Miles I've Gone and Now I'll Sleep

Another Festival has passed, and I'm about to pass out. It is such a stimulating, exciting and exhausting weekend! Here's my rundown of favorite and not-so-favorite experiences.

Two people I have previously raved about did not disappoint. Michael Perry was funny, honest and down-to-earth. He was also speaking about his current agnosticism. His humble approach to revisiting questions of faith, a faith that he left behind with his childhood, taught me more about what kind of Christian I want to be. He deeply respects his parents because of the people they are, and therefore he respects their beliefs. That is a high aspiration--to be the kind of person whose faith defines them and brings the respect of those who don't share that faith. And to retain an open heart to those who see the world differently.

I'd love to tell you more about the book of his I was reading, Population: 485. Alas, that will have to wait for another day, since I lost the library copy I was reading. I'm pleased to announce that the Calvin staff have located it, and I will be reunited with it soon.

Sara Zarr, who wrote the great young adult novel Once Was Lost, was also great to hear. She talked about the need for writers to be honest with the pain in the world so that young readers can relate and so that the pain they experience is confirmed, not swept under the rug. She further proved herself to me by listing the books that she loved as a girl that should still be read, and her number one recommendation was Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene. I read that book over and over. I also watched the TV movie version, starring Kristy McNichol, more than a few times. So Sara Zarr is my homegirl.

Stephen Carter writes novels (The Emperor of Ocean Park, New England White) as well as essays about religion, culture and politics. He is a Yale law professor, and every bit a gentleman. He talked about the fact that our culture simplifies or ignores the important part that religion plays in personal lives of people. This is a sentiment that was echoed by many at the conference. We don't know how to talk about religion and faith. He said that students should open their minds--not so far that their brains fall out--but open them enough to be able to explore ideas.

I also stumbled into a session that was led by one of the vice presidents of Walden Media. He was discussing the way writers "picture the invisible" for children. He went through several passages from Beverly Cleary's Ramona books, which include visits to church and bedtime prayers and talk about God. I don't remember any of that from reading those books as a child. Those events must have been so normal to my life that I didn't think anything of it. I rarely come across such things in children's books in the secular market! He pulled out some of those same things from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The movies Ramona and Beezus and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader are coming out this year from Walden Media, and they both sound pretty good!

Others I enjoyed: Rhoda Janzen (Mennonite in a Little Black Dress) talking about writing memoir; Sharon Flake who writes young adult novels about inner city teens (haven't read any yet, but am eager to); and Kate DiCamillo (Because of Winn Dixie, The Tale of Desperaux) who is tiny and funny and doesn't seem full of herself, though she didn't have much to say about faith. She makes everyone want to write stories. No wonder my family loves her books!

The lowest note was a writing workshop I signed up for, learning more about writing flash fiction. It was a low note, not because of the instructor's ability, but because I was completely out of my league. I am simply not edgy enough, nor does my brain work quickly enough, to produce anything I'd be willing to read in this company. My fellow workshop-ers read some incredible writing--which they'd written in about 15 minutes! I'll put it down to stretching my boundaries.

I am tired and need to go to bed. As soon as I find out who was voted off from "Survivor" this week. Hmm. Probably should not admit that to those reading this as a book blog.

If you were at Festival, tell me what I missed and what I should add to my reading wish list. You can tell me that second part even if you weren't at Festival. Two years minus 3 days till the next one. Good night!

Thick Reading

In a valiant attempt to ready myself for the Festival of Faith and Writing (only 2 weeks away!), I just finished Kathryn Davis's unusual novel, "The Thin Place." It's no light read--you'll have to kick the brain in gear for this one.

Davis introduces us to various inhabitants of a small New England town, including Mees Kipp, a 12-year-old miracle worker; Helen Zeebrugge, an elderly occupant of the town's senior living center; and Billie Carpenter, a middle aged woman who has escaped her past by moving into a former camp on the lake. There are so many characters, all of whom the reader meets in snippets. You never quite get a full history of the characters, but you get to know who they are right now. The story of the townspeople is interspersed with the story of the earth and the story of the animals who live in the town.

Davis has an amazing ability to intersect the material and the spiritual, the natural world and the world created by humans. She depicts the solitude, the beauty and the broken nature of human beings. She also breathes life into the world of cats, dogs, and beavers. These forays into the natural world are beautifully written and insightful, but they also make it hard to keep the thread of the story. That's what makes the book a difficult read. Just as you get to know a bit of one character and that person's position in life, the picture is pulled out from under your nose as another picture is thrust in front of you. If you stay with the novel, the tension builds to the climax of the book, and it's a fascinating look at the "life" of a town. At the same time, I didn't really feel all that much for the characters, even when they suffered. I will read another of her novels, though, because I'd like to see more of her use of words and her insight into people.

On a different note, I'd highly recommend "Mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine. The audience is ages 9-12, but I enjoyed it very much. It's the story of a girl with Asperger's who is struggling to cope with the loss of her older brother. He was killed in a school shooting. The book is written from her point of view, and it's a delightful and touching look into a literal mind.

Got a lot more reading to do, so I'll be moving on. Now that it's actually sunny and warm, I'll have to move to the front porch!

Wish Fulfillment

I finished "Wishin' and Hopin'" by Wally Lamb last week, in preparation for both hearing him at Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin and for the church book club discussion we'll have after he speaks the first evening. It was a fun read. Lamb is a master of point of view--I read "She's Come Undone" years ago, and though it was not one of my favorite novels, I felt that I knew the main character inside and out.

His alter ego, Felix Funicello, navigates the world of 1960s Catholic school and the mysteries of growing up in a completely believable way. Felix's wish to know more, to matter more and his inability to manage either are all too familiar to anyone who survived middle school. It also made me laugh. A lot. This book is often, in the word that Felix uses to describe some of his classmates, "salty." But it's got some heart. It's not a heavy read, yet at the end, after the dubious nativity scene, I came away thinking about what a great description it is, to have such hapless, unprepared, flawed individuals emulating the holy family. We are such flawed and yet somehow endearing reflections of Christ!

Next up is "The Thin Place" by Kathryn Davis, which I'm about a quarter of the way through. The first few chapters were a bit disorienting--the novel jumps from character to character, without much context. It's starting to come together a bit now, and I look forward to figuring out what it's really about. Davis has some wild ways of describing things.

I know this is a book blog, but I'll probably throw in music or movie info too. Today I was working on a small editing project, and I put on a new album for background music. It's Patty Griffin's latest CD, "Downtown Church." If you enjoyed "Raising Sand" by Allison Krauss and Robert Plant or the soundtrack to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" you might want to try this collection mostly made up of traditional folk and country hymns. Her voice is more Bonnie Raitt than Allison Kraus, but it's lovely. And it closes with a rendition of "All Creatures of Our God and King" that might finally reinvent that particular song for me. Years ago our family watched a Mr. Bean short where he visits church, and that song figured prominently in the sketch. Ever since, whenever that song shows up in worship, my kids and I find ourselves stifling laughter. Maybe I can keep a straight face now. Here's hopin' (and wishin')!

Can't Wait for Festival!

One of my favorite things in the world is Calvin College's Festival of Faith and Writing. It's a chance to find new authors, enjoy authors I've known about for a while and just completely lose myself in the written and spoken word. It's almost that time again, and so I'm turning my reading energy in that direction.

I just finished reading "Gods of Alabama" by Joshilyn Jackson. I was quite sure I'd enjoy this book--southern fiction, seemed to have a theme of guilt, confession, forgiveness. But frankly, while I wanted to know what was going to happen, the book just didn't do it for me. I waded through some crass and gritty stuff, waiting for the payoff, but the resolution wasn't enough. I am still interested to see what Jackson is like in person, and I might try another, since I think this was her first novel.

Currently I'm reading "Wishin' and Hopin'" by Wally Lamb. I wanted to try another of his books, having read "She's Come Undone" years ago and sort of indifferent to that one. And I'm not quite ready to climb into the Columbine story of "The Hour I First Believed," even though I do want to read that someday. "Wishin' and Hopin'" is a shorter novel, with a Christmas theme, and so far I really enjoy the main character. Felix Funicello is a 10 year old Catholic schoolboy in the 60s who wants to be in the know, struggles with his conscience and wants to be the best student his class. His mother is going to be in the Pillsbury Bakeoff, his distance cousin, Annette, is famous, he might be on TV himself, and a Russian girl just joined his Communist-fearing classroom. I love the way Lamb writes from his perspective.

One break from all "assigned" reading this month was "Short Girls" by Bich Minh Nguyen. This novel of growing up as the child of Vietnamese refugees in a little known place called Grand Rapids, Michigan. This book reads a bit like a novelization of her memoir, "Stealing Buddha's Dinner." The sisters in the novel are now grown up and dealing with the losses and missed connections of their childhoods. I enjoyed it for the perspective on immigrant adjustment and for reading familiar places of my hometown. I can only hope the sisters' lives get better from here on out.

The Fab 5 has been postponed till this Thursday, so the group report on "Hunger Games" is still forthcoming. My church book club is reading "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction" by Eugene Peterson. It looks like a valuable book to read, but I can't make that book club meeting, so I'm soldiering on with my Festival list of authors. Either Kathryn Davis or Peter Manseau will be next. I'm open to suggestions!