All posts by Phil

Let's Worship Big on May 22

World reports on heresy preacher and Family Radio lead Harold Camping, who rejects clear biblical teaching in favor of obscure bible-based speculation. I hope those who are disappointed by having to wake up on May 22 will turn to the Word of God and a gospel-centered church instead of this cult leader.

But let’s talk about the end of the age for a minute. If the Lord told your church community that he would take you out of the world and destroy everything on two specific dates (say within a few years), what would your reasonable response be? Would it not be to love others as you love yourself and to love our Lord with all of your heart, mind, and soul? Seriously, how would a defined date for the end of the age change your lifestyle? If you would make dramatic changes, then what’s stopping you from doing it today, perhaps that old lie that you have several years left to get it right before you die?

My Fear Lady by Rick Dewhurst



A few years ago, the purveyors of crime, the crimemongers of the world, came face to face with Vancouver’s self-absorbed detective, Joe LaFlam, in the book, Bye Bye Bertie. Joe has returned for another attempt to steer an unsuspecting babe away from her potentially crime-laced life and to get the real bad guys. My Fear Lady picks up where the first novel left off. Joe is unfortunately wealthy, driving a limousine while he pursues pedestrians, and the wicked cabal of soon-to-be world dominators, Spelunkers Global, has kidnapped some innocent young man in order to keep him from his girlfriend. None of that, however, is enough to distract Joe from worrying about being afflicted with celibacy, mentoring his older collegues, and how he can save the world and his family’s fortune.

There are many things going for this story, but there are several things going against it too. It’s funny, and many plot points are well written. The conclusion is perfect, but getting there is a bit of a long. If Joe’s mental ramblings get old too soon, the story will drag. The story pokes fun at many pop Christian ideas as well, so you may have a sacred cow BBQ somewhere here. Overall, I thought the story could use more complication and more straight-forward humor. I appreciate Rick sending me this book, and I wish him the very best.

Whitestone: Blood On My Name

This is worth passing on. Whitestone Motion Pictures presents Blood On My Name, a short film musical narrative in the style of Americana folklore. This is a good short story. These are also the people who created the short film, The Candy Shop, which focuses on child exploitation. Though Blood On My Name is described as a bit of a horror story (it’s barely that), The Candy Shop portrays pure evil.

How Kermit the Frog May Save an Author

Jeffrey Overtreet write about finding inspiration in The Muppet Movie and his strong identification with the crisis point in the plot.

You can try to stir the writer’s life and the self-marketer’s life together, but they’re oil and water. Publishers sent me a guide detailing what “successful” authors do: Build websites about themselves. Create their own fan clubs on Facebook. Pursue their own endorsements. Volunteer to blog on “influential” websites. Organize readings, book-signings, and giveaways.

Following instructions, I feel I’m standing on a street corner wearing a sandwich board with my picture on it and shouting, “I’m awesome! Go tell everyone I’m awesome!”

The Bookseller as Publisher and Vice Versa

Amazon is developing an opportunities to publish books, which it has been doing for a couple years, and some major publishers have announced their plan to sell books and e-books directly. Some of this may be reinventing the wheel, but haven’t some people made a lot of money reinventing things? I think they have.

A C.S. Lewis Conversation

Alan Jacobs, ND Wilson, and Doug Wilson in conversation | Full Edition from Canon Wired on Vimeo.

Authors Alan Jacobs (The Narnian: the Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis), N.D. Wilson (100 Cupboards series), and Doug Wilson (Is Christianity Good for the World?) talk about C.S. Lewis.

50 Best Western Literature Blogs

Here’s the makeup of a great blogroll: 50 Best Western Literature Blogs. To leave you with no doubt, these are lit-blogs written by 50 people staying in Best Western hotels throughout the U.S. Essential reading, friends. Next up, 40 Super 8 Films Blogs. (via Books, Inq.)

You Know the Guy. Don't Make Me Say His Name.

In other fun press corp news, Craig Silverman has an article on how frequently reporters and announcers around the world said “Obama” when they meant “Osama.” He has a painful video of a Canadian anchor reading the news, saying “Obama” every time she meant “Osama.” Naturally, if it needs to be said, this is all Ted Kennedy’s fault.

Front Page Greatness?

James Fallows calls this weekly world edition of the UK Telegraph the greatest front page ever. I’ve seen this kind of thing before. It’s the absence of cognitive dissonance, a blindness to irony. It’s doing what you’re told without thinking about it or maybe not proofing. Or maybe they thought it was funny.

How Many Authors Have Killing Experience?

knife in stained glassDaniel Kalder notes that many writers describe murder in their stories, but few have actual experience with it, or if not murder, then killing on the battlefield. More writers do kill themselves, but that usually diminishes their future creative output. In the U.K. Guardian, Kalder writes:

Writers, by and large, are a boring lot – even more so now that so many are employed by the state (or states in the case of the US) to teach middle-class youth how to tell imaginary stories in prose. Yes, yes, the academy is a fascinating subject and you can’t have enough tales about college politics or balding, paunchy middle-aged lecturers lusting after young girls.

But if you want your work required for undergraduate modern novel classes, college politics is a great topic. Isn’t it? (via Books, Inq.)