Magical Memoir Moments
Entering Lent and Leaving Social Media Behind: Welcoming a More Passive Life
What do you get when you cross Lent with Sabbath? I’m about to find out. The last four years of moving to Virginia, living in Brooklyn as a “granny nanny,” writing a book, and traveling, have been wonderful. You might call this period of time The Active Life. This style of living has been a…
Three Amazing God Stories from My Self-Chosen Amtrak Writer’s Residency
When we travel, we multiply the chances that we encounter a “once in a lifetime” event that defies all odds, seemingly flying to us on wings from the universe. I like to think of these times as God moments. Or, as my sister Doris says, “God’s poetry.” On our BookTourAnniversaryPalooza, on Amtrak, July 1-28, 2014,…
Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Grandma Hershey’s Way of Peace
When I think of peacemakers, I don’t think of soldiers or guns or even the Peace Corps. I think of this verse from the Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” Then I think of Grandma Hershey. Grandma Hershey was soft. When I was sick,…
Mennonite Memoir, Lutheran Setting, Universal Spirit: Reconnecting After Twenty Years
My Mennonite memoir had a Lutheran birthplace: Valparaiso University. I was a Senior Fellow in the Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts (LFP), headquartered at Valparaiso, in 1994-95. The name Valparaiso means Vale of Paradise. Mark Schwehn, who led both Christ College and the LFP when I was there, wrote the book that…
Learning from Rachel Held Evans: A Book Tour Pro
Do you know Rachel Held Evans? If not, you should. She’s a barrel of laughs. She’s also a bestselling author and a courageous leader among Christian Feminists online. She’s helped many people bridge between faith and doubt. Read this blog post about World Vision and see how much energy (over 600 comments) she generates! My…
Writing as Spiritual Practice: A Guest Blog Post
How do you view your work? Is it a paycheck, an obstacle to your real life, a source of anxiety, or just something you do because everyone else does it? Do you cherish the dream that your work could be a calling — something that challenges you and makes you stronger and better? Something that…
Spiritual Practices and the Memoir Writing Process: An Interview with Karen Horneffer-Ginter
Do you ever feel someone else’s words rattle around in your brain? I’ve been thinking all week about these words by Richard Gilbert from last week’s post. Richard makes the case, eloquently as always, that the craft of writing may be less important than the spiritual sources of writing, but it has one great advantage:…
What Makes a Memoir "Too Personal"? What Makes it Good?
Richard Gilbert asks and answers an intriguing question today: What gives memoirists the right to share their stories? As you read it, I invite you to compare your own experience as a reader and writer and then to comment at the end. What gives memoirists the right to share their stories? By Richard Gilbert For,…