Love dogs? You’ll love this book!

COVER STORY—There’s something special about the bonds we form with the animals we welcome into our homes. For Hersch Wilson, dogs have been those beloved companions throughout his long and varied life. Now, this talented storyteller weaves together a lifetime of lessons he says he’s learned from his canine companions in a new memoir, Dog Lessons. Please enjoy our Cover Story interview with Hersch this week and share it with friends and family via social media and email.

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And even more good news!

A Virginia Barnes & Noble experiments with local author events

THANKS TO AUTHOR MARTIN DAVIS, this column will come as very good news to authors we know nationwide—who have been turned down by Barnes & Noble managers when they asked about the possibility of a local-author event. In this column, Martin writes about what he describes as an experimental program with a Virginia B&N that is benefitting both local authors and the store itself. Please, share this column via social media and email. We’d like to have lots of people spread this good news to open more opportunities for authors.

 

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And speaking of author events

Laura Elizabeth welcomes invitations from book clubs

THIS WEEK, cozy mystery writer Laura Elizabeth is both thanking those groups that have welcomed her already to talk about her new island-based mystery—and reaching out to let other groups know that she’s available. Laura writes:

Now that the book is available for purchase on Amazon and via other booksellers, I wanted to also share with you an exciting opportunity starting to take off. I have been invited to attend (virtually and locally, in person) multiple book clubs. These have been such a great way to speak directly with readers and to discuss the characters, the writing process, and things like starting a passion project, building community, and starting over. My website includes book club discussion questions. However, when I visit with clubs, I prepare additional questions to get the conversations going! If you are interested in having me join an upcoming meeting of your book club or other gathering of friends, please reach out via my website and we can get that event added to our calendars!

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Dr. David Gushee

LAST WEEK, we heard from many readers who appreciated our magazine’s Cover Story, focusing on the new book by Christian ethicist Dr. David Gushee, called Defending Democracy from its Christian Enemies.

As we anticipated, not everyone agrees with every point Dr. Gushee is making in this timely new book about the dangers of “Christian Nationalism” in the 2024 American election—but we are impressed by the thoughtful responses from so many of you. That’s the reason Dr. Gushee wrote this book—to spark individual reflection and group discussion.

THIS WEEK, Dr. Gushee has written his own summary of the central argument in this new book, a column that he published internationally via the Baptist News Global wire service.

 

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Holidays & Festivals

Happy Thanksgiving—Now and Then …

TODAY (OCTOBER 9) IS THANKSGIVING DAY IN CANADA—Our column shares some of the “astonishing” thoughts Canadians are sharing with each other, today, about the need for gratitude and for pausing to simply appreciate all the goodness in our world. Now, that is a refreshing idea, isn’t it? Perhaps our American readers might pick up a tip or two from our friends to the North as we plan for our own celebrations next month. (And don’t miss the delicious recipe links at the bottom of this column!).

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web 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 film reviews and discussion guides. This resource is used nationwide by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Here are some of Ed’s most recent free reviews and columns:

• AMERIKATSI—Ed writes, “Not since Cool Hand Luke, Shawshank Redemption or Birdman of Alcatraz have I found a prison film so engrossing as director/writer/actor Michael A. Goorjian’s film set in the post-WWII Soviet Union.”
• THE SWIMMERS—Ed highly recommends this film, based on a true story, about “two teenage girls who were among the Syrians forced to flee their war-torn nation and risk the dangerous waters of the Aegean Sea.”
• THE INVENTOR—”The title of the new film by writer Jim Capobianco (and co-director with Pierre-Luc Granjon) refers to the 16th century genius Leonardo da Vinci, voiced in this delightful, animated film by Stephen Fry.”
• THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER—”André Øvredal’s horror film is based on just one chapter, the Captain’s Log, from Bram Stoker’s classic 1897 novel Dracula.”
• DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST—Ed also suggests we look back this week to the 1991 award-winning film.
• WAR SAILOR—”Norwegian director/ writer Gunnar Vikene has given us a grim visual parable about an overlooked group of World War II combatants—Norwegian merchant sailors drafted into the war effort when Germany invaded their country.”
• LITTLE BIG VOICE—Looking for a good family film? Ed writes, “Austrian director Wolfgang Murnberger’s 2015 film, set in postwar Vienna, drew me at first because its young hero seeks to become a member of the famed Vienna Boys’ Choir.”
• A MILLION MILES AWAY—”Director-cowriter Alejandra Márquez Abella brings us this true story of a Mexican American son of migrants who dreams of rocketing into space as a NASA astronaut.”
• SITTING IN BARS WITH CAKE—”I love it when a film far exceeds my expectations, as this MGM-Amazon produced film did. What I thought would be an amusing boy-meets-girl flick turned out to be a deeply moving celebration of a friendship between two young woman.”
• MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3—”Those crazy Greeks are back, even though the one who claimed they invented everything is missing.”

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