Have you picked up a book, settled into your favorite comfy spot, and started to read--only to find yourself less able to focus and more easily distracted than you used to be? You're not alone. Many adults are discovering a problem with their reading abilities. It's a problem Leland Ryken and I explore in Recovering … Continue reading Recovering the Lost Art of Reading
After a recent speaking engagement, I was asked for some book recommendations. Having expended a great deal of mental energy into the talks I'd just given, I felt a little brain dead and came up with only a few favorites. I did recall and mention, however, this earlier post that includes a variety of nonfiction … Continue reading Reading Recommendations
This morning, two of my favorite Scripture texts became real to me as never before. You probably love these passages as well. The first is Isaiah 40:28–31. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding … Continue reading Renewed Strength
William Boekestein, pastor of Immanuel Fellowship Church in Kalamazoo, MI, was recently appointed as the social media coordinator for Reformed Fellowship, publisher of the The Outlook. In his continuing task to help Reformed Fellowship build an online presence and engage meaningful internet discussion, he posted yesterday (October 20, 2016) a link to my article on Fiction's … Continue reading The Delight and Truth of Fiction
An article I wrote about why Christians should read fiction appears in the November issue of The Outlook. You can page through this online preview to read that article as well as a lovely review of my Matthew books.
Does the concept of popular literature seem like an oxymoron? Can a book sell well in today's pop culture, while still displaying a high degree of literary quality? The answer is a resounding: Yes! This week I read a newly released book by prolific author Sigmund Brouwer that evidences excellent literary quality and is sure to skyrocket … Continue reading Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer
Susan Olasky regularly posts Web Reads on the WORLD magazine website. Among the fascinating links she posted at the end of this terrific article about Elisabeth Elliot is The Write Life's list of 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2014. I've only had time to scroll through because these days I'm focused on preparing several … Continue reading Writers resources
You say you're not a reader? Readers are made, not born. Like anything else, we learn to do it through practice. You read a lot or you want to read more, but you feel like you need direction? Look to the light of Lit! by Tony Reinke. The title is a clever play on words that intentionally … Continue reading Lit! An elliptical book review
Compressing everything I learned during my intensive Glen West workshop into brief blog posts seems impossible. But I can give you a taste through small samples. Last Friday, I focused on the first day and wrote about beginning to write by writing. Two of the many literary terms we discussed on subsequent workshop days were intention … Continue reading Telling the story eclipses intention and audience
Lately I've been thinking a lot about what makes a novel rise above the level of merely well-written fiction to become a literary work. A novel can consist of technically flawless writing, but be as bland as a piece of white toast. So it must tell a good story. It's also true that a novel … Continue reading Literature or fiction?
Glenda Faye Mathes 