I Have Been Tagged (And It Feels Pretty Good)
I've never been memed, or tagged, or whatever the term is (at least not when I knew it). But stumbling on my name in Chris's blog I am too honored not to respond.
Here I go.
1. One book that changed your life: One? Forget one. I can't do just one though for any of these categories though I've tried; I apologize in advance.
Tom Sawyer, third grade; Becky Thatcher was the first girl I kissed (in the cave, natch). The Silver Chair, sixth grade; I met an imagination oddly like my own and was introduced to Christian mythos. Lord of the Rings, eighth grade; I thought I was Aragorn for three years; this may be part of the reason I live in the mountains now. Of Mice and Men, eleventh grade; my first exposure to real literature (outside Twain); I stayed up till three to finish and and cried my eyes out, and this was the beginning of what is now my career. Drama of the Gifted Child, Healing the Child Within, The Psychological Birth of the Human Infant, early to mid-twenties, the beginning of hope and recovery. Scaling the Secular City, mid-twenties, you mean there is actually an academic who believes in Jesus? Then a few years of darkness...not much reading, mostly surviving. Then Symposium, around 30; I couldn't believe materialism wasn't the only way to view the universe, and that someone non-Christian would argue for a transcendent ethic. Chesteron's Everlasting Man, early 30's, the "Riddle of the Gospel". John's gospel, around 33; I still believe this the finest piece of religious literature in the world in any religion. Stop Obsessing, three years ago; Foa's book is the finest introduction to treatment for OCD that actually works. The New Testament and the People of God; where else have I encountered a mind like this mind, an approach this thorough, wherever he's headed?
2. One book that you’ve read more than once: Summer, Edith Wharton. American naturalism/realism at its essential, near-poetic best. I've taught this book to hundreds of freshman and continue to appreciate its power, though I am beginning to retreat from the darkness of the end as representative of most human lives. Also here (and both optimistic) Wind in the Willows and Homer's Odyssey.
(For the record, I'm with Chris here on Dune and Earthsea).
3.One book you’d want on a desert island: besides the Bible and especially the NT, Paradise Lost or Moby Dick; otherwise, as I think BK at Cadre said, a book about building wooden boats from scratch, maybe an atlas of the seas I was in.
4. One book that made you laugh: the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian. Heartily, often.
5. One book that made you cry: many of the good ones do this. Tale of Two Cities had me sobbing, sobbing, sobbing at the end. Also Crime and Punishment, The Mill on the Floss.
6. One book that you wish had been written: Drawing Water Out of Rocks: Reflections on Scripture, by Chris Baker.
I'm waiting for this one, Chris, or something like it. How do I make sense out of the Bible? C.S. Lewis is the best thing I've read on this topic and he surely was no scholar (as he often notes) and did not attempt any thorough answer.
7. One book that you wish had never been written: truthfully, I resist this question. I think of Milton's stand against censorship in Aeropagitica, but if pressed...all kinds of bad Christian counseling books where therapy is denigrated in favor of "Biblical counseling" or some other narrow line of shit. Oh, Babywise, though parts of this book have helped some people. And almost everything by Dobson, especially when he advocates hitting children and tells us how much he felt loved when his mom hit him with her girdle. We have never hit our son and I do not believe in hitting children, period. Look at Solomon's kids.
8. One book you’re currently reading: uh, Wright's book of course, also Witherington's The Gospel Code and at night with Steph before bed, Watership Down (which I read in high school also).
9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: the rest of Wright's series, also his book on scripture, The Last Word. Also Raymond Brown's commentary on John. The OT book Chris recommended months ago which I botched the amazon order on and still don't own. The Epistle to the Hebrews. The NT in Greek (I would have to learn Greek).
10. Now tag five people: I think everyone I know has already had this meme! And most of the rest of my friends blog infrequently these days. Still, my five are Romy, Scott, Sherry, Amanda, Mike the Funkiller; if you're re-memed, enjoy the love.
11. There should be an eleventh category: great books I've read most of but never finished! The Republic, Moby Dick, Paradise Lost, the Hebrew Bible, the NT. There are others.
Here I go.
1. One book that changed your life: One? Forget one. I can't do just one though for any of these categories though I've tried; I apologize in advance.
Tom Sawyer, third grade; Becky Thatcher was the first girl I kissed (in the cave, natch). The Silver Chair, sixth grade; I met an imagination oddly like my own and was introduced to Christian mythos. Lord of the Rings, eighth grade; I thought I was Aragorn for three years; this may be part of the reason I live in the mountains now. Of Mice and Men, eleventh grade; my first exposure to real literature (outside Twain); I stayed up till three to finish and and cried my eyes out, and this was the beginning of what is now my career. Drama of the Gifted Child, Healing the Child Within, The Psychological Birth of the Human Infant, early to mid-twenties, the beginning of hope and recovery. Scaling the Secular City, mid-twenties, you mean there is actually an academic who believes in Jesus? Then a few years of darkness...not much reading, mostly surviving. Then Symposium, around 30; I couldn't believe materialism wasn't the only way to view the universe, and that someone non-Christian would argue for a transcendent ethic. Chesteron's Everlasting Man, early 30's, the "Riddle of the Gospel". John's gospel, around 33; I still believe this the finest piece of religious literature in the world in any religion. Stop Obsessing, three years ago; Foa's book is the finest introduction to treatment for OCD that actually works. The New Testament and the People of God; where else have I encountered a mind like this mind, an approach this thorough, wherever he's headed?
2. One book that you’ve read more than once: Summer, Edith Wharton. American naturalism/realism at its essential, near-poetic best. I've taught this book to hundreds of freshman and continue to appreciate its power, though I am beginning to retreat from the darkness of the end as representative of most human lives. Also here (and both optimistic) Wind in the Willows and Homer's Odyssey.
(For the record, I'm with Chris here on Dune and Earthsea).
3.One book you’d want on a desert island: besides the Bible and especially the NT, Paradise Lost or Moby Dick; otherwise, as I think BK at Cadre said, a book about building wooden boats from scratch, maybe an atlas of the seas I was in.
4. One book that made you laugh: the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian. Heartily, often.
5. One book that made you cry: many of the good ones do this. Tale of Two Cities had me sobbing, sobbing, sobbing at the end. Also Crime and Punishment, The Mill on the Floss.
6. One book that you wish had been written: Drawing Water Out of Rocks: Reflections on Scripture, by Chris Baker.
I'm waiting for this one, Chris, or something like it. How do I make sense out of the Bible? C.S. Lewis is the best thing I've read on this topic and he surely was no scholar (as he often notes) and did not attempt any thorough answer.
7. One book that you wish had never been written: truthfully, I resist this question. I think of Milton's stand against censorship in Aeropagitica, but if pressed...all kinds of bad Christian counseling books where therapy is denigrated in favor of "Biblical counseling" or some other narrow line of shit. Oh, Babywise, though parts of this book have helped some people. And almost everything by Dobson, especially when he advocates hitting children and tells us how much he felt loved when his mom hit him with her girdle. We have never hit our son and I do not believe in hitting children, period. Look at Solomon's kids.
8. One book you’re currently reading: uh, Wright's book of course, also Witherington's The Gospel Code and at night with Steph before bed, Watership Down (which I read in high school also).
9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: the rest of Wright's series, also his book on scripture, The Last Word. Also Raymond Brown's commentary on John. The OT book Chris recommended months ago which I botched the amazon order on and still don't own. The Epistle to the Hebrews. The NT in Greek (I would have to learn Greek).
10. Now tag five people: I think everyone I know has already had this meme! And most of the rest of my friends blog infrequently these days. Still, my five are Romy, Scott, Sherry, Amanda, Mike the Funkiller; if you're re-memed, enjoy the love.
11. There should be an eleventh category: great books I've read most of but never finished! The Republic, Moby Dick, Paradise Lost, the Hebrew Bible, the NT. There are others.
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