am a psalmist, but because I hope to get closer to the meaning of life. Of course I should have started writing long ago. When I was in the wilderness I had an opportunity. Now, it is hard for me to find the time, and writing is not a habit of mine and does not come easily.However, like a shepherd, I shall gather together my thoughts, watching for strays. In spite of vigilance my thoughts may wander.It is pleasant sitting here at this table, the night air blowing in; a star is caught in a tree. Peter is talking to a friend; Peter’s voice has always pleased me, so deep.ÿElul 20Yesterday, when I was in Naim, someone pointed out a sick man huddled in rags at a street corner. It was one of those windy days and dust spun around us. The man reached up his arms and mumbled; I remembered seeing him before and maybe he remembered me. I felt his hope; I felt I could help, and I said:“Pick up your mat, get up...walk... God will help you.”The fellow trembled. He seemed to shrink inside himself as if afraid of me. He closed his eyes and doubled his hands. I waited and then repeated my command slowly. Like someone in a dream he untangled his rags and knelt. As he rolled his mat I encouraged him. Glancing about furtively, he stood, tottered. I thought he would fall but he kept his eyes on mine and I urged him to walk.“Master...master,” he muttered, staring about uncertainly. “Master...where... how can I?”Limping, carrying his mat under one arm, he headed for the synagogue and as I watched he began to walk easily. He threw down his mat and began to run. Dust swirled around us and he disappeared from sight.Later, someone told me he had been bedridden, crippled for almost forty years. Forty years—he had been crippled longer than I had lived! Now he was walking...running... I felt such joy, such joy, all day. I couldn’t eat when I sat at the table at Peter’s; his mother scolded me. To please her I nibbled a little fruit. I couldn’t find anyone who could share my joy so I walked alone, roamed the countryside. As I walked I could see his tortured face, dirty beard, beggar’s clothes. Forty years...His name is Simeon.Probably I will see Simeon soon. And what shall I say when he thanks me? What can he say? I will see a changed man and that will be enough.ÿ
Peter’s Home
Elul 10
T
T
he sun is setting. The evening is very warm. Across the fields I hear children’s voices as they play.
This evening I have been reading thePsalmsand their beauty fills my mind. I have decided to write my thoughts, not because I am a psalmist, but because I hope to get closer to the meaning of life. Of course I should have started writing long ago. When I was in the wilderness I had an opportunity. Now, it is hard for me to find the time, and writing is not a habit of mine and does not come easily.
However, like a shepherd, I shall gather together my thoughts, watching for strays. In spite of vigilance my thoughts may wander.
It is pleasant sitting here at this table, the night air blowing in; a star is caught in a tree. Peter is talking to a friend; Peter’s voice has always pleased me, so deep.
ÿ
Elul 20
Yesterday, when I was in Naim, someone pointed out a sick man huddled in rags at a street corner. It was one of those windy days and dust spun around us. The man reached up his arms and mumbled; I remembered seeing him before and maybe he remembered me. I felt his hope; I felt I could help, and I said:
“Pick up your mat, get up...walk... God will help you.”
The fellow trembled. He seemed to shrink inside himself as if afraid of me. He closed his eyes and doubled his hands. I waited and then repeated my command slowly. Like someone in a dream he untangled his rags and knelt. As he rolled his mat I encouraged him. Glancing about furtively, he stood, tottered. I thought he would fall but he kept his eyes on mine and I urged him to walk.
“Master...master,” he muttered, staring about uncertainly. “Master...where... how can I?”
Limping, carrying his mat under one arm, he headed for the synagogue and as I watched he began to walk easily. He threw down his mat and began to run. Dust swirled around us and he disappeared from sight.
Later, someone told me he had been bedridden, crippled for almost forty years. Forty years—he had been crippled longer than I had lived! Now he was walking...running... I felt such joy, such joy, all day. I couldn’t eat when I sat at the table at Peter’s; his mother scolded me. To please her I nibbled a little fruit. I couldn’t find anyone who could share my joy so I walked alone, roamed the countryside. As I walked I could see his tortured face, dirty beard, beggar’s clothes. Forty years...
His name is Simeon.
Probably I will see Simeon soon. And what shall I say when he thanks me? What can he say? I will see a changed man and that will be enough.
ÿ