Anne Lamott
Yesterday I had the pleasure of talking to Rainy Day Books honcho Vivien Jennings…
For those of you who may not know her, Vivien is the woman behind bringing nationally recognized authors, politicians and celebrities to Kansas City for readings, lectures and book signings for the past three decades.
And tomorrow – Wednesday November 19th at 7:00 p.m. – she is hosting author Anne Lamott at the Community Christian Church on the Plaza to talk about her new book, Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments.
Vivien’s done hundreds of these, but tomorrow night is very special to me.
Because having been raised in a far right wing, fundamental, Biblically literalist home, it’s taken me years to sort out what my spiritual life was supposed to be.
Adam Hamilton
I had two conflicting emotions; the battle over how I was raised versus what felt right in my heart and head.
The environment I was raised in led me to believe I’d go to hell for even stretching my brain and questioning things. I knew what I felt was right but how I was being raised made no sense to me, but was terrified to voice my thoughts.
So kinda like Moses, I spent 40 years wandering the desert until I ran across two people.
One was my friend and pastor, Adam Hamilton, but But before him, it was Lamott.
She’s the author of the New York Times bestsellers: Help, Thanks, Wow; Some Assembly Required; Grace (Eventually); Plan B; Traveling Mercies; and Operating Instructions, as well as several novels. Lamott’s also the past recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.
I’ve read every nonfiction work she’s written.
Selected works, like Traveling Mercies and Grace, Eventually and Bird by Bird, her classic on writing, I’ve read more times than I can count.
Lamott’s approach is refreshing, irreverent and real. It’s what I like about her most. It was the first time I read a theological study incorporating use of the F-word, so I immediately fell in love.
In this newest work, Lamott offers “a new message of hope that celebrates the triumph of light over the darkness in our lives. Our victories over hardship and pain may seem small, she writes, but they change us—our perceptions, our perspectives, and our lives. Lamott writes of forgiveness, restoration, and transformation, how we can turn toward love even in the most hopeless situations, how we find the joy in getting lost and our amazement in finally being found. Profound and hilarious, honest and unexpected, the stories in Small Victories are proof that the human spirit is irrepressible.”
If you’re into this kind of thing at all, it’s a night you won’t want to miss.
I can’t tell you what she’s done for my head and heart and hopefully you’ll get the same boost from her quirky charm. It’s a Wednesday and this just may be what you need to get over the hump.
Admission is $22.95, plus tax, and includes one hardcover copy of Small Victories and One Stamped Autographing Admission Ticket.
Always wonder, in the end, which way the greater than/less than symbol points in regards to religion helping people or just screwing them up. Probably a toss-up.
Sounds like you’ve been on both sides of the arrow, PW.
Hope the show is everything you hope it will be, friend.
Jim, while I have been on both sides, I never was comfortable with or believed one of them. I left the church in total for several years, mainly because of what you asked, what does “” mean?
What’s it matter.
What’s real about it and what’s not.
What did it mean THEN and what’s it mean NOW?
Context; who is the arbiter of that and how do you define it?
Point is, you can go too far off both ends of the spectrum. I’m happier somewhere in the middle….
But in all honesty, had it not been for Adam and Anne… I’d likely turned my back on it all as I was more inclined, at the time, to simply throw my hands up. Problem is I’m not very good at giving up. I don’t quit well. Too many times in life I’ve had to start over or reinvent. I’m thankful for where I am now, at least.
Knowing your place in the world and being completely comfortable with that knowledge is 99.9% of the battle, Paul. I’ll let the theologians and the other pointy-headed people debate the remaining .1%. I’ll continue to speculate about it over a good scotch and a big fat stogie.
+1. esp the scotch and stogie. (in my case, jack and a fine punch gran cru.)
am reminded of a passage from one of Sting’s latest:
“And whatever you’d promised, whatever you’ve done,
And whatever the station in life you’ve become.
In the name of the Father, in the name of the Son,
And whatever the weave of this life that you’ve spun,
On the Earth or in Heaven or under the Sun,
When the last ship sails. “
Im a huge fan of Sting’s lyrics, more than his music. I know it sounds like a dychotomy, but think about it…
Probably one of the finest recent writers and incredible with her work about
life.
Have read 1 1/2 of her books…..so here’s the deal…she’s about peace and
harmony in one’s life.
wislun….take chuck and I’ll pay for his admittance. just email me where to
send the money. He could use some of her wisdom.
best quote she’s had….
“You can tell if people are following Jesus, because they are feeding the poor, sharing their wealth, and trying to get everyone medical insurance.” AHA! There is
hope for my kcc readers/disciples and followers!
Love ya
Harley
paul… totally understand. sting is a great writer. try to give the song “The Last Ship” a listen tho’. Still Sting, but it ain’t rock. I’ve played it now probably a hundred times…still can’t figure out how to play the harmonica(s) with it. need a concertina I think.
Finally going to add Bird by Bird to my Kindle on your recommendation, Paul. Was surprised how much I learned from Stephen King’s, “On Writing” several years ago. Thanks for the nudge.
Paul, Im half way through Kings book. I refused to buy it because Im NOT a King fan. A friend nudged me and its been one of the best books Ive read on the topic, OUTSIDE of Anne’s. Bird, while in her quirky style, is facinating. Been through it twice, you won’t regret the buy, and on Amazon, you can find it used as cheap as King of Sting! (OK, that was a joke, nothing as as cheap as KoS)
Of interest:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/god-said-hey/Content?oid=15147236
As for Kerouac, God chorister if not necessarily choir boy Sinatra’s tune –
“I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn & a king, I’ve been up & down & over & out & I know one thing… each time I find myself, flat on my face – I pick myself, up and get, back in the race, that’s life”
One thought has stayed with Kerouac always, whichever side atheistic or theistic:
Dr. Arthur Conklin, biologist at Princeton University – “The probability of life originating from an accident is comparable to the probability of an unabridged dictionary resulting from an explosion in a print shop.”
Seems to me as good a way any considering ‘the’ question…
Well said, K-ster.
In considering the “big question,” the problem that comes into play for me, in the literalist community, is the 7 day literal week of creation. The 4,000 year old “young earth.” Jonah really was eaten by a whale, etc.
If you choose to believe in your God, BIG ENOUGH to create the universe, WHY do you want to limit him by saying he suuuuuure didnt do it through EVOLUTION or the crap that Dawin guy wrote about?
No?
Why not?
If the universe is 4,000 or 4 Eleventy Billion years old, what does it matter?
If man walked to Deeno the Dino or not, what does it change?
Ive always said, God gets WAY too much blame and WAY too much credit…