Religion

Tweeting the Gospel

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Tullian Tchividjian is on Twitter and has been writing sentences about the gospel for a while now. Here’s a list of those statements:

  1. The gospel doesn’t simply ignite the Christian life; it’s the fuel that keeps Christians going and growing every day.
  2. When you understand that your significance and identity is anchored in Christ, you don’t have to win—you’re free to lose.
  3. Christian growth doesn’t happen by working hard to get something you don’t have. It happens by working hard to live in light of what you do have

There are many more. Read on

Non-fiction, Reviews

A Voyage Long and Strange

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I didn’t dislike Tony Horwitz’ rambling book, A Voyage Long and Strange. He’s a likeable writer. One assumes his political preferences are liberal, but he works very hard to give everybody a fair hearing, not just the contemporaries he meets on his journeys across America, but the historical figures whose footsteps he attempts to follow.

The germ of the book was conceived when he made an accidental stopover in Plymouth, Massachusetts, was unimpressed with the sight of Plymouth Rock, and began to wonder why, out of all the pre-colonial and colonial American settlements, we’ve chosen Plymouth Plantation as the birthplace of the American idea. He decided to follow the trail of the chief European explorers and settlers who predated Plymouth, to try to evaluate their relative contributions.

In this goal, I believe, he fails utterly. Still, the story is amusing and informative. Horwitz is good company, and has a charmingly self-deprecating voice. Continue reading A Voyage Long and Strange →

Authors, Fiction

Shop Talk: Crime, Class, and Money

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Thomas Mullen, author of The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers, interviews Jess Walter, author of Citizen Vince and The Zero,. Walter says, “Real, organic-seeming characters can illuminate any event—whether it’s timely, the way I’ve worked recently, or steeped in history, like your novels. I like what Emerson said: ‘Fiction reveals the truth that reality obscures.'”

Then Mullen asks about the blend of literary and crime fiction, and then he brings up class descriptions . . . read more.

Music

Mumford & Sons – The Cave

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And now for something completely different. This song from Mumford & Sons is obviously an allusion to Plato’s cave metaphor, otherwise why would it called “The Cave.” I mean, how could they be singing about anything else? (Sorry, I’m being silly, or I’m losing my mind.)

“But I will hold on hope

And I won’t let you choke

On the noose around your neck

And I’ll find strength in pain

And I will change my ways

I’ll know my name as it’s called again.”

Authors

When in Doubt, Talk About Writing

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Bob Thompson says there are three common reports written from interviews with writers, but if you talk to them about writing, you can usually avoid producing what everyone else does. [via Books, Inq.]

Fiction

Interview with Director Randall Wallace

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Randall Wallace, director of Secretariat and writer of Braveheart among other good movies, answers a few questions for World. “If anything feels like it’s a Sunday school lesson, that would drive me away from a theater, let alone someone who isn’t disposed to the same viewpoint. When I go to the movies, I’m not looking to be exposed to somebody else’s dogma. And when I make a movie I’m not looking to explain my intellectual arguments of faith to somebody else.”

Uncategorized

How the other half blogs

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I apologize for the brevity of my posts lately. I’m going through what is, for me, an unusually busy time–I’m still writing posts for the Virtual Book Tour, I gave a lecture last night, have a meeting tonight, and have to drive to a meeting 3 1/2 hours away tomorrow. I guess I’ll get to rest on Sunday. Next weekend I’m driving to Chicago, for the International Vinland Seminar.

Am I nuts, I ask rhetorically.

And yet, I remind myself, other people (notably parents of children) endure much busier schedules for years on end. Of course, I’m older than most of them, but still.

A sharp reminder of my age came last night, when I suddenly developed a pain in one knee, which remains, lo, even unto this day. I greatly fear this is something I’ve brought on myself, by letting myself be overweight at an advanced age. Stress fatigue. If it had happened last week, I’d be able to say it was an injury from our combat shows. But all I was doing last night was giving a talk on Leif Eriksson to a Sons of Norway lodge, which is not, in most cases, a contact sport.

My Virtual Book Tour stop today is supposed to be Eccentric Eclectic Woman, but I don’t see anything showing up there.

Authors, Fiction

5Q: Jonathan Rogers

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Mr. Smith has Five Questions For Jonathan Rogers, Author of The Charlatan’s Boy.

SD–Fact: The Wilderking Books are gold for children (and adults) on many fronts. Truth? Check. Goodness, Beauty? Check, check. Were you inspired to write the trilogy by any concern over a lack of worthwhile fiction for kids, or was your motivation simply to make billions of dollars?

JR–I wouldn’t say any ‘concern’ about existing children’s fiction motivated me. I was quite ignorant of what was out there when I started writing the Wilderking books. I’m only a little less ignorant now. I will say I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much worthwhile fiction is out there–though there is plenty that isn’t worthwhile. Here’s the thing, S.D.: I want people to like what I like. I think that’s a good enough reason to write stories. . . .