Tromping along Pacific Ave. one day, I glanced in the window of the Thomas Kinkade gallery and saw a portrait on the back wall. "Hey, I know that guy," I thought and went in for a closer look. It wasn't until I got right up to the picture, that I realized it was a painting of Jesus.
In an autobiography of some actress (I forget who, maybe you can tell me) she wrote of a trip to Israel. She was looking through the fence of the garden of Gethsemane when she saw Jesus in there praying. "Why am I seeing Jesus?" She wondered, "I'm Jewish." Jesus looked up and said to her, "So am I."
The first time I saw Jesus, I was sitting in my livingroom thinking about how I ought to quit smoking. Suddenly there he was standing on my left, smiling at me. There's someone there, I thought, tears rolling down my cheeks. There's someone really there. Years later I told this to a friend and she asked, "How did you know it was Jesus?"
I recognized him.
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Yesterday I got notice that our rent is being raised. This coupled with the decline of new book orders over the past few years has sent me to the Lord looking for creative solutions. An idea has emerged to offer $100 a year sponsorships. As a sponsor, you would not only be supporting the ministry of The Word Shop but could also have free access to any of our used books. Obviously sponsors will have to be approved in order to weed out those who might grab hot books just to re-sell them, the greedy and the addicted. Those of you who live out of town would still have to pay shipping--unless you invite me to bring a book table to a conference or event in your area.
Email me if you think you might be a potential sponsor. If there is enough response, I'll formalize the mechanics--and refrain from giving notice to the rental agency.
"I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library." --Jorge Luis Borges
NOVELS and summertime go together. If you haven't sat outside reading yet, you better get with it!
Children of Men is different from P.D. James' usual mystery fare: People have suddenly stopped being fertile. No one knows why. The last generation is now in their twenties. This is Science Fiction for non Sci Fi readers. I enjoyed it. So did Phil. It's got the best "what if" part of Sci Fi, without endless space-wars; $2 paper.
Folly by Laurie King is about a woman on the edge of sanity who decides to go build a house on the San Juan Islands. She fights panic attacks, paranoia, loneliness--and the lurking possibility that her worst fears aren't all in her mind. In this compelling psychological suspense novel, we see her struggle to build her house, her community, herself. $7 HB.
I snatched William Barrett's The Sudden Strangers and Goudge's The Rosemary Tree out of a big box of old novels. Both of these authors have an endearing sense that character breeds success and that success is bigger than fame or money. Barrett's books always weave together the Church and the arts. Mystic sensibilities and sacramental understandings are presented in a believable, matter of fact way. In this case the story is of a young man trying to figure out what to do with his life. His mother is a successful actress, his unknown father a monk. There is, of course, a girl--two girls in fact. How sweet it is to take refuge in a fictional view of the Church, just when the churches down the street are getting uncomfortably prickly. $7 HB for Sudden Strangers, $4 pb for Goudge.
"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning." --Bill Watterson
Several friend have reminded me that I do like poetry. I like poems by Shannon, Robert, Heather, Marc, Rod, Ted, Bud, Wayne, Mary Ellen, Debra...maybe it's like reading the Bible: lots easier if you know the writer. Shannon pointed out that she may discover a great poem, but she rarely likes all, or even most, of the poems in a particular book. Diamonds in the dust. Ted sent me a lovely poem entitled Keats, which talked of being "up to his neck in sleigh bells" and death being a journey home. Debra sent me "Galilee," a poem about the getting out of the boat into the fourth dimension. Amberly brought by two copies of the magazine "Poets and Writers."
OK! I hereby recant the anti-poetry position of last month's newsletter. I do like poems. I like them best when I know and love the poet. Otherwise, I'm just very picky.
"Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself; I am large, I contain multitudes." --Walt Whitman.
My multitudes have lots more to say, but this has gone on LONG ENOUGH. If you want to read more, go to the new blog on our website. You will find a bit about a very old leadership book, a dance church, places to give feedback and notes from LIFE RULES! I haven't yet started bitching and moaning there, but that could begin at-any-moment. Comments are welcome. You can find this cyber-notebook by searching our web pages for the little *staff notes* links hidden hither and yon. You can also go there direct: www.companyofsaints.com/blog
Meanwhile don't forget:
BIG SUR CAMPING AND CRAWDAD SOCIETY the weekend after the 4th of July.
LIFE RULES! First Friday at 1:30 (I'm resisting the urge to close the store and do it in Big Sur.)
FIRST TUESDAY WRITERS which will be Monday the 3rd at 7:15 this month.
FAMILY CAMP July 16-22
and don't forget to respond about being a sponsor.
"All know that the drop merges into the ocean but few know that the ocean merges into the drop." --Kabir
Evapotranspiration.
Blessings,
Alliee +