Authors, Religion

Sold Out Audience for “The God Delusion” Debate

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It appears the debating Oxford fellows had a warm reception in Birmingham. Recordings of the debate will be available soon from Fixed-Point Foundation, and it will be rebroadcast tomorrow on WMBW at 3:00 p.m. eastern. You can listen online, if you are not in southeast Tennessee during that time.

Editor Naomi Riley reports on her experience at the debate in today’s Opinion Journal.

Perhaps Mr. Dawkins was surprised by this reception. He recently referred to the Bible Belt states as “the reptilian brain of southern and middle America,” in contrast to the “country’s cerebral cortex to the north and down the coasts.” This debate marks the first time Mr. Dawkins has appeared in the Old South. Maybe his publishers suggested it would be a good idea. After all, “The God Delusion” and similar atheist tracts have been selling like hotcakes (or buttered grits) down here.

But why? Are Christians staying up late on Saturday night to read these books and failing to show up at church on Sunday morning, as Mr. Dawkins might hope? So far, the answer is no, according to Bill Hay, senior pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church just outside of Birmingham. He tells me that there hasn’t been much of an exodus from his church as a result of these books. But he does think that his congregants are aware of them and want to know how to respond to such arguments. He notes that 200 men show up to church at 6 a.m. once a week for a class on Christian doctrine.

[Thanks to Dave Lull]

Coffee, Tea, Drinks

Friday Survey: Coffee

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What kind of coffee do you drink? Whatever is available, sometimes known as “whatevrsthare”? Only the best? Have you clicked through the Boca Java ads which seem to be everywhere nowadays? Or you gambled on the link from your favorite lit-blog and bought something through Chattanooga’s own Rarecoffee.com?

For me, I have Maxwell House at the office, but don’t drink much of it. I sip it regularly and throw out most of my cup. The most coffee I drink comes from home where I grow it in my backyard and roast in my kitchen. Yep. And have you heard that too much coffee makes you an irresponsible liar prone to poor judgment? It’s true! The Nobel Peace Prize judges are well-known for their high coffee consumption.

Anyway, I’m currently drinking something organic from Sumatra which I bought at the Fresh Market. What are you drinking? Or if you’d rather, what would you prefer to be drinking?

Uncategorized

Quick update from Høstfest

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I am sitting in the Viking venue as I write, having just discovered that the whole place is Wi-Fi enabled. Woo-hoo! This Viking means business, as Gary Larson said in “The Far Side.”

It’s been exhausting and a lot of fun. Thanks, thanks, thanks, to Roy Jacobsen of Dispatches from Outland who got me some help with my car in Fargo, when I needed it most.

I’ve sold a few books, and even a couple leather bookmarks I tooled. Ragnar and I are fighting three combat shows a day, and I think I’m actually almost 50/50 with him in wins and draws. We did a particularly interesting bout yesterday where I was able to disarm him when his sword caught in my shield and I was able to wrench it away by rotating the shield. This is a classic maneuver, which happens rarely (and even more rarely with me, whose reflexes are pretty slow). To our mutual delight, the fight was caught on video, and came out very well. Eventually we hope to have it posted online, and you’ll be able to marvel at my prowess.

My main concern is a rumor that Sissel is having passport trouble and may not get here for her concerts. In that case, needless to say, I will fall on my sword and this will be my last post.

Authors

Nobel for Literature: Doris Lessing

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The 2007 Nobel Prize for Literature goes to Doris Lessing, born to British parents in Iran (formerly Persia) in 1919, “that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire, and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny.” Nobel’s Swedish Academy writes:

The Golden Notebook (1962) was Doris Lessing’s real breakthrough. The burgeoning feminist movement saw it as a pioneering work and it belongs to the handful of books that informed the 20th-century view of the male-female relationship. It used a more complex narrative technique to reveal how political and emotion conflicts are intertwined.

Harper Collins has a reading guide to The Golden Notebook.

Authors

A Battle of Literary Proportions

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Philadelphia and Baltimore are fighting over a dead man, which may have pleased the former owner of the body being that it’s Edgar Allan Poe.

Edward Pettit writes: “This is a literary grave robbing. I want to exhume his body and translate his remains to the City of Brotherly Love. … That’s because Poe is ours. He belongs to Philadelphia.”

Sarah Weinman has tolled in too, saying Poe Knows Philly.

Poetry

Viking Verse

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Since Lars is gone this week, I feel the need to post something Vikinesque. Here’s part of a modern poem by Christie Ward, called “Creation,” which claims to be in the style of Viking poetry. You can read the whole thing through the link.

Of men there are many, and many the singers.

One is the song that shall rise above all:

of man sing the song then! The ideal! The spirit!

Away shall pass peoples, but never the power

of song, nor the poet who sings the soul of his people.

Goofing

Your Cookie Is Broken. Return It.

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The fortune cookie maker Wonton Food has released less-than-upbeat messages in their cookies in response to consumers who wanted “more fortunes with actual predictions rather than cryptic sayings,” reports the NY Times. The reporter asks, “Was one writer having a bad day? (‘Perhaps you’ve been focusing too much on yourself.’) Were the cookies giving voice to worries about the economy or terrorism? (‘There may be a crisis looming, be ready for it.’)”

Here are some message suggestions: “What are you looking for, advice from a cookie?” “Don’t eat here again.” “She’s not the one for you.” “Make sure you still have your wallet.” “Reconsider.” “Refinance.” “Ask for a refund.”

Any suggestions you have?

Writing

Did She Slap Him or Not?

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Here’s an example for a discussion on word usage. Philip Klein, writing for the excellent American Spectator, has an article on Mrs. Clinton with the title, “Hillary Slaps Iowa Voter.” I first heard of this article in a passing comment on the radio.

“Oh my soul!” I said. “She slapped someone at a rally?”

No, she didn’t. She argued, patronized, and told a voter he didn’t know what he was talking about. The voter said, “[She] was basically calling me stupid. That I can’t think on my own.” He also used a vulgar verb closely related to “slap” to further describe his feelings, but there was no swift-moving hand or skin contact.

So read the article and tell me what you think. Is the headline an exaggeration?