‘DANCING WITH THE GODS’
KENT NERBURN RETURNS—Our regular readers know that Kent Nerburn visits our online magazine at least once a year. Right now, he’s celebrating the news that the entire state of South Dakota has the goal of reading his classic Neither Wolf nor Dog. Amazing, but true! South Dakota launches a statewide reading campaign each year and Kent’s book is the 2019 focus.
This news comes just as Kent is releasing his latest book, Dancing with the Gods—Reflections on Life and Art. He’s now 72 and regards this phase of his life as time for an “elder” to share some hard-won wisdom with others. So, this new book explores the ups and downs—and the joyous surprises—of a life devoted to the arts and to writing. This book is a great choice for group discussion in 2019, especially if you have friends who enjoy writing. So, please, share this story with friends.
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DISCUSS DIVERSITY IN 2019
WE CAN HELP WITH A FREE SAMPLE—Millions of Americans are discussing gender diversity and sexual orientation in 2019. For example, members of the United Methodist church nationwide have identified this issue as a year-long, global conversation. We want to help! Our publishing house is proud of the high praise we’ve received for publishing a pair of guidebooks with Michigan State University School of Journalism. Those books are called: 100 Questions and Answers about Gender Identity and 100 Questions and Answers about Sexual Orientation.
MSU’s Joe Grimm, the head of the educational project that has published this groundbreaking series of books, is offering to send a free sample set of these two new volumes on gender and sexuality to community leaders hoping to organize a discussion group. The trademark of this MSU book series is: We’re answering the questions everybody’s asking but nobody’s answering. Sample copies could prompt others in your community to order these books—and share this accurate, helpful information on these urgent issues.
So, if you are a librarian, preacher, teacher, book-club coordinator—or any other kind of community leader planning to spark a discussion—please contact us [email protected]
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News about Our Authors
ANNI REINKING IN ST. LOUIS AREA—The Telegraph—a daily newspaper based in Alton, Illinois, and serving the St. Louis metro-east area—started the new year with a story about Anni Reinking, author of the new book Not Just Black and White. The Telegraph’s headline focuses on Anni’s role at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and says: Publishers Weekly Highlights SIUE’s Reinking’s Book.
LYNNE MEREDITH GOLODNER IN MICHIGAN—Metro Parent Magazine named Lynne Meredith Golodner an admired mom who the editors chose to interview to kick off the new year 2019. Among many accomplishments in her career, which you can read about in the Metro Parent profile, Lynne also wrote The Flavors of Faith—Holy Breads, a fascinating book about the wide array of breads that are a part of religious traditions.
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HOLIDAYS TELL OUR STORIES
A BREATH-TAKING LOOK—Since our founding in 2007, the writers producing ReadTheSpirit online magazine have tried to lift up news about books, films and cultural milestones that celebrate the best in our religious and cultural diversity. One cornerstone of that coverage is the weekly coverage by Holidays & Festivals expert Stephanie Fenton. Now, she is starting 2019 with a breath-taking list of the vast array of holidays and festivals awaiting us this year. Want to be inspired? Just take a look at all of the observances you can enjoy, this year, with friends and family. It’s all ahead of us in this New Year! Please, take a moment to look over this 2019 calendar—and contact us if you spot an error, or if you want us to include a holiday that we have overlooked.
For quick reference, you can easily find Stephanie’s master calendar by going to—www.InterfaithHolidays.com
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‘Hot Off the Presses, for the Lucky’
A SQUEEZE BECOMES A CRISIS—The good news is this: There’s not a better time to publish a new book than 2019! So, what’s this “Crisis”? In this week’s Front Edge Publishing column, Editor David Crumm writes about how an annual holiday squeeze in book production became a full-scale crisis in December 2018. Did you experience problems trying to order a copy of a book for the holidays this year? Do you know someone who received a damaged book? Please read David’s column, which tells the story of how an industry-wide squeeze suddenly spilled into an obvious crisis of capacity over the past month or so.
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FAITH & FILM: Ed McNulty
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:
- AT ETERNITY’S GATE—This film “provides us with a wonderful exploration of art and the world—as seen through the eyes of a sensitive genius who hugely influenced us all to see the world as full of the beauty and the holiness of the divine.” (5 out of 5 stars) Ed also reminds us that we could reach back to 1991 for Robert Altman’s fascinating Vincent and Theo—about the artist’s relationship with his brother.
MARY POPPINS—Ed has a lot of good things to say about the new version of the classic tale! However, Ed gives this version only 4 out of 5 stars, because: “The songs are all serviceable, pleasant to hear as the characters sing them, but they do not fly out of the theater with you.”
- BEN IS BACK—Peter Hedges years ago gave us the delightful holiday film Pieces of April, which told the story of a deeply divided family. His new holiday film about a family is darker and more ominous from the start as a troubled son suddenly shows up from a drug-rehab program. (4.5 stars)
- BEAUTIFUL BOY—Another story of family and addiction also gets 4.5 stars. This film is based on the best-selling memoirs of journalist David Sheff and his oldest son Nic.
- WELCOME TO MARWEN—Steve Carell co-stars in the previous film, Beautiful Boy, as well as this unusual film—based on a true story—about an artist who suffers a severe trauma and winds up retreating into a world of “make believe” figures. (4.5 stars)
- BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY—Ed gives the new biopic about Freddie Mercury and Queen 4 stars.
- THE MULE—Yet another true story is brought to the big screen starring Clint Eastwood as an elderly man who gets involved with a drug cartel. (4 stars)
BACKS AGAINST THE WALL—Start watching your upcoming PBS listings in January for this wonderful documentary about Howard Thurman. In addition to this early column by Ed McNulty, praising the film, ReadTheSpirit magazine will continue to update readers about the debut of this movie. Care to learn more about this giant in interreligous peacemaking? We already have our own Interfaith Peacemakers profile of Thurman in our magazine.
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE—Ed urges moviegoers of all ages not to miss this animated adventure, which is drawing a chorus of praise from critics nationwide. In Ed’s review, he describes the movie as “a thrilling tale for young and old.” (5 stars)
- WHAT THEY HAD—Blythe Danner stars in this moving drama about a family coping with their matriarch’s deepening dementia. (5 stars)
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