Random thoughts and musings around Greatheart’s Table.
I
What do Stephen Jay Gould, E. B. White, Cullen Murphy, or Anne Fadiman have in common, other than the fact that I’m guessing many of you have never heard of them? For me, they share the honor of being essayists whose essays captivated me before I ever entertained the idea of writing myself. Gould was the director of the American Museum of Natural History, whose magazine, Natural History, Barb and I subscribed to in the early 80s.1 White, of course, was the author of Charlotte’s Web. He also wrote short essays for The New Yorker. Murphy was once the managing editor of The Atlantic Monthly, and a writer of the comic strip “Prince Valiant,”and Fadiman edited and wrote essays for a literary journal, The American Scholar. All of them are great story-tellers, whose stories make broad and profound observations about life. In their company I am a kid with a crayon wanting to create Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. I’d love to nudge you their way. If nothing else, get Fadiman’s book At Large and at Small. It is such a delight.
II
I want to remind you that when you buy a book from Bookshop.org using the links I supply, Greatheart’s Table receives a commission. It’s a help, and you can be sure that the book you receive has not been pirated. When I need something in a hurry, Amazon cannot be surpassed. But because of the piracy concern, I like to take my business, and direct that of others, elsewhere.
III
My social media marketing director, a.k.a. my daughter Jerusha, reminds me occasionally to let readers and listeners know that I’m available for conversation on their podcast, should anything I post pique interest. If you know a podcast, yours or other’s, whose sympathies seem to intersect with what we do here at Greatheart’s Table, please connect me with the hosts. I’d be particularly interested in discussing matters related to addressing the needs of the parents of what I call off-script kids. That is . . .
IV
Though some have been confused by it, I find the metaphor of ‘off-script’ to be helpful in addressing parents whose children have made life or faith decisions at odds with their parents’ expectations. All of us enter parenthood with a loose, often unspoken, script for our kids. That is, we have expectations we hope they will fulfill. To one degree or another, all children diverge from that script. Some diverge so severely that parents begin to feel guilt and shame, and at times, to behave in counterproductive ways toward their children. The “Off-Script Kids” content is addressed to parents to help them reframe and reconsider what they are to expect of their children, of God, and of themselves. That content is available to churches for a two day seminar. Or, for a more relaxing and reflective consideration, we sponsor retreats for parents. Currently registration is open for the next retreat, scheduled for November 22-24. If you or anyone you know is interested, information and registration can be found here.
V
After a long, but good, early morning meeting of our elders on Saturday I ran six miles. Afterwards, I read this on Web-MD:
“After your run, endocannabinoids are released in your body, which is a biochemical substance similar to cannabis.”
I’ve often said that I don’t particularly enjoy running; I enjoy having run. Perhaps now we know why.
* * *
May God’s richest blessings be upon you all.
I am aware that Gould’s writing often takes aim at a creationist cosmology. It’s the quality of that writing that captivates me.
Oh, Boy! Randy! THAT is a provocative title! But I love the finish! And congratulations that, at your age, you are able to do six-mile runs! Wow! I am almost as active today as I was 20 years ago, but I have never had the stamina for six-mile runs. (10-, 20-, or 100-mile bike rides, yes. But runs? No way! . . . And I haven't done a long bike ride in, what? Almost 50 years!
THANK YOU for the literary references and suggestion(s). I recognized the first two, but not the second two names, though I used to read Prince Valiant. I had no idea Valiant had multiple writers! I look forward to getting At Large and at Small. Thanks for the recommendation.
And, finally, thanks for the link to the CT article about counterfeiting! Youch! Very disturbing. And, yes, losing 15,000 units of sale IS huge in the publlshing business. . . . But/and I sure hope IVP honors the larger number that they, themselves, calculated as REAL sales, even though they didn't get the profits. Clearly, they know what this author is capable of. . . .