Thackeray on Line Five, Mr. Spielberg Here's a late Monday post (a Monday post is meant to be humorous or at least diversionary, in case you are asking about the term).

As I recall, Random House issued a new edition of William M. Thackeray's The History of Henry Esmond some time back. The book was originally released in 1852, and Thackeray died in 1863. But with this new edition, a respectable agency in Hollywood took notice and wrote the author in care of Random House, praising his abilities and the potential for a screenplay based on Henry Esmond. The publisher returned the letter, signed as Thackeray, thanking them for the offer and saying maybe they would be interesting in his upcoming novel, Vanity Fair. They replied with interest, and they asked for a copy of Henry Esmond to recommend to producers.

Alas, that movie has yet to be made; but I assume the agency eventually learned a little more about their newly discovered author. In the land of light and shadow, you never know what they really know. (This story rewritten from material in The Writer's Home Companion by James Charlton and Lisbeth Mark) - phil  ¶ 10/31/2005 09:53:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

List of Good Ones

Ella of Box of Books makes a good point about Time's Best of Pick-a-Number list. She says, "The nagging unease of having read only 22 of the TIME picks and 13 of the Modern Library list (100 Greatest Novels Ever Written) is easily defeated by drawing up my own list, and there is much satisfaction in finally having a list in which I’ve read everything." She has her list and calls me on the carpet to present mine.

The problem I have with these lists is that they reveal how little I've actually read [insert protracted whine here]. I don't want to drive people away, more than I do by blogging on boring things, by revealing my ignorance. Why am I a lit-blogger? Because I can be. I keep thinking I will give it up and concentrate that time on writing fiction; but I haven't yet. Still, I like Ella to a limited degree since I barely know her, and I feel compelled to draft a list.

Here's a list of books, stories, and plays I remember enjoying:

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, by Judy Blume
Superfudge, by Judy Blume
How to Eat Fried Worms, by Thomas Rockwell
The Odyssey
The Power and the Glory, by Graham Greene
My Name Is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potak
The Fellowship of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien (is it cheating to list Tolkien's books like this?)
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
“The Great Stone Face,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Enemy of the People, Henrik Ibsen (Lars' favorite playwright)
The Importance of Being Ernest, by Oscar Wilde
The Second Coming, by Walker Percy
Carry On, Jeeeves, by P.G. Wodehouse
The Inimitable Jeeves, by P.G. Wodehouse
Right Ho, Jeeves, by P.G. Wodehouse
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas
Original Sin, by P.D. James
The Great Gatsby, by F.S. Fitzgerald
The Year of the Warrior, by Lars Walker
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis
"Uncle Fred Flits By," by P.G. Wodehouse
Beowulf (which I'm itching to read again in Seamus Heaney's translation)
Black Dog Man, by Jared Wilson
The Edge of the World, by Phil Callaway

Ok, thirty. I can't remember others right now, especially stories. - phil

  ¶ 10/31/2005 01:00:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

At The Proper Time To the would-be writer and the unpublished author who casts his faith on Jesus Christ, take heart. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you" (I Peter 5:6-7).

Mmm, that's one for meditation. Lord, I never doubted your faithfulness, but I have complained. I have worried. Fill us with your Spirit and help us cast our anxieties on you. We are crucified with Christ. We no longer live, but Jesus Christ lives in us, and the life we live in the flesh we live through faith in Him who loves us and gave himself for us. What more could we ask for? What more is there to gain?  ¶ 10/31/2005 08:31:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

John Keats, 1795-1821 On this date in 1795 (or possibly last Friday, October 29), poet John Keats was born.

About 1813, Clarke read to [Keats] Spenser’s Epithalamion, and put into his hands The Faerie Queene. . . . Clarke tells us how "he went thro' it as a young horse thro' a spring meadow ramping . . . . Like a true poet, too, he specially singled out epithets, . . . he hoisted himself up, and looked burly and dominant, as he said, 'What an image that is,—"sea-shouldring whales."'" (from The Cambridge History of English and American Literature)

Here's a natural quotation in his honor, from Endymion.

A THING of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing. 5
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways 10
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.

  ¶ 10/31/2005 12:00:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Light Content Warning Sense readership are up and the fewture looks well for Brandywine Books, I may probably will be not posting much this wekk. I may still writing some things, but I have feeling I won't. Thank you for your attintion. I'll see you again sune. -phil

(now that I've written this, i'm starting to doubt it. where'd I put that spelling/grammar checker?)  ¶ 10/30/2005 11:29:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Luther on "the pure Scripture" In response to the discussion below, entitled "What Would Luther Do," Lutheran pastor Michael, blogging at The Euphemist, quotes Luther:

". . . nothing better could be wished than that all books would be put aside and nothing else stay in all the world, especially among Christians, but simply the pure Scripture or Bible."

"I . . . often wish that [my books] would perish, because I fear that they may hinder and keep the readers from reading Scripture itself, which alone is the fount of all wisdom."

  ¶ 10/29/2005 09:25:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Today (perhaps I should title this "Yesterday" since I missed my Thursday deadline for this post)

Earlier this week, I was putting something into the shed on an afternoon leeched of color by the cold wind and churning clouds. Above me, the silhouette of a butterfly flew against the wind, beating its wings hard to stay in place. I heard a mockingbird call, and if I hadn't known the butterfly couldn't make such a noise, I would have thought it had called--shouting perhaps against the coming of winter.  ¶ 10/28/2005 07:32:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

What Would Luther Do? [by way of Balaam's Ass] Posing a Doom's Day scenario, Othniel of Cross Theology, a Lutheran, asks what one book should a thinking individual take to help him rebuilding civilization from the ground up. The Bible? Othniel says:

Now, I'm never going to deny that the Holy Scriptures are the inspired and infallible Word of God. I believe they are. But that doesn't mean that I believe all men are inspired and infallible interpreters of the Word of God. More often than not, we are quite fallible in our interpretations of the Holy texts. This is why, if Apocalypse ever stops me on the street, I'll say, "I'll take the Book of Concord!"

It's not because I think the BoC trumps the Bible. It's quite the opposite of that. It's because I think the BoC says exactly what the Bible says, only in a much more clear and accessible way. In fact, it goes to great lengths to avoid being misunderstood on all the most important issues one could ever pull from the Scriptures.

I mean, you've got the Small Catechism to start with, which really is ALL the Scripture any one of us really needs to know.

This last statement is as dangerous as it gets. "All the Scripture any one of us really needs to know?" That would be taking away from the Word of God, wouldn't it? As a Presbyterian, I couldn't say the Westminister Confession is a better pick than the Bible in this Doom's Day choice. What do you think?  ¶ 10/27/2005 06:17:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Praise of The Year of the Warrior Sherry of Semicolon reviews Lars' The Year of the Warrior this week. She likes it and plans to recommend it to her son. It's kind of like Stephen Lawhead's books, she says. A little too much action, but the characters are strong and the story good, even though the cover art gives it a "lurid" appearance which the story does not have.

I plan to review this book soon, and if I was a competent blogger, I would have already; but the last word has already been had by Will Duquette's Ex Libris Review -- "a fascinating, inspiring (and frequently humbling) story."

Also see Lars' other books:

• Wolf Time
• Blood and Judgment
  

  ¶ 10/27/2005 12:55:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Congratulations on a New Look Jared has reworked one of his blogs, Mysterium Tremendum, to be a lit blog. Good move, sir. I like it.

In his most recent post, he compares Dave Eggers’ You Shall Know Our Velocity! with A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. In Heartbreaking Work, "the ideas and the innovations and the emotions all intertwined so neatly and impressively. It’s a gregarious book, deeply felt and unembarrassed by its ambition. You Shall Know Our Velocity!, a sort of Catcher in the Rye meets The Innocents Abroad, is absolutely entertaining but only occasionally insightful, and even then, probably not at the times Eggers most wants to be."  ¶ 10/27/2005 12:42:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Thanks to the Christian Carnival Thank to White Ribbon Warriors for including the review of Think Before You Look in this week's Christian Carnival. If you stopped by Brandywine Books by way of the carnival, feel free to use the comments on this thread to comment freely.

Also, more people have been looking into BwB lately. I'm sure it has nothing to do Lars enjoyable content nor the brilliant, albeit mediocre, posts I've scraped together. I think it's weather related actually. Cold air abounds. People are feeling down. They go to the Net to cheer up, and naturally they think "Brandywine Books would be nice. I wonder when Phil's going to get his act together to publish a story or book. That would make my day. And when will Time-Warner or that new editor at NavPress wise up and publish Lars Walker's next books? That would make my day double. Wow, I feel so much better now."

I'm sure that's why traffic is up--only makes sense.  ¶ 10/27/2005 12:14:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Made for Themselves

Bill Wallo describes Hollywood as it is on World's Cinema Veritas:

I mean, filmmakers, like any storytellers, want to tell their story their way. They may offer up certain story components because they know the audience wants car chases, explosions, or skimpy bikinis, but by and large they're making the kind of movies they want to see. When Ang Lee made The Hulk, he made the kind of comic book movie that he was interested in making. When Ridley Scott did Blade Runner, he didn't hint that his main character might be a replicant because he thought the audience wanted that; instead, the suggestions represented his own unique vision. If we say that our creative visions are an extension of our worldview, it should not be particularly surprising that films often tend to manifest the worldview of their creators (even if, as I've noted before, it is likewise possible to interpret a creative work in ways which might not have been envisioned as the work was fashioned).

Directors and producers make the films they want to make. Sometimes to make money, sometimes to tell stories they like. As I recall, this is one of the premises of Michael Medved's Hollywood vs. America, but he argued that Hollywood filmmakers aren't playing a Please the Audience card when they film explosions and bikinis. That's part of what they want to see on the screen, the visualization of personal fantasies and the outworking of their common lust.

  ¶ 10/26/2005 12:46:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

What Results of Intellectual Despair? "Intellectual despair results in neither weakness nor dreams, but in violence. . . . It is only a matter of knowing how to give vent to one's rage; whether one only wants to wander like madmen around prisons, or whether one wants to overturn them." -- Georges Bataille (1897-1962), French novelist and critic.

Bartleby.com says, "Bataille was the founding editor of the journal Critique (1946). Strongly influenced by Nietzsche, he focuses on extreme states of consciousness (violence and eroticism) as forms of mediation between nature and culture."

What do you think of his statement? I'm inclined to agree. Maybe not for all men, but for some of us when faced with utter despair, all calm days would precede days of war.

  ¶ 10/26/2005 12:15:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Ten Predictions on Da Vinci Code Movie Oh, ok, since you're twisting my arm, I'll post a second Monday humor. I don't think I can hold on to this one for a week. Alan Kurschner of The Calvinist Gadfly offers "10 Gadfly Predictions on the Da Vinci Code Movie." Here's a start:

1) Tom Hanks will try to sound like an authority on Church history when he does interviews.
2) There will be seeker-sensitive churches that will attend the movie as a church group.
3) Tim Lahaye will denounce how terrible it is for people to make money on falsehood.

Yeah, I can see it happening.  ¶ 10/24/2005 12:33:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Just Thinking on My Way Out the Door For Monday's light-hearted post, let me quote from the second story on Winnie-the-Pooh. Pooh wedges himself in Rabbit's front door after a little visit, and the story carries on:

Now by this time Rabbit wanted to go for a walk too, and finding the front door full, he went out by the back door, and came round to Pooh, and looked at him.

"Hallo, are you stuck?" he asked.

"N-no," said Pooh carelessly. "Just resting and thinking and humming to myself."

"Here, give us a paw."

Pooh Bear stretched out a paw, and Rabbit pulled and pulled and pulled . . .

"Ow!" cried Pooh. "You're hurting!"

"The fact is," said Rabbit, "you're stuck."

"It all comes," said Pooh crossly, "of not having front doors big enough."

"It all comes," and Rabbit sternly, "of eating too much. I thought at the time," said Rabbit, "only I didn't like to say anything," said Rabbit, "that one of us was eating too much," said Rabbit, "and I knew it wasn't me," he said.

Also for your amusement, I found the blog, My Best Gadgets, by surfing through Blogexplosion. Immediately, I spotted this handy device, a need for every home and some offices: a Radio Toaster. Wow! I saved so much space with the radio toaster that I bought five new coffee mugs. Don't you love the feel of this GreenSpace Eco-terrorism mug? It says, "Spare the Earth. Die today!"  ¶ 10/24/2005 12:05:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Knowing They Missed It What do you do when you read a blog post that touches on a spiritual matter and you see how badly they missed the point? It probably depends on the blog or your relationship with the blogger, right? I usually don't say anything, but I'm probably just avoiding confrontation which could be constructive. Anyway, between you and me, let me point out a couple posts which made my heart sink a bit recently.

1. It's wonderful that reading fiction changes people, but sometimes the change is for the worse. Antigeist tells us briefly of reading Mark Twain's The Mysterious Stranger because it was the story that caused her friend's father, a former missionary, to lose his faith. Draw what conclusions you want about the father and his theology. The fact that Twain's novella, which suggests the world is a mere dream and maybe a play thing for an evil deity, inspired him to reject the Lord grieves me.
2. The author of Waiterrant.net has a good story on loneliness and personal demons. I question his exposition of the demoniac story found in Mark 5, but I don't mind his point. Still, my heart sinks to read:

   I want someone to pluck me off the side of the road and love me with total abandon. I'm not talking about God here, not something ephemeral, but a woman, a flesh and blood woman. A woman who'll cast out my self doubt and drive it into the lake to be drowned. A woman who thinks I'm worth everything.
   
   Maybe I'm being selfish or overly romantic. Maybe I'm expecting too much. Maybe I have to change things before that happens. But human love, with all its heat and tumult, with all its disappointments and triumph, is still the closest thing we have to heaven on earth.

   I understand the feeling; but he appears to be hoping a woman will take God's place in emotionally supplying all he needs. There are women who may be up to this challenge; but just as the adulterer who believes he will truly be happy with another lover, so often the new one will sour to his taste. He's right about human love being close to heavenly joy. It still can't replace it.
   

  ¶ 10/24/2005 12:00:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

We Want Competence in Writing We want competence, but competence itself is deadly. What you want is vision to go with it, and you do not get this from a writing class. – Flannery O’Connor

Quoted by Jared W from Vicki McC  ¶ 10/23/2005 09:33:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

This Blog Ain't Worth Nothing I've had this encouraging thought for some time now:



I see that Thinklings.org is worth $125,327.88, and Semicolon rates at $136,618.68. Remarkable. At least, my blogshares rate is much more valuable, over $25,000. For what it's worth.  ¶ 10/21/2005 07:27:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Personal Reflection In response to Jakob Nielsen's advice on blog design, I reluctantly offer you a self portrait. I haven't wanted to add an image of myself to my Blogger profile or to the info in my sidebar because . . . well . . . I haven't wanted to. Maybe it's vanity, maybe it's artistic concerns (like when Faulkner didn't want to write letters from Paris because he didn't want literature scholars pouring over sloppily written, personal notes--which sounds like vanity, doesn't it). But I respect Nielsen, and he argues that the personal connection given by an author photo improves a blog's credibility and bridges the reality gap between the blogosphere and our physical communities. In this light, I submit to you this beautiful shot of a window sill framed by two mirrors.

Oh, I have been blogging today, but over at Coll. Misc. Nothing interesting, really. Don't bother reading it.  ¶ 10/21/2005 04:41:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Today This morning, I intended to rise and blog a bit before breakfast. I held my sweet wife instead. After a minute, my precious two-year-old kicked open the door and climbed up to join the holding. I have the best little family.

So, what'd you do today?  ¶ 10/20/2005 01:09:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Reporters Find No Body in Rove's Garage I have to drop our regular BwB topic for a second to point out a stupid AP report. "Karl Rove's Garage Proves to be Typical" is the headline on a report which details what was seen from the door of Rove's open garage and a complaint that it was messy. Fox News headlines the same report, "Bored Press Scouts Inventory Rove Garage."

What the fruit are reporters writing about Rove's garage? Were they expecting to find a body? Maybe a confession to guilt in the Valerie Plame investigation scrawled on a chalkboard?  ¶ 10/20/2005 12:53:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

The Book Meme 100 MEME ALERT!! Jared points to Time magazine's list of best English language novels since 1923 and suggests we admit which books we've read. See his post for the full list. I'll give you what few I've read below. I should probably keep this information to myself and avoid losing blog readers; but here's to reckless blogging:

Beloved, Toni Morrison
The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Thornton Wilder
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis
The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene

Hey, Lars, what have you read on that list?

  ¶ 10/19/2005 01:23:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Celebrating Christian Fiction Fellow Georgian* Dee Stewart is a writer and editor who blogs at christianfiction.blogspot.com. She has solicited a long list of published and unpublished stories, novel excerpts, and blog posts from her readers in a type of carnival of Christian fiction. It could be interesting. No, it is interesting, and it could be good. Take a browse.

I also see that Dee's work in progress meter is at 95.3%. Great job, Dee. Keep up the good work.

*I am not a Georgian, though I do live in Georgia. I'm actually a Tennessean. I clarify because I know you care.  ¶ 10/19/2005 06:50:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

I'll Tell You What You Need In inestimable Marla suggests that we Google "[insert first name] needs" and post the first ten results. Jared and Quaid picked the meme and ran with it. Now, I offer you the same bit of silliness here. After all, what's a blog without memes? Nothing much.

1. PHIL NEEDS JESUS-HE NEEDS THE TOUCH OF THE MASTERS HAND!! (I can't argue with that.)
2. Saint Phil Needs A Blog. (Thank you, Saint Martin. Here's the blog you're looking for.)
3. Quite frankly, Phil Needs A New Act. (Everyone's a critic.)
4. PHIL NEEDS A WAKE UP CALL AND THIS SUIT COULD BE IT. (I need to leave town.)
5. What Phil needs to realize is that the main reason we suck is because we're
   saddled with a roster of undesirable players with huge contracts. (Yes, yes. I see the truth now.)
6. Phil needs some start-up money for his new business. (Quite frankly, I wouldn't mind start-up money for my current business or what you could call blog-enhancement.)
7. Hey, look. Here's a meme on a guy named Phil, commenting under "furious idiot." Looks as if Phil needs to get a life. (That's not me, if you're asking.)
8. Phil needs your help today to fight the Schwarzenegger fundraising machine! (Ask . . .)
9. If Phil needs more assistance, he should go to the Reference Desk (. . . and you shall receive.)
10. Another commenter reports, "When I typed in 'Phil needs' it came back with 'Phil needs to tell Jamin how incredibly good looking he is and to offer to have his children.'"

  ¶ 10/18/2005 10:08:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Is the Label 'Jezebel' a Compliment? Joking about The Prayer of Jabez, Russell Moore of Touchstone Magazine said, "that the feminist revisionists would respond with their own small devotional volume: The Prayer of Jezebel." On Friday, he reported the book's release.

Fortress Press, the publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has announced the publication of The Jezebel Letters, which "combines top-notch biblical scholarship with a fictionalized first-person account of the biblical character." According to the Fortress press release, the book "transforms the stereotype of the notorious biblical queen into a more historically based portrayal of a powerful, literate royal woman."

You may have gotten a bad impression of Jezebel from the Biblical account, but this book argues that the facts are "she was 'the urbane and thoughtful Queen of Israel who gives voice to her efforts and those of her family in guiding Israel through one of its most challenging, and least understood, periods.'"

Fortress Press, where the truth is what we make her.  ¶ 10/17/2005 12:10:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

So, Um, Like . . . Life Is Like Let's have some interaction with this week's Monday Post. For a season in college (I think everything ran in a season) we joked by making absurd reflections on life. "Life is like a car," we might say, "because it has four wheels and gas."

I know, your sides are about to burst over that one, but the joke was the nonsense. Half of the time, our statements could possibly have made some kind of sense; but that was part of the fun too. We weren't reflecting deeply on life, phrasing our thoughts in a pregnant metaphor. We were being stupid. What do you think about life? What is life "really" like? Here are some lines to get you thinking (though maybe in the wrong direction):

• "Life... is like a grapefruit. It's orange and squishy, and has a few pips in it, and some folks have half a one for breakfast." -- Douglas Adams
• "Life is like a taxi. The meter just keeps a-ticking whether you are getting somewhere or just standing still." -- Lou Erickson
• Life is like a bicycle. You never forget how to ride it once you learn.
• Life is like a stovetop. Sometimes, you can get stuffing.
• Life is like magic. SHAZAM!
• Life is like a box of chocolates. No, no it isn't.
• Life is like a doorway. You have to go through it to get to the other side.
• Life is like laughing with your mouth full of chicken tetrazzinni. Ugly.
  

  ¶ 10/17/2005 12:01:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Life and Art Jared has some heart-stirring posts on art and life in art at his solo blog, Mysterium Tremendum. Here's a starting point, if you happen to find this post long after the posted date.

Before you link over, ask yourself, "What is the purpose of art?" Get a solid answer in your head, before reading post on Bach's answer to that question.  ¶ 10/17/2005 12:00:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Do You Read a Bible Paraphrase? A 2005 survey of "secondary school-aged pupils" in the United Kingdom shows 75% of them disagree with this sentence: "The Bible is no longer relevant because people no longer believe in God." This ran contrary to teacher expectations, who said the children would probably think the Bible is "boring, old-fashioned, and uncool." Some students did call it "a waste of time," 15% of them.

For children and adults who struggle with reading or understanding the Bible, the newspaper for The Church of England suggest a recent UK paraphrase.

Rob Lacey's best-selling title, The Word on the Street offers an excellent starting place. Lacey wrote this fresh, urban paraphrase of the Bible for those "who don't count themselves as religious or churchgoers" for them to get the basic story. He wanted, he says, "to kick out all the overly religious language, so they could at least have the chance of deciding what they thought about it."

Lacey is realistic about the scriptures: "The Bible is the most published book in the world, but probably not the most read book in the world," he admits. "What happens is it starts at page one with Genesis and they love it, but by the time they get to Leviticus, they are struggling in a desert, and they don't get any further. That is a crime that people miss out on all the brilliant stuff later on because they don't realise that you don't need to read it as a normal book.

Do you read a Bible paraphrase? (You can interpret "read" however you like.) Some readers have a strong aversion to them, but what do you think? I used to enjoy the Phillips New Testament, but I haven't picked it up in years. The New King James and the English Standard Version are the translations I enjoy to use most.  ¶ 10/15/2005 03:22:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Think Before You Look, by Daniel Henderson Last Sunday was the day xxxchurch.com chose to campaign against pornography in the Christian church. They put together a video kit to aid pastors in preaching against the sin of viewing pornography.

One participant told the Dallas Morning News: "Pornography has been called America's dirty little secret, and there are people inside the church dealing with this issue. One of the things I like about the approach they are taking is that they aren't telling people how bad they are. They're offering hope and a different perspective about what God has to say."

From their website, you may agree with some critics of xxxchurch.com that their tactics are too edgy for their own good, but co-founder Mike Foster says they need to be provocative in order to be heard. "We're living in outrageous times, and if you come out of the gate with a soft message, then no one is going to pay attention," he said.

Think Before You Look is much softer approach, but it's probably the right one and would make a great follow-up to the hard hitting wake-up message. In fact, xxxchurch calls it "a must read" for dealing with porn's temptation.

It's short, focusing on forty reasons men should avoid sexual temptation. Each chapter takes one reason in about four pages and ends with an exhortation which could easily be memorized by someone digging themselves out of a deep addiction. Reasons include:

• I avoid a life pattern of deception.
• I enjoy my spiritual freedom to its fullest.
• I protect the purity and power of my God-given imagination
• I learn to live in reality rather than fantasy.

Think concludes with a long list of suggestions for avoiding temptation, ranging from meek to bold.

Henderson doesn't appear to condemn Internet surf all together, but he comes close in some chapters, writing as if being online means you're watching or looking for porn. I'm sure he doesn't mean this, but he could be more clear. That's my only criticism.

Think doesn't tell a dozen stories of men ruining their lives. It doesn't spend any time on the psychology of addiction or describe the male brain when viewing porn. It gets to the basics, what do to to avoid pornography. Recommended.

Sidenote: This book was cover-designed and published in my hometown, Chattanooga, TN.

  ¶ 10/14/2005 12:30:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Thinkling Bait I appreciate Jared linking to Lars' post on culture and the interest it has generated in this humble blog. I don't know how much marketshare of the blogospheric readers they hold, but they have always felt like 100x bigger than BwB. I should leave it at that, but I can't. I must submit to you the following, boldfaced, Thinkling bait:






Click the images access the Cyborg Name Decoder.  ¶ 10/14/2005 12:00:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Which Is an Interesting Question Kris of Ain't No Beach in MO poses an interesting Bible translation question:

Same or Different Bible Verse?

"This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels."

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

I have more respect for some paraphrases than for others, but this question gets me wondering how the Lord preserves His Word through the languages of the ages. Suppose a small society has no understanding of sheep or shepherds, how can translate Psalm 23? It isn't by added a long contextual note explaining shepherds. It's by changing it to a chicken-raiser, maybe.

Oh, and since Lars is gone this week, I feel I should throw in a Norway or viking link. Um, here's something. Oh, look, a bundt pan.  ¶ 10/13/2005 10:10:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Noonan with a Creative Writing Moment From Peggy Noonan's latest column comes this writing moment regarding the Supreme Court nomination:

I think I know what White House aides are thinking.

They're thinking: This is the part of my memoir where we faced the daily pounding of our allies. They're thinking: This is the "Churchill Alone" chapter. They're thinking: He was like a panther in the jungle night. For five years he sat, watchful, still as marble, his eyes poised upon his prey. And then he sprang in a sudden burst of sleek-muscled focus, and when it was over his face was unchanged but for the scarlet ring of blood around his mouth. But enough about George Will. They're thinking: That's good, save it for later.

Heh, heh. You know she's right.  ¶ 10/13/2005 04:41:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Family Christian Stores Break from the Pack Family Christian Stores is no longer reporting their sales figures to the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), according to Publishers Weekly. An unnamed publisher tells the industry magazine that Family appears to be jumping to the conclusion that the ECPA is trying to building marketshare in the discount stores and mega-booksellers. Sales have been down a bit in the Christian Bookselling market, but general religious book sales are up.

The publisher said, "If they stop and think about it, why would Christian publishers want to harm CBA booksellers? They're our closest allies."  ¶ 10/13/2005 12:25:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Today

Today, I figured out how to make the office black and white copier/printer/fax machine print a document in booklet format (folded and stabled) the way it should by default. Under normal conditions when asked to print multiple copies of a 20 page booklet document, it will print the full document forwards and backwards, fold both, and staple them together. I found the settings which order it to print, fold, and staple only one document at a time. No one else knew how to this, so I have essentially saved the day, don’t you think.

What did you do today?

  ¶ 10/13/2005 10:27:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Choose You This Day If you could do only one tomorrow evening, which would you prefer to do?

1. Blog or read a book?
2. Blog on your own or read/comment on other blogs?
3. Read a novel or the news/news opinion?
   

  ¶ 10/12/2005 06:55:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Morning Needs I have had material for blogging, but have neglected it primarily in order to finish reading Lars' The Year of the Warrior. I ended it last night, and let me tell all of the publishers and editors who read this blog that if his sequel novels of Erling and Ailill were published, I would be eager to get them. I may blog my review this week.

For now, let me turn your attention to a puritan prayer from The Valley of Vision:

O God the author of all good, I come to Thee for the grace another day will require for its duties and events. I step out into a wicked world; I carry about with me an evil heart. I know that without Thee I can do nothing, that everything with which I shall be concerned, however harmless in itself, may prove an occasion of sin or folly, unless I am kept by Thy power. Hold Thou me up and I shall be safe.

Preserve my understanding from subtilty of error, my affections from love of idols, my character from stain of vice, my profession from every form of evil. . . . read on

You may also want to look over these beautiful thoughts on reading and Wodehouse at A Circle of Quiet.  ¶ 10/12/2005 07:20:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Christian Fiction Analysis: Ezekiel's Shadow A month or so ago, I told you that the wildly popular author David Ryan Long had challenged fiction critic and distinguished professor J. Mark Bertrand to justify his criticisms of the famous bestseller, Ezekiel’s Shadow. I also said I was going off my prevarication medication. But let me return to the point.

The challenge has begun! All this week, it's must read blogging at the Faith in Fiction forum and Bertrand's blog. Not only that, you can participate by signing up at the Faith in Fiction forum. The smackdown begins with "The End of Horror!"  ¶ 10/10/2005 09:14:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Monday Diversion By way of a first of the week diversion, I direct your attention to the second ring for "Bunch of Meaningless Stuff!" Yes, I know you think you've seen all the meaningless stuff on the blogosphere already. Perhaps, you believe the whole blogosphere is meaningless. But this is just an underpitch, ladies and gentlemen. In this blog, you'll see . . . well, to cut the hype, some nice photography of Paris and other European locations. It's attractive. It's diverting. And it's today's Monday post.  ¶ 10/10/2005 07:40:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Louis Freeh on His Term as FBI Director Former Head of the FBI Louis Freeh has written My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror, which will be released next week. Matt Drudge quotes from it, having learned that Freeh would be on the disgraced "60 Minutes" this Sunday.

According to CBS, Freeh writes: "The problem was with Bill Clinton--the scandals and the rumored scandals, the incubating ones and the dying ones never ended. Whatever moral compass the president was consulting was leading him in the wrong direction. His closets were full of skeletons just waiting to burst out."

On top of that, Freeh reports the former president was reluctant to pursue the terrorists that raised their ugly heads during his watch. The one quoted example describes Clinton sympathyizing with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah for being unwilling to help with a terrorist investigation and then asking him to contribute to his presidential library.  ¶ 10/08/2005 08:31:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Upcoming Mapes Book Is Defensive Howard Kurtz gives what appears to be an exclusive excerpt of former CBS Producer Mary Mapes' book, Truth and Duty, at the end of his Media Notes column, reports Editor and Publisher. Kurtz refers to the book's first chapter being on Amazon, but it isn't now. In fact, the book isn't there either. I found Truth and Duty at Books-a-Million, Barnes and Noble, and Powell's sites, but only the audio version is available on Amazon.

Editor and Publisher could not reach the St. Martin's Press publicist to gain an explanation.

What can we expect from Mapes' account of recent history? Naturally, she was maligned and bloggers are minions of darkness. Kurtz askes:

What about the suspect memos by that long-dead Guard official? "Faxing changes a document in so many ways, large and small, that analyzing a memo that had been faxed--in some cases not once, but twice--was virtually impossible. The faxing destroyed the subtle arcs and lines in the letters. The characters bled into each other. The details of how the typed characters failed to line up perfectly inside each word were lost."

The problem is that three of CBS's own document experts later said they could not have authenticated those memos, and two had warned the network about that.

  ¶ 10/08/2005 08:25:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Great Writing Book for $2 From the introduction to How To Write by Herbert and Jill Meyer:

The combination of today's computers and the word processing software they run has virtually eliminated the physical drudgery of creating text. It is easier now than ever before to type, to insert, to delete, to cut-and-paste, to edit, and to format text. The result of this revolution is an exponential increase—an explosion, really—in the total volume of new text being created. The average person absorbs more information in a year than his or her grandfather would have absorbed in his entire life. And the torrent of information pouring over us today is but a trickle compared to what lies ahead in years to come. All this has intensified the competition for each reader’s time and attention. Because there is so much to read, and too little time in which to read all of it, readers are being forced to become more selective. This means that the ability to write well—to communicate your ideas and your information clearly and concisely—no longer is merely desirable. It is critical.

How To Write from Storm King Press is now available in PDF for $1.99 through this special link. Herb Meyer has written several books and was an associate editor of Fortune. Also note Meyer's other books and DVDs, including The Siege of Western Civilization, a 42 minute presentation which offers answers to questions about modern threats to our culture.  ¶ 10/08/2005 08:26:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Fame: How To Avoid Living Forever "In the paradoxical realm of the kingdom of God, the smaller you are, the bigger you are. In the paradoxical realm of pop culture, the bigger you are, the smaller you are. The fastest track to obsurity and pitiful insignificance is fame."

-- R.C. Sproul, Jr. in "Jesus Christ Superstar," TableTalk, March 2005  ¶ 10/06/2005 07:51:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Today I stumbled across the website for an organic beer brewed in memory of John Calvin: Calvinus.

What did you do today?  ¶ 10/06/2005 06:23:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Christian Publisher Behind Conspiracy Propaganda [by way of World ] Thomas Nelson will soon release a book they call "explosive expose on how major corporations are working to install secret tracking devices on all consumer products features new analysis and information that links RFID technology to alarming end-times scenarios." The secular edition of Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID is already in stores, but a Christian edition will be released this January "and ties in these ominous new devices to current Christian thought about the coming New World Order."

Yes, Virginia, sadly some Christians do buy into the Left Behind style of the end of the world; but I don't. I don't see conspiracies everywhere. The Masons in my area are nice people, and I know some of the Illuminati personally. No, really, I don't look for the world to go to hell with the rise of a great Antichrist before being raptured away from it all. I look for the coming of the Lord who rose from the dead a several years ago, the One who received His kingdom from His Father and who will establish His earthly reign upon His return--maybe before tomorrow morning. I'm sorry to say it, but what I get from premillinialists is a doomsday focus on the coming of the mark of the beast, not a rejoicing in the Lord's triumphant return.  ¶ 10/05/2005 10:45:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

New England Bookstore Chain To Close Publishers Weekly reports the New England bookstore and gift shop chain Buck-a-Book will close this month. The reason? Online ordering and discount stores.

"It was a dream we pursued for over 15 years," founder and president Bruce Moyer [told PW], "but the summer was just overwhelmingly bad. The competition and retail pressure are overwhelming. It's not just Borders and Barnes & Noble. It's Wal-Mart and Target, and online competition just gets stronger. There's no bottom to the price online."

Target does have an attractive book section. I've never bought anything there, but I've been tempted.  ¶ 10/05/2005 12:18:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Now at Age 50 I was reminded again that Nabokov's Lolita was fifty years old last month. The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy calls it "a satirical look at an aging professor’s obsession with a twelve-year-old nymphet." I've seen many say Nabokov wrote it beautifully, and the Chronicle says the pedophile narrator realizes his horrible actions in the end . . . but still . . .

but still . . .  ¶ 10/04/2005 11:37:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Oh, Did Faulkner Write? Here's another Monday post/stab-at-the-funny, and another story from William Faulkner's life:

In 1932 Faulkner went dove hunting with Howard Hawks and a friend of his, an actor named Clark Gable. Hawks began talking with Faulkner about books, during which Gable remained silent. Finally, Gable asked Faulkner who he thought were the best living writers. After a moment, Faulkner answered, "Ernest Hemingway, Willa Cather, Thomas Mann, John Dos Passos, and myself."

Gable paused for a moment and said, "Oh, do you write?"

"Yes, Mr. Gable," Faulkner said. "What do you do?"

  ¶ 10/03/2005 12:02:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Monday's Slam on Journalism In light of this week's news, here are a couple Monday thoughts from 20th Century publisher Henry R. Luce:

Publishing is a business, but journalism never was and is not essentially a business. Nor is it a profession.

Journalism is the art of collecting varying kinds of information (commonly called “news”) which a few people possess and of transmitting it to a much larger number of people who are supposed to desire to share it.

October is National Book Month, and October 22 is National Read Aloud Day. Let's celebrate!  ¶ 10/03/2005 12:00:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Convenience May Be Taking Bread From Independent Bookseller's Mouths Where do you buy your books? At your favorite bookstores? Online? Wherever it’s most convenient? If convenience is the primary motivator, you may have contributed to the closing of your favorite bookstore.

I’m under the impression several independent booksellers have had rough times lately, and convenience may be a major culprit. That’s what I heard when I talked to Danielle Hargis, owner of Books Never Ending in Ringgold, GA. She said online ordering and discount stores were skimming off her sales of those top-selling books which have drawn a good bit of publicity. Stores like Walmart and Target have even been able to offer books before the publisher’s release date, effectively undercutting a bookstore’s sales.

Ms. Hargis said she has called many of her regular customers to let them know their book has come in, but heard that they have picked up the book recently while shopping at The American Dream and Yogurt Super Emporium. They don’t think of the purchase as not buying it from their favorite bookstore. They think of it as convenient. Little by little, such convenience is making independent bookselling an unsustainable business.

Are people still reading as much as they did twenty or so years ago? She thinks they are, but she warns readers “never judge a book by its movie.”

“Movies are ruining books,” she says, by twisting characters and plots, perhaps by spoiling the mystery of the better story from which the movie is derived.

She says, “I believe in [reading]. Those children who read are more capable of surviving in this world.” Their imaginations are enriched, she says, and their worlds enlarged. “Parents should encourage reading by allowing them to read what interests them.” Forcing children to read what’s good for them, she says, can make reading just another chore.

Books Never Ending, which sells new and used books, celebrates its tenth anniversary this month with a big sale. If you’re in the North Georgia or Chattanooga, Tenn. Area, consider looking for the store on Cloud Springs Road next to the Antique Mall. Ms. Hargis says she plans to host several authors at a large book-signing around the end of October.

And consider who you patronize when you buy books. That Clive Cussler novel may be begging to leap into your shopping cart, but your favorite bookseller has it too. He will appreciate your business more than the megastore.  ¶ 10/01/2005 10:29:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Real Censorship Thanks goodness Banned Books Week is over. Now, can we stop pretending that students, parents, and school boards don't have a voice in recommended reading lists or which books are in the library? Real Censorship is what Tom Stoppard describes of the Belarusian Theatre.

Natalia says: "There are so many subjects forbidden, and the only place to talk about them is the underground theatre. It is hard for us to agree that theatre is just a recreation. Our society could die without realising that it was a nation."

I remember what she told me in a letter months before I came to Belarus, that the "Free Theatre" event was inspired by "the problem of self-identification in the era of globalisation". At the time it was a lumpy phrase which passed me by. The meaning is clear enough now - "Who are we?"

  ¶ 10/01/2005 10:03:00 PM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |

Buried Truth "Imagine a Nazi masterpiece, if you can. At the bottom of that pit lies some truth, about art and life. But it is an elusive truth." -- Tom Stoppard

I quote the above from Terry Teachout's excellent, daily almanac, feature I would love to imitate here. I have yet to overcome the obstacles needed to do that. That's life, isn't it? Today, Terry mentions a fairly accurate performance of the Scopes Trial by L.A. Theatre Works. "The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial" is based on history, far more than "Inherit the Wind," and Terry says the drama is better because of it. You know, I probably shouldn't imply that "Inherit the Wind" is based on history at all. It's more of a story using a construct taken from historic figures, like a romantic comedy with Albert Einstein's daughter. - phil
  ¶ 10/01/2005 08:17:00 AM ;   Criticize, Remark, Praise |