I think that a brief explanation of my protracted absence from the Ink Desk might be in order. First, however, I’d like to thank Kevin and Dena for holding the fort, so to speak, in my absence. Their posts are always so thought-provoking in the best sense of the word and we are so blessed to have them as stars in our constellation of bloggers.

My own absence over the past week or so has been due mainly to my efforts to deliver a manuscript to my publisher by an end of April deadline. In the event, I put the final period on the final sentence of the 70,000 word manuscript on May 1st, only one day late. I am currently reading it through before sending it off later today. For those who may be interested, it’s entitled “Candles in the Dark: Father Ho Lung and the Missionaries of the Poor” and it should be published this autumn by St. Benedict Press.

I have two and possibly three other books due for publication this autumn. The first is entitled “Shakespeare On Love: Seeing the Catholic Presence in Romeo & Juliet”, which I believe will be published by Ignatius Press this autumn. The second is entitled “Beauteous Truth: Faith, Reason, Literature & Culture” and will be published by St. Augustine’s Press. The possible third book will be on the Catholic dimension of The Hobbit. This is not yet finalized with the publisher and I have not even started writing it. We’ll see what happens.

Further afield, I understand that a Chinese edition of my biography of Solzhenitsyn is being planned, which is very exciting, and today I’ve heard from a Spanish publisher interested in publishing a Spanish language edition of Through Shakespeare’s Eyes: Seeing the Catholic Presence in the Plays.

On other fronts, two new Tolkien specials for EWTN are being planned, the first will be filmed this November and the second probably next spring. I am planning two possible new courses for Catholic Courses, one on Chesterton and the other on The Hobbit, and I wait eagerly for the six new titles in the Ignatius Critical Editions series, in which I am involved.

That’s the update on what’s been happening in my life and what, God willing, should be unfolding in the months ahead. I hope, in the midst of it all, to be able to post to the Ink Desk regularly on this, that and whatever. Watch this space!