Author: HCNewton Page 210 of 635

The Sexual Reformation: Restoring the Dignity and Personhood of Man and Woman by Aimee Byrd: There’s a Lot to Commend, but Maybe not Enough

DETAILS:
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: March 7, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 207 pg.
Read Date: January 1-15, 2023

The Back of the Book

Protestants have confessed that the church is always reforming.

But has this been the case when it comes to sexuality?

What if, in trying to be faithful to the beauty of God’s design for man and woman, the church has instead latched onto a pagan concept of our nature and missed the theological meaning of our sexes? We’ve inadvertently robbed both men and women of the dignity of personhood as created in the image of God. Then we miss the beautiful message that our bodies, and our whole selves as men and women, tell: the story of the great joy in which the Son received the gift of his bride, the church.

Through an exploration of the Song of Songs, Aimee Byrd examines what this often-ignored book can teach us about Christ, his church, man, and woman. The Church is ripe for a sexual reformation, and recovering a good theological footing is imperative to it. Byrd invites you to enter into the Song’s treasures as its lyrics reveal the point of it all—not a list of roles and hierarchy, but a love song.

The Song

Like many (most?) contemporary believers, I struggle with The Song of Songs. A lot of the allegorical interpretations seem a little off to me, but I can’t rule them out. I definitely can’t buy the idea that it’s simply an erotic poem and/or erotic manual smack in the middle of the Old Testament.

Byrd draws on both older allegorical interpretations and more recent versions—shaped by the insights of Biblical Theology to come up with her observations on the Song. I found this material fascinating and wanted much more of it. I really should grab some of the works she footnoted and study them.

Call to Reformation

Along with—intermixed with—the Song material is Byrd’s continuing work on re-evaluating the way that men and women relate to themselves in the Protestant Church—particularly the ways that groups like the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood or the Council on Biblical Equality call for. She critiques both poles of these disputed ideas (although she seems to have more to say about CBMW).

Her goal for the book is to bring insights from the Song to the ideas of roles, relations, and treatment of people of both genders—but primarily for women, because that’s where most of the controversy lies.

Her contention is that as we better understand the Song, we’ll better understand the telos of both sexes, which will lead to better—and more harmonious—relations between all the members of the church.

So, what did I think about The Sexual Reformation?

If this book was only the material (expanded) on the Song of Songs, I think I’d really have enjoyed it. If the book was only the other materials, it’d have been thought-provoking—and maybe convincing. But the mix of the two…ehhhhh. I’m not sure. It felt like two half-books that didn’t necessarily belong together. If one (or both) of them got a chance to be fully baked, that’d have been so much better.

Historically, the interpretation of the Song is so varied that it can easily be seen as a wax nose that can be used to say whatever an author wants. I’m not saying that Byrd did that. But I can see where it could be seen that way—yet another reason for the two books to be split.

It’s an accessible read, relatable, and the issues it wants to focus on are very important for believers to wrestle with. Making this the kind of book we need more of (both those that agree with her and those who differ, so we can think about these things). Although we got a little more about what’s going on with Byrd personally than the book really needed, and a lot of the sexual reformation material is a reiteration of her last couple of books, just presented through a different prism.

Ultimately, the Song gives me enough trouble that I’m not really sure what I think of what she says—but I liked it and want to read more like it to see it better. I’m generally on-board with her reformation ideas in broad strokes. So, I’ve got every reason to like this book, but I’m not wholly sold.

Still, I recommend the book for those who want to wrestle with these ideas—or to get pushed on the content of the Song.

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Saturday Miscellany—1/28/23

By HCNewton

On January 28, 2023

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

This is a shorter and very eclectic collection for you this week. Hope you enjoy.

I didn’t see any New Releases to tempt you with this week—you’ll have to find someone else to add to your TBR pile–did I miss something I should’ve listed here?

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet Reading is precious – which is why I’ve been giving away my books—I appreciate where Cosslet is coming from, but I’m not that good of a person
bullet Adventures in Not-Writing—one writer’s journey through not-writing
bullet Real Shit and Book Shit with K.R.R. Lockhaven—a great interview with friend-of-the-blog K.R.R. Lockhaven
bullet The Enduring Appeal of the Teen Detective: From books to TV, why we keep going back for more young gumshoes
bullet Asian Sleuths—Slueths & Sidekicks (a site I need to spend more time on) has a nifty list of Asian Detectives/Detective-type Characters. I’d read a decent percentage of this list, which surprised me—also it’s probably a sign that we need more Asian Detective stories.
bullet Crime Fiction Heroes: To Age or Forever Young?—Not surprisingly, Paul Levine comes down on the “To Age” side (I do, too, and have thought of a piece like this for forever…maybe I don’t need to now)
bullet Molly Templeton asks (and offers some answers), What Makes a Story Comforting?
bullet Why the SF Canon Doesn’t Exist—I’m not sure I buy all of Duke’s conclusions and reasoning. But I appreciated this piece and will probably keep chewing on it.
bullet The Chronicles of Prydain Overview by Jason Dodge—I will read about Prydain any day, and I liked this overview enough that I wish it was 2-3 times longer.
bullet My A-Z Of Books – A—Steven Writes commemorates their 5 year anniversary by kicking off a series of “all of the most significant things for each letter, such as the authors and books I have read; the most memorable characters I have come across, and the most captivating settings” from A to Z. Daunting project that will result in some great reading for those of us who don’t have to compose it.
bullet Our Engagement With Book Reviews—this is why I don’t look at individual post engagement 🙂
bullet On Good and Bad Books—Peat Long takes an interesting route to defining a good book (I think I agree, too, for what it’s worth)

The Friday 56 for 1/27/23: The Perception Of Dolls by Anthony Croix, edited by Russell Day

By HCNewton

On January 27, 2023

In Currently Reading, News/Misc., Quotations, The Friday 56

This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice.

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
Find a snippet, short and sweet.
Post it.

from Page 56% of:
The Perception Of Dolls

The Perception Of Dolls by Anthony Croix, edited by Russell Day

“I can remember that evening, when the three of us were eating dinner in the caravan, he stank to high heaven, he’d been sweating like a pig all day. Me and Steve weren’t saying much, we were both sulking like a pair of kids and Jed was rabbiting away 19 to the dozen. If I thought about it at all I guess I thought he was chattering to cover the silence. You know the how people do, they get caught up in someone else’s argument and talk out of embarrassment. But I don’t think it was that at all. He was hyped up about finding the flights of stairs didn’t match. I remember Steve asking him if that was unusual in houses of that age. I don’t remember the answer, but I know it went on for a long time and the crux of it was Jed just reiterating that he’d checked, checked and triple checked the results and there was an anomaly. He kept coming back to that word, anomaly.

“I slept in the house that night. Partly I wanted to get away from Steve, but mostly I wanted to get away from Jed’s chatter, and his BO.”

Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire: Nothing Comes Free

By HCNewton

On January 26, 2023

In Fantasy, Fiction, Seanan McGuire, Wayward Children

Lost in the Moment and Found

by Seanan McGuire

DETAILS:
Series: Wayward Children, #8
Publisher: Tordotcom
Publication Date: January 10, 2023
Format: Hardcover
Length:  146 pg.
Read Date: January 12-13, 2023

This ended up being one of those books that I could say almost nothing about or could just as easily have said far too much about. It took me a week and a half just to figure out—I hope—the way to strike the balance.

What’s Lost in the Moment and Found About?

Antoinette (known as Antsy) is a little girl whose life is shattered when her father dies unexpectedly. Her mother quickly remarries for security and her stepfather is the stuff of nightmares. He dismantles her idyllic-sounding childhood, almost removing her from the family. When darker (much darker) things loom, Antsy runs away.

Naturally—well, supernaturally—as this is a Wayward Children book, she’s soon presented with a Door. She steps through it, as sure as someone who isn’t even ten can be. And enters a shop. Unusually for this series, she’s not in a new world—but a shop. The Shop Where the Lost Things Go to be precise.

The shop is managed by an old woman named Vineta and a very large (and talking) magpie named Hudson. In addition to the Shop being the place that Lost Things go—those that are needed by their owners can come be retrieved. There is a Door in the Shop that Antsy can open to other worlds (Antsy’s door, and that of those coming to Find something, appears in a different location)—there’s never any telling what world will be on the other side of the Door. If it looks appealing, Vineta and Antsy will go through and purchase some things to sell in the Shop (and feed themselves), otherwise Antsy will close the door and try again.

At some point, Antsy begins finding ominous notes trying to tell her something—will she figure out what the notes are trying to tell her in time?

Worldbuilding

One of the more entertaining things—for me, anyway—about this series is hearing about worlds that we don’t get to spend time in (or more than a quick glimpse, anyway). Just a brief mention along the way to some other point, and you get to fuel your imagination for a bit. Given this setting—and the way the Shop flits between worlds for Antsy and Vineta to go pick up stock, Lost in the Moment and Found is rife in these glimpses, hints of what else is out there. I had so much fun with that—McGuire’s really created a universe for these stories where she can indulge any whim she has for storytelling and it’d work.

But that’s not really what I wanted to talk about.

This entry would be a worthwhile read for fans if only for this one thing—we learn more about the Doors and how they work. I’m not going to go into it, obviously, nor am I going to promise that every question you had about the Doors will be answered—actually you’ll likely end up with new questions, but they’ll be informed questions.

Depth of Darkness

On the whole, this series hasn’t featured “bad guys”—largely, the antagonists have been people with competing visions for the way things ought to be. People who were trying their best, but who couldn’t understand their children (before and/or after their door)—and so on. A lot of people you don’t want to be around and you don’t want to see have much success as they are, but typically it’s possible to see where they’re coming from and why they do what they do (as much as you might object to it).

But in this book? There are a minimum of two evil characters. People that need to be stopped, and you sort of wish Toby Daye would make a cameo and do what she does best.

McGuire’s painted some bleak circumstances for her Wayward Children—but this seems bleaker (I haven’t spent a lot of time reviewing the older books, so I’m prepared to be corrected) and darker than we’re used to. There’s a period where you can forget that, where it almost feels like Antsy is out for a very long lark and everything will be a fun adventure.

I don’t know if this is a turning point and that we’ll see more books like this in the years to come. I doubt it—I think this is a story that needed to be told, but we’ll be back on more familiar ground—with a more familiar tone—soon.

So, what did I think about Lost in the Moment and Found?

This is clearly a personal story of McGuire (just read the Author’s note that precedes the text) and there’s a rawness to the writing that isn’t typical for this series (or McGuire, period). But it’s oh, so fitting.

I find myself slipping into misconceptions about this series—I enjoy the characters (so many of our protagonists are just loveable), the concept behind the series and West’s school, and so on—it’s easy to remember the nonsense worlds, the joy that characters frequently experience in finding a Door, going home, or leaving home that you forget that almost everyone goes through a Door from our world to get away from something. When I pause to write something like this or describe the series/a particular novella to someone—all of that comes rushing back. Only to be forgotten again until I start reading the next book.* Antsy’s situation is perhaps the most disturbing we’ve seen—and what she ultimately finds in the shop is equally (but in a very different way) unsettling.

* I hope I’m not alone in that, but I have to assume the rest of you are more careful in your reading/remembering.

The novella is not all dire and troubling—there’s a lot of fun to be had as we follow Antsy. The quick excursion to the lost animal department could’ve filled a novella or two. The reader might see some old friends out of the corner of their eye, too. Most importantly, there is hope. That last line is earned (as we’re told time and time again, nothing comes free), and is so reassuring.

Unsurprisingly, I recommend this book—unlike most in the series, I don’t think this would serve as a good entry point. It’s a good number 8 (these are all novellas, so reading eight of them isn’t that big of an investment). It’s raw, it’s unsettling (at the very least), it’s emotional, and it’s full of some of McGuire’s best prose. I’m sure those who’ve read 1-2 (or all seven) others don’t need me to say this, you’ve probably already read them. But for everyone else, it’s time to start reading these books.

4 1/2 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

The trouble with audiobooks…

By HCNewton

On January 25, 2023

In Audiobook, Currently Reading, News/Misc.

Well, my plans for today crashed and burned, so let’s revisit this amusing (to me, anyway) moment from 5 years ago today.

This morning I heard the phrase, “her two perfect teeth,” describing the surgically enhanced and improved trophy wife of an entertainment executive. Which made no sense at all to me and, frankly distracted me from what he went on to read.

Two minutes or so later, it hit me that what the narrator had actually said was actually, “too-perfect teeth” (punctuation is a guess). Which is actually fitting for the context.

Have you run into things like this in your audiobook listening?

WWW Wednesday, January 25, 2023

By HCNewton

On January 25, 2023

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

Hey, it’s Wednesday, and I really don’t have anything else to say, so let’s get on with the WWW Wednesday.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Easy enough, right?

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading The Hero Interviews by Andi Ewington and On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel—two books that couldn’t be more different if they tried. I should be wrapping up the audiobook of Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey, Julia Whelan (Narrator) this morning.

Blank Space

What did you recently finish reading?

Most recently, I finished The Perception Of Dolls by Anthony Croix, edited by Russell Day and Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire and Ray Porter, Emily Bauer (Narrators) on audio. I’m trying to figure out how to write about the former, and not feeling incredibly successful.

Blank Space

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be The Silk Empress by Josef Matulich and my next audiobook should be The Wizard’s Butler by Nathan Lowell, Tom Taylorson (Narrator). I’m looking forward to both—but honestly have no recollection at all of what either one is about.

Blank Space

Are you reading anything good?

Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2022

By HCNewton

On January 24, 2023

In News/Misc., Top X List

The topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesdays is the Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2022

If this was a Top 6, this would’ve been super-easy to write. If it had been 15, it would’ve been only slightly more difficult. But 10? Ten was surprisingly tricky. But I think I came up with a list I can live with. I’d been kicking myself for not coming up with a post like this at the end of last year/the beginning of this year. And then, lo and behold, here it is as a topic for the Top Ten Tuesday! So, here we go…

Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2022

(alphabetically)

	JCM Berne In my initial post about the book, I said I wanted to be Berne’s new friend. I still do. Wistful Ascending ticked just about every box I have—and created a couple of new ones. Space Opera, Superheroes, comedy, drama, a dash of romance, and some characters I could not get enough of would be enough to make me a fan. But more than anything…his voice, I couldn’t get enough of it. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book that put him on this list, click here.
	Eli Cranor I’d been hearing raves for Cranor’s novel for months before I got my hands on it—and it took very little time to realize that raves were justified. As great as the story and the characters were, it was Cranor’s lean prose that hooked me. There’s not a wasted syllable in those pages—the writing is beautiful, visceral, empathetic, and honest. I’m counting the days until his next novel. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book that put him on this list, click here
	Sean Gibson I don’t think one author made me laugh more than Sean Gibson did last year. Some of his humor was subtle—but a lot of it wasn’t. And no matter where they fell on the spectrum, his jokes landed successfully. His comedic take on fantasy adventurers in general and the various adventurers (and those they interacted with) in this novel in particular are just the right mixture of mockery of the genre and tribute to it. All in all, it made for a very satisfying read. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book that put him on this list, click here
	Peter Hartog Oh, man, Hartog’s mix of SF, Urban Fantasy, and Police Procedural hit the spot. I’d like little more than to sit down with him for a couple of hours and have him explain some of his choices in the design of this world/series. That’s not to suggest that the plots and characters of the first two novels in his series aren’t equally (if not more) interesting—but the setting of the novel is just so well done that I want to know more about it. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book that put him on this list, click here
	Mur Lafferty I could repeat a lot of what I said about Hartog here—but I won’t. I read Lafferty’s most recent book this year, and listened to a fairly recent novella (or something shorter, it’s hard to tell). Both were breaths of fresh air—whether it was a murder mystery on a sentient space station populated primarily by aliens or a novel about a dystopian America, organized dissenters, and a children’s TV mascot—Lafferty combined stories, genres, and tropes in a reliably entertaining fashion that kept the surprises coming. These were funny books—without being comedies—but that was never the focus (but if you can ramp up the tension while giving the reader a laugh, why not do it?). Lafferty’s a name I’ve seen a time or six before, but it wasn’t until last year that I’d done more than glance at the name. That’s over, and I’ll be pouncing on anything I see her name on. In case you’re curious about what I said about the works that put her on this list, click here and here
	Gigi Pandian Pandian’s Under Lock & Skeleton Key might be the most charming book I encountered last year. Sure, there’s a murder mystery, some personal tragedy, and other hardships to deal with. But Pandian infuses the whole work with a warmth—both in her characters, their relationships, and the narrative—that makes the book reassuring and comfortable. The food she describes goes a long way to establishing that, too (warning: can lead to you ordering too much—disable DoorDash, etc. before picking it up). In case you’re curious about what I said about the book that put her on this list, click here
	Kate Racculia It was Racculia’s eccentric characters and the way they interacted with each other that stuck with me more than anything else (but most of the rest was worthy of note). The conversations, the very strange wit, and the unusual outlooks on life were just great, like I said in my initial post, they were “characters I want to spend more time with—I really don’t need a story, maybe just see them sitting around a table talking about what’s going on in their lives.” Anytime someone gives me that, I’m very glad to have discovered them. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book that put her on this list, click here
	Peng Shepherd The Cartographers is one of the most atypical thrillers I can think of—and one of the most compelling. Shepherd’s approach to plot, worldbuilding, character, and tone worked so well—and seemed to be swimming against the stream for the kind of book it was. This just means that the result was unconventional and all the more striking. Definitely an author I’m going to return to. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book that put her on this list, click here
	Dennis E. Taylor Taylor writes like a lifelong SF fan who finally figured out a way to let it all loose for fun and (hopefully) profit. He’s not afraid to be funny or to let other emotions flow freely, either. His first series is a semi-ridiculous concept that ends up seeming plausible and makes for a much better series than you’d expect (see also Butcher’s Codex Alera). I’ve already got a stockpile of his works to go through—I just need to catch up on my writing stack so I can let myself listen to them. In case you’re curious about what I said about the books that put him on this list, click here
	Matt Witten My first exposure to Witten came in a short story anthology where he provided something I described as “exactly what I wanted to read today.” His second novel was a murder mystery with a reporter protagonist that broke all of my preconceptions about what those novels would be and ended up saying a lot about the state of journalism, those who can make it in the profession, and the cost for everyone involved (those who make the news, are subjects of the news, read/watch the news, and possibly the idea of Truth). Without being pretentious or preachy. Not bad, not bad at all. In case you’re curious about what I said about his work that put him on this list, click here and here (this is just a line or two)

LITERARY LOCALS: A Q&A About Writing near Idaho with Joyce Reynolds-Ward

By HCNewton

On January 24, 2023

In A Few Quick Questions With..., Literary Locals

Literary Locals logo
After I announced this series, I got a message, “Hey, would you be interested in NE Oregon writers as well? Just on the west side of Hells Canyon in Wallowa County.” So, I expanded my horizons (just a bit) and jumped on it. Here’s the result–Reynolds-Ward is quite the prolific writer and one you should definitely find some time to check out.

Before we get into things, why don’t you give the reader a brief introduction to you and your work.
Joyce Reynolds-Ward has been called “the best writer I’ve never heard of” by one reviewer. Her work includes themes of high-stakes family and political conflict, digital sentience, personal agency and control, realistic strong women, and (whenever possible) horses, frequently in Pacific Northwest settings.

She is the author of The Netwalk Sequence series, the Goddess’s Honor series, The Martiniere Legacy series, The People of the Martiniere Legacy series, and The Martiniere Multiverse series as well as standalones Beating the Apocalypse, Klone’s Stronghold and Alien Savvy.

Samples of her Martiniere short stories/novel in progress and her nonfiction can be found on Substack at either Speculations from the Wide Open Spaces (writing), Speculations on Politics and Political History (politics), or Martiniere Stories (fiction).

Joyce is a Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off Semifinalist, a Writers of the Future SemiFinalist, and an Anthology Builder Finalist. She is the Secretary of the Northwest Independent Writers Association, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, and a member of Soroptimists International.

Find out more about Joyce at her website, http://www.joycereynoldsward.com. Joyce is @JoyceReynoldsW1 on Twitter, jreynoldsward on Tumblr, joycereynoldsward on Counter.Social, and jreynoldsward on Dreamwidth.

Are you a native to the Idaho-ish area? What brought you to the area in the first place? (answer whichever question applies) What is it about the area that keeps you here?
Well, I’m over here in what some call “Greater Idaho,” aka Northeastern Oregon. I split my time between the Wallowa Valley (where I have excellent views of the Seven Devils on the border, clouds and wildfire smoke depending) and Portland, but I spend more time in the Wallowas. I am a fifth-generation Oregonian, but my family was primarily in Southern Oregon. I love the drier climate, the access to mountains, and the wide open spaces. Not always thrilled about the local politics, but that’s a given no matter where I live.

Are you tied into some sort of local author/bookish group/culture? If so, tell us about it and how it helps you as an author. If you’re not, is there a reason for it?
Pre-Covid, I was involved with Fishtrap, which is Wallowa County’s literary organization. I have attended their winter Fishtrap Fireside readers and their Summer Fishtrap Conference at Wallowa Lake. While Fishtrap is more literary-oriented rather than genre-oriented (I write science fiction and fantasy), I’ve found it to be useful in some respects. I’m not currently involved because my doctor has asked me to avoid indoor gatherings, continue to social distance, and mask. I am, however, very involved with a regional writer’s organization, the Northwest Independent Writers Association. I have sent my books to events hosted by NIWA and host their monthly Zoom chats, as well as being a Board member. NIWA has done great things for helping regional indie writers and I’m glad to be part of the process.

(Fishtrap is such a great name)
It is. Their logo is based on the design of a fishtrap used in the local rivers. Of course, I also think of the submerged fishtrap that I saw in Crane Prairie Reservoir (near Bend) where my parents used to fish as a kid. There was a very good fishing hole near the fishtrap, so we were always looking for it.

What kind of events in the area do you attend—either to sell/promote your books or to network with authors? Are there any outside of this area that you hit regularly and wish we had something like it here?
At the time, due to doctor request, I am not attending in-person events. Because of the paucity of virtual events locally, most of my event attendance tends to be located out of the area. I have participated virtually in the World Science Fiction Convention as a panelist and volunteer, the World Fantasy Convention as a panelist and attendee Weeknight Writers as a panelist and attendee, Quarancon as a panelist and attendee, SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association) write-ins and virtual gatherings, Substack Fictionistas Zoom calls, PNW Meetup (20Booksto50K local group) Zooms, as well as hosting the NIWA Zoom chats. I also plan to participate virtually in SFWA’s Nebula Conference this year.

I participate in a Northeast Oregon Writers Facebook group, but alas, I seem to be one of the more active participants. I’d like to see more regional virtual events if possible. I would LOVE to do virtual bookstore appearances and readings in Idaho, especially for my Martiniere books, which are heavily based in the inland Northwest. As an older writer, it is becoming more difficult for me to travel and reach out to potential readers. I’d love to have more virtual options.

So many of those virtual options are disappearing now, and I really thought we’d all discovered something great that would stick around along with in-person events once they returned. Which is a crying shame. For example, I attended an event hosted by (and attended primarily by the customers of) a North Carolina bookstore with an author in Liverpool—there’s no way any of us would have connected in-person. Is there a way for authors (or readers) to help get more of those going?
Contribute financially to the existing virtual options. For example, Weeknight Writers and Flights of Foundry are still continuing with virtual opportunities but they need financial support. SFWA also does a lot of virtual activities, in part due to the growing international membership. The Nebula Award Conference sponsored by SFWA will have a virtual component. Jane Friedman is continuing to offer excellent, reasonably-priced online classes along with her in-person options. NIWA is getting more participants in our online Zoom chats, in part because we are trying to create learning programs of interest to our membership.

I am also participating (along with several other people) in hosting a First Sunday Brunch podcast that is run by B-Cubed Books. B-Cubed has regular Sunday morning podcasts, and we’re filling one regular slot.

Another thing I am considering is doing a regular Zoom chat with readers. Considering the possibilities, anyway.

What’s the breakdown of your audience—do you have a strong local base, or are your readers from other parts of the world?
I’d like to have a stronger local base, for sure! But I do have worldwide readers and fans. Pre-Covid, I was a regular at a science fiction convention in Missoula, MisCon, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting inland Northwest fans and readers.

Did many of those NW fans find you because of your locale, or did you get some readers who discovered after they were reading you that you’re from the same-ish area? I assume that most that discovered you via MisCon were the former, but what about the rest?
MisCon discovery was through my participation on panels and in readings—in many cases, I did the readings and panels first, and readers discovered me through seeing me. Or just hanging out in the lobby or bar and chatting with people. Similar for other conventions I attended—OryCon, in Portland, and RadCon, in the Tri-Cities. When I was handselling books at bazaars locally, if I included “local settings” in my pitch, I’d get a little bit of interest. It’s harder to sell science fiction and fantasy to a general attendance population simply because there’s a lot of reactive “oh I don’t read that stuff.” Even if it’s set locally.

Do you think there are particular challenges or advantages to being a writer in this neck of the woods? (possibly both)
In my case, I’m speaking to the whole region, not just the Treasure Valley. I think there is much more genre potential (SFF) here than many people realize, especially given that I’m trying to write agritech-based science fiction of late. It’s just getting the word out to readers. The other piece is getting past particular regional biases on the part of more influential gatekeepers in the publishing industry.

For you—what’s been the most effective way to get the word out to readers? Anything you’ve tried that hasn’t worked? Or anything you haven’t yet tried, but have thought about?
Oh, this changes every few months. I use social media a lot and have played around lightly with running ads. The problem is that what will work for a couple of months doesn’t always continue to work. The industry changes, big time. Right now, I’m considering running Pinterest ads, but setting up a new campaign or something like that requires a lot of preparation. Creating visuals. Creating promotional text. I had plans to get very aggressive with promotion last year, but then developed a cataract which really set me back for most of 2022. I’m regrouping and taking another run at trying to promote myself in 2023. I may try Kickstarter or Patreon, this year, and possibly selling things through my website. The problem with selling hard copy books through my website, however, is which vendor to use and which printer. Right now, some people are saying Lulu. However, I’ve been underwhelmed by what I have seen of Lulu’s production work. But I don’t know for certain, because those books have frequently been local histories and memoirs. They may turn out a perfectly nice book.

Do you bring Eastern Oregon (or some sort of Eastern Oregon-sensibility, assuming one exists) to your work? Whether or not anyone else sees it, can you look at some aspect of your writing and think “That’s Wallowa” or “I would do ____ differently if I was a Kentuckian or from Illinois?”
I’d like to think that people can pick up my work and recognize the inland Northwest! It doesn’t matter if I’m writing science fiction or fantasy, I like using settings from eastern Oregon/Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana.

One final question, is there a book (or two…or 18, if you get really carried away), that embodies Idaho/the Idaho spirit to you to recommend to my readers?
Idaho-specific, I would say Big Jim Turner, by James Stephens. Otherwise, I tend to think of other inland Northwest writers such as Ivan Doig, Norman Maclean, and even Craig Johnson.

Good picks all around—especially with Johnson (a big favorite on this patch of cyberspace)
Craig Johnson is amazing. I try to reread the series once a year, simply because he does such an excellent job not only of evoking the region but in dealing with the supernatural. I’m really surprised he doesn’t have a greater following in speculative fiction because he writes stuff verging on horror very, very well. Stephen Graham Jones is another excellent writer who evokes that feel of the inland Northwest/Rocky Mountain region.

Thanks for your time and participation! Hope you enjoyed it!

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Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir by Matthew Perry: A Memoir of Self-Destruction

By HCNewton

On January 23, 2023

In (Auto)Biography, Audiobook, Non-Fiction

Friends, Lovers, and the
Big Terrible Thing:
A Memoir

by Matthew Perry

DETAILS:
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: October 31, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 49 min.
Read Date: December 6-7, 2023

My mind is out to kill me, and I know it. I am constantly filled with a lurking loneliness, a yearning, clinging to the notion that something outside of me will fix me. But I had had all that the outside had to offer!

What’s Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing About?

This isn’t full of—but does contain—some good, behind-the-scenes stuff about Friends, Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards, Mr. Sunshine, The Odd Couple, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and other projects. But those don’t make up the bulk of the material. And those are interesting, amusing, and support the overall thesis of the book—he’s an addict who has been blessed with more good things than he knows how to handle.

There’s some juicy (largely nameless, but you can read between the lines) bits about his love life—as the title suggests. But again, there’s not much of that overall—and those, too, serve to support the overall thesis—even more than the professional matters do.

Then there’s the Big Terrible Thing—his addictions themselves, how he got started, how he maintained them, and his several attempts to get sober (of varying successes and lengths of success). He also goes into graphic (perhaps too graphic) detail about the physical toll they’ve taken on him—and the financial, emotional, and mental toll they’ve taken on those close to him.

How Perry Comes Across

When this book first came out (or just before it) there were more than a few headlines about some (I’m going to be charitable and call them) questionable jokes he made about Keanu Reeves and some people casting doubt about some of the particulars of some of his stories. Given how impaired he was during most of those disputed events (and just about every other event he recounts), I’m not surprised he doesn’t remember them correctly, and I don’t think it should be held against him. The Reeves jokes, on the other hand, might have seemed like a good idea at the time—but his editors really should’ve stopped them. I jotted down a note after the second one that “someone at Macmillan must have it out for him to let this make it to print.”

But both of those things pale in comparison to everything that Perry admits to in this book. He doesn’t come across as a good guy at all—and I don’t think he’s trying to. Sure, the fact that he’s (seemingly) coming clean about everything and (seemingly) taking responsibility for the lies, destructive behaviors, and despicable actions might make some people want to think better of him—but I don’t think he really wants that.

He comes across—and I realize this could be entirely calculated—as someone who is being honest about his shortcomings, seeking to explain the devastation his addictions have wrought on himself and many, many of those around him—how he’s somehow managed to have some success in the midst of that. He gives credit to some of those who’ve helped him get to this point in recovery—or kept him alive long enough to get there. In the end, however, Perry’s not a good guy and doesn’t pretend to be one. He’s a mess who will very likely kill himself if he relapses a time or two more.

So, what did I think about Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing?

I’ve been a big fan of Perry’s since Friends (I can point to the joke that made me one)—I’ve seen almost everything he’s done (sometimes not because of him, but I appreciated his involvement). But I put this book under the category of “will get around to eventually, maybe.” Until I saw people reacting to how much of the focus of the book is on the Big Terrible Thing. And that piqued my interest.

That sounds ghoulish, I realize, but hearing a well-documented addict talking about their struggles is something that I appreciate. It helps me empathize with those I know fighting that fight, and I hope, helps me understand and appreciate their struggles.

Perry’s clear that he’s been given every opportunity, tool, and help to get sober and to maintain that sobriety. And he’s squandered almost every one of them. And it has yet to work. The amounts he takes on a regular basis when he uses is…it’s a shocking amount—and only someone as wealthy as he is could pull it off.

At the same time, there’s a glimmer of hope. A faint glimmer, sure. But there is one—and if someone whose rock bottom is as low as Perry’s was can maybe make it—there’s hope for others, too. And that’s the big thing I took away—there’s hope. Hope for other addicts, hope for Perry.

I thought this was a riveting and disturbing read—made tolerable by Perry’s off-kilter and somewhat humorous telling of the stories. It’s not like most celebrity memoirs I’ve read (but I don’t think it’s that ground-breaking)—but definitely worth the time.

4 Stars
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I Have a Confession: The What and Why of The Westminster Confession of Faith by Nathan Eshelman: You Get More than Your Money’s Worth in this Small Book

By HCNewton

On January 22, 2023

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

I Have a Confession:]
The What and Why of the
Westminster Confession of Faith

by Nathan Eshelman

DETAILS:
Series: The Bedrock Series 
Publisher: Grassmarket Press
Publication Date: December 12, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 136 pg. 
Read Date: January 15, 2023

What’s I Have a Confession About?

This is an introduction to the Protestant practice of confessions—specifically The Westminster of Confession of Faith.

Eshelman starts out by describing the need for confessions, and what the ecclesiological landscape in the US is like without them. Chapter two lays out “the pillar of confessionalism”—the Scriptures themselves. It’s those Scriptures that give the warrant (chapter 3) for the development and use of confessions. This is what I expected from the book, and when that ended just a little past the halfway point, I was more than a little surprised.

What comes next is truly impressive—Eshelman gives a quick, yet thorough, review of the English Reformation from Henry VIII to the 1640s and the composition of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Then he gives a very brief overview of the contents of the Confession—chapter by chapter.

So, what did I think about I Have a Confession?

Let me start with a minor and really unimportant point—I really like the look and feel of this book. It’s like a field notebook in size, weight, and feel. It works really well for the series.

I’d intended on kicking off this year by rereading R. Scott Clark’s Recovering the Reformed Confession, but a couple of things derailed that (hopefully by the year’s end), but if I couldn’t get into that work, this is a good replacement.

The design of the series is to provide “clear, concise” works on faith and life from a Reformed perspective. Eshelman gives the reader precisely that—clear and concise. Concise, easy to read, and surprisingly thorough for a book of its size.

I was very impressed with this little book—it was everything I expected and more. I’d quibble with a point or two (a couple of his illustrations made me wonder), but only minor things. This is something I’d pass out to people without a second look—and would encourage anyone looking into the idea of Protestant confessions to give it a read.

4 Stars