‘ALWAYS TEACH BY STORIES.’ That’s best-selling author Kent Nerburn’s vocational advice to anyone who wants to leave a wise legacy among the people we come to know and love. Kent certainly has done that through his long series of books. Now, Kent’s milestone best-seller Neither Wolf Nor Dog is turning 25 and, for the first time in our coverage of Kent’s adventures, we have permission to share an excerpt from the beginning of that classic. These are the events—starting with a seemingly commonplace telephone call from a distant corner of the Great Plains—that led Kent deep into a life-changing adventure. Please, enjoy this excerpt and share it with friends.

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… AND SPEAKING OF EXCERPTS

CONTINUE READING WITH this excerpt from Our Muslim Neighbors, by Victor Begg, which was just published by the progressive Muslim magazine AltMuslimah.com. This passage comes from the opening pages of Victor’s book, beginning with the words: “I am an accidental activist.” The AltMuslimah online magazine began as a discussion forum on gender in Islam—and has expanded to include diverse perspectives and personal stories related to Islam both from Muslim and non-Muslim writers. This website’s reach now includes connections with various universities and other news media, including The Washington Post. Now, Victor’s book is a part of that national forum.

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AIMING AT OUR HEARTS

GLENN WAGNER ON FAITH and FOCUS—The author of God Incidents: Real-Life Stories to Strengthen and Restore Your Faith, Glenn Wagner, offers this wise and inspiring reflection on how focus relates to personal connection both in faith and in writing. Glenn is a United Methodist pastor and wrote this column for his colleagues in ministry about the importance of understanding our audience’s needs and interests. Glenn’s thoughts, in this column, are aimed both at other writers and also at people working in ministry. Please, enjoy Glenn’s thoughts and share them with friends.

AND, PLANNING FOR HOLIDAY GIFTS?

FRONT EDGE PUBLISHING Marketing Director Susan Stitt adds an important reminder to anyone planning to give books as gifts for the year-end holidays. In recent years, shortages have slowed the publishing industry to a crawl as year-end orders pile up.

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Holidays & Festivals:
MANY WAYS TO MARK AUTUMN—

SUKKOT

A JEWISH OUTDOOR FESTIVAL—Following the Jewish High Holidays each year, Jews enter a joyous “Season of our Rejoicing.” It is time for Sukkot, an ancient harvest festival. Tradition calls on Jews to construct and then dwell in temporary structures, called sukkahs, during Sukkot, in memory of the ancient Israelites’ living quarters during their 40 years in the desert. Holidays columnist Stephanie Fenton has the colorful story of this popular festival, which many Jewish families share with their non-Jewish friends and neighbors.

CANADIAN THANKSGIVING DAY

FAMILY DINNERS AND PROUD MEMORIES—Every year, Canadians lead all North Americans in an early autumn festival of thanksgiving, which also includes a special focus on Native peoples. Americans won’t be serving turkey and all the trimmings for more than a month after that. Stephanie Fenton’s story also links to the news about the world’s second-largest Oktoberfest, which is held to coincide with Canadian Thanksgiving.

COLUMBUS DAY

A NATION DIVIDED—Many years ago, Columbus Day was universally marked across the U.S., especially as an occasion for Italian-American pride. However, in more recent years, many communities have decided they should focus on Native American heritage. New for 2019, the Pew Research team has mapped the U.S. to show the varying approaches to this autumn holiday. Stephanie Fenton has the story.

Care to see all the holidays? It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances—just remember the address InterfaithHolidays.com

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Faith & Film

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Among Ed’s free reviews and columns are:

• AD ASTRA—Ed describes the film and its faith connection this way: “The Psalmist might see the hand of God in the stars, but to the analytical Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt), son of famed pioneering astronaut H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), they are merely distant destinations.” (4 out of 5 stars)
• ALL ABOUT FIDDLER! This week, Ed McNulty adds three reviews celebrating the long life of Fiddler on the Roof. New for 2019 is Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles, a terrific new documentary that traces the tale all the way back to its roots in Yiddish theater. Then, Ed goes back in time to review the 1939 production of Tevya, which is closer to the original stories of Sholem Aleichem and the play produced for Yiddish-language theater in New York. Today, this Tevya is free to view on YouTube and Ed provides an easy link. Then, Ed moves to 1971 for a full review of the movie-musical version starring Topol. Today, Amazon Prime viewers can enjoy the 1971 musical free of charge.
• LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE—Ed writes, “Those who have enjoyed Ken Burns exquisite PBS series Country Music will love Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s rousing tribute to a great singer.” (5 stars)
• OFFICIAL SECRETS—This British political thriller is as absorbing as any pulp spy novel, Ed says. (4.5 stars)
• HONEYLAND—Make a point of looking for this remarkable documentary about women trying to survive in a bleak Macedonian village. (5 stars)
• DOWNTON ABBEY—Ed gives the long-awaited movie 5 stars and writes, “Julian Fellowes’ beloved characters are back, and thanks to the giant screen, bigger and bolder than ever. Judging by the enthusiastic audience at the advance screening I attended, the film should be a big hit.”
• THE GOLDFINCH—Ed writes, “While watching director John Crowley’s thriller, based on Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer prize-winning novel of the same name, I thought of a jigsaw puzzle. One has to discover how to place each seemingly unrelated scene together like the jagged pieces of a puzzle.” (4 stars)

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