Saturday Good Reads – TweetSpeak Poetry

Little did I know that when I improvised a short poem (contained within one tweet on Twitter) back in 2009 that it would me to a regular Twitter poetry jam; editing the tweets from the jams into poems; a blog created to contain the poems; other stuff (reviews and features) being added to the blog; and then a business enterprise that goes by the name of TweetSpeak Poetry.

Currently, I’m a weekly columnist for TweetSpeak (Tuesdays) and one of the things – just one – we’re up to is beginning to get our heads around the idea of poetry and business. I do reviews of poetry books, reflections, recollections, whatever sounds interesting.

I love being a columnist.

I work with a terrific team, led by chief instigator, central plotter, primary conspirator, writer, editor, publisher, poet, mother, wife, blogger, tea expert, lighthouse climber and who-knows-what-else Laura Barkat. Laura, or L.L., is the Grand Poobah of TweetSpeak (that sounds like a title from a Gilbert & Sullivan musical opera). She has three blogs: Seedlings in Stone, Love Notes to Yahweh, and Green Inventions Central.

She’s also written a memoir, Stone Crossings; a book of spiritual exercises, God in the Yard; a book of poems, Inside/Out; and a novella, The Novelist.

The editor for TweetSpeak is Lyla Lindquist, who is not only editor but also chief publicist, social media captain, writer, promoter, columnist, book club discussion leader and skunk works leader. Lyla is here, there and everywhere, and all at once. What she’s capable of doing leaves me in awe. She blogs at A Different Story, and also has a collection of reports and meditations about weekly visits to a Benedictine monastery for six months, called Making Headroom.

Then there’s Claire Burge. Claire is young (at my age, virtually everyone I know is young) but knows everything and how to do everything. She knew about Pinterest before Pinterest knew about Pinterest. She takes beautiful photographs (I used one for the cover of my novel Dancing Priest, and will be using another for an upcoming novella), travels to exotic places, knows everything about social media, and lets nothing intimidate her. She blogs at Claire Burge.

Monica Sharman has an official title of Editorial Intern, but she’s all over poetry, all over the business of poetry, all over our poetry jams on Twitter. Monica blogs at Know-Love-Obey God about faith, family, poetry and writing. She’s also a contributing writer to online publications like Bibledude.

Tania Runyan is a columnist for TweetSpeak, and is also a published poet, with three books of poetry: A Thousand Vessels, Simple Weight, and Delicious Air. Her poems have been published in numerous literary journals and anthologies, and she received an NEA Literature Fellowship in 2011. Tania is a tutor, writer, gardener and fiddle and mando player. Her web site: Tania Runyan.

Charity Singleton, another contributing writer, is a poet, writer, blogger, and works in online media for her Midwestern employer. She blogs at Wide Open Spaces, and I have to say it’s one of my favorite blogs to read.

And then there’s my friend Seth Haines. Seth is an attorney (but a nice guy in spite of that); he and his wife Amber are raising four boys in Arkansas. Seth is a writer, poet, and sometime theologian. He writes TweetSpeak’s weekly poetry prompt on Mondays. Seth blogs at Seth Haines.

TweetSpeak Poetry is a fine group of people – and a fine group of writers. Despite its origins as a place to deposit poems from poetry jams, it has become a presence in the field of poetry, and has plans to become even more.

The Last Normal Day

It was the last normal day.

During that last week in Jerusalem, Jesus maintained a daily pattern of activity. He teaches at the temple during the day, and then spends each night “on the hill called the Mount of Olives.” On the day of the Unleavened Bread, Jesus does what was customary and expected: He instructs the disciples to go into Jerusalem and make preparations for the Passover.

I find it difficult to insert myself into the “normal” religious rituals of the Passion Week primarily because I am on this side of the cross, and even more importantly, this side of the resurrection. Looking back, everything had significance; each action Jesus took was a sign.

But it was the last normal day. For all of us.

To read the rest of the post jointly authored by Charity Singleton and me, please visit The High Calling.

What I'm Learning from Reviews

Charity Singleton has posted a review of Dancing Priest at her blog, Wide Open Spaces. Here's a portion of what she has to say:

"I had been hearing about Glynn's book since it was first accepted for publication; Glynn and I work together as editors for The High Calling. So, on Friday, when I took all of the gifts cards and cash I had received for Christmas and bought a Kindle Fire, I knew the first book I would download would be Dancing Priest. 

"My only disappointment was that I didn't buy it sooner..."

It's a wonderful review, and like all the other reviews and the emails and face-to-face comments I've been receiving, it’s teaching me things about my book and the story it tells, things I didn’t realize or see or even understand until other people started reading it.

Dancing Priest is a big story, big in terms of scope, characters and geography. I truly didn’t think about that when I was writing it. But looking back, and considering most contemporary (Christian and general) fiction, it is unusual. Most fiction today tends to be tightly focused on a handful of characters. My book focuses on two, but there are many more who come to play more than minor roles.

Another difference with a lot of contemporary fiction is that it’s more narrative than psychological. It’s a story that moves forward. It doesn’t spend a lot of time worrying about what’s inside of the character’s heads, or staying in one place for very long.

It’s a story that crosses genres, which is a problem for most publishers. It’s not a romance novel, in the conventional definition of a romance novel, but it is a love story. But it’s not only a love story. It’s a love story lived within the context of contemporary life.

It is not autobiographical. Well, that’s mostly true. I’ve been asked if I identify with the main character, Michael Kent, or if I consider him an alter-ego. And the answer is no, I don’t, with one exception: how he attracts and deals with naysayers and competitors. Much of that comes from my own experience. But that’s about the only direct connection.

The character I identify the most with is (should a male author say this?) Sarah Hughes, the heroine. Her journey toward faith is taken largely from my own, including many of the specific details.

The book appeals to Christians and non-Christians alike. I didn’t write it with a specific audience or an imaginary reader in mind. I just wrote the story.

But I’ve had some hard-bitten, cynical people tell me what it’s meant to them. I’m still struck with wonder at this. One said she liked it “in spite of all the God stuff.” Another said she finally understood what people meant when they talked about faith – that it had destroyed her stereotypes. A third said he didn’t think he would enjoy as much as he did, and wondered if there would be a sequel. These were all non-Christians (as a Christian like me would define that term).

In a way, I’m glad the manuscript for the sequel is done except for the serious editing – I’m not going to try to write something to new expectations, including my own. The sequel moves in a different direction than the first, but the story is still big (actually bigger) and the major characters are still the same, with the addition of a few more.

The reviews – the comments – the reactions – I never expected to be as blessed as I have been by all of them.

Loving Strangers - Online

We associate hospitality with opening one’s home to others, being a thoughtful and generous host or hostess, a welcoming personality that puts people immediately at ease and makes them feel comfortable. And hospitality is all of that, of course, and more.

What I find fascinating is that there are exactly four references to the word we translate as “hospitality” in the Bible, although similar ideas and concepts are implied in many other places. Two of the four direct references are included in St. Paul’s list of qualifications for elder (1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:8). A third reference is found in his letter to the Romans (12:13), where he gives a rather direct command: “Practice hospitality.” The fourth reference is St. Peter’s words (1 Peter 4:9), where he says to “offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

The literal translation of the Greek word used in these references is “love of strangers.” We are to be hospitable to each other, but we are also to “love strangers.” And because Paul knew the failings of the ordinary human, he made it a command: practice hospitality. What he’s saying here is that it doesn’t come naturally: we have to practice hospitality, and keep at it.

Some people are naturals at this. Some aren’t. I’m not. My worst nightmare is to throw me into a cocktail reception where I don’t know the first soul in the room. I’m always in awe of people who seem naturally able to work a room, talking with total strangers, and making people feel at ease.

What I’ve found, however, is that the internet can level the playing field.

Perhaps it’s because it’s not an official or physical “face-to-face” meeting, or possibly the “risks” are reduced, or you can always x-out and sign off. I don’t know the exact reason, but I’ve seen this on others as well. I’ve also seen the extremes; some people will and do say anything online, things they wouldn’t dream of saying in a face-to-face conversation.

I see hospitality practiced all the time on line.

Charity Singleton, for example. She blogs at Wide Open Spaces, and once a week she visits someone else’s blog and writes about on her blog.

Louise Gallagher, who blogs at Recover Your Joy, is another “practitioner” of hospitality. She will go out online, get inspired and write a blog post about what she’s found.

Jason Bourne blogs at Jason’s Spinal Bifida Journey, and I don’t think I’ve met anyone as enthusiastic about people and life as Jason.

Chris Goforth sends a good morning tweet on Twitter every morning. He blogs at Goforth’s Journal.

Friendliness, enthusiasm and encouragement ooze from Megan Willome. She blogs at Sabbath Says.

J of India blogs at Neither Use Nor Ornament. He lived most of his childhood and working live in England, and then retired to India, where he takes wonderful photos and posts them on his blog. We’ve had a few email conversations, and all I can say is, someone who places a quote by G.K. Chesterton at the top of his blog is OK by me.

There are many more people I could cite. But the six listed here practice hospitality every day. They make strangers to their blogs feel welcome. They leave encouraging comments. My life is richer because of them.

Over at Faith Barista, Bonnie Gray is hosting a weekly blog carnival. This week, the topic is “the gift of hospitality.” To see more posts on the topic, please visit Faith Barista. Bonnie’s an experienced practitioner of hospitality herself.

Illustration: Christ in the Breadline (1950) by Fritz Eichenberg.