Category archive: human flourishing
3001.16
Since I began writing about autism, I’ve received a lot of support from friends, acquaintances, and perfect strangers. I’m very grateful to Ruminate Magazine for providing a forum for my series Notes from the Spectrum, which currently stands at four installments. The series has had a profound effect on me already, giving me the chance…
812.15
2110.14
I spent the weekend on Lake Michigan with some of my best writing friends. We talked a lot, laughed a lot, worked, sang songs well into the night, even gave a sparsely attended but enjoyable reading at a small-town library. I wish I could say I came back refreshed, feeling rested. I came back sick,…
2409.14
Teaching The football player who sits in the back corner of Expository Writing and doesn’t say much, then turns in a rather stunning personal narrative about what he learned from a child in Haiti who needed a glass of water. This was no fly-by-night church trip, but a longstanding engagement marked by humility and hope….
1505.14
Two recent signs of hope today in creative literary endeavors: Looking for some short fiction with that burrito? Vanity Fair reports that Chipotle cups will now feature original stories by Jonathan Safran Foer, Toni Morrison, George Saunders, and others. In a second compelling story, The New York Times Arts Beat reports that “In Praise of…
905.14
I had a great conversation at lunch today revolving around The Hunger Games trilogy, which I just finished reading. Our talk then drifted to YA books in general. A dreaded question came up: “Have you read John Green?” I’ve avoided The Fault in Our Stars for a long time, feeling like I wouldn’t be able…
2703.14
I just finished Kyle Minor’s first collection, In the Devil’s Territory, which I liked very much, and which, as of this writing, is still just $1.99 for Kindle (go get it). And I read a Middle Grade book called Lone Wolf, which Una really wanted me to read. At AWP in Seattle, I bought Kyle’s…
1702.14
Hey, Chicago-area folks! I’ll be reading at Wheaton this Thursday @ 3:30 PM. Sure would love it if you could make it, and/or pass the word. Thanks!
2911.13
As I’m recovering from minor surgery, I’ve been reading a lot and writing a little. I’ve gone back and re-read some of the sermons in Debbie Blue’s first book, Sensual Orthodoxy (2003), as I had just finished From Stone to Living Word (2008) and craved more engagement with her unique voice and rich insights. Also,…