Relief Editor-In-Chief, Kimberly Culbertson whole-heartedly recommends My Name is Russell Fink, by Michael Snyder.

Two years ago, when I read Michael's Snyder's fiction submission, "All Healed Up," I actually did a little dance of excitement.  Ben and I were in a restaurant at two in the morning,sifting through the first batch of submissions, and I was really wondering what I had gotten myself into; every submission I read that night was less appropriate then the last, at least according to the vision I was trying to uphold for Relief.  And then I read Michael's story and I knew that this literary journal idea from God made some sense, and that I would be thrilled and proud to publish "All Healed Up."

It's still one of my favorite moments in all of Relief history.  If you haven't read the story, it's the first piece in the first issue, which you can purchase here. OR... You could pick up his recently published book, My Name Is Russell Fink.  It's even got a few elements from his Relief publication, though no toad venom (you'll just have to read the story).  

This often sad, though just as often laugh-out-loud novel spotlights a struggling hypochondriac painter secretly convinced that he caused his sister's cancer at nine years old. In the midst of his unhappy life, he finds his dog dead and the search for the killer helps him to unravel his anger and guilt. The whodunit mystery brings the reader along for a wacky ride complete with a disgraced faith healer father, alcoholic mother, forever-in-trouble brother, freezing astronaut, strangely dressed love interest, self-obsessed fiance, crotchety neighbor, and a not-quite-right private eye. Despite the quirky and wild ride, Russell's journey is poignant and thought provoking.

And there's a flip book at the end.

At Calvin's Festival of Faith and Writing last April, we were pleased to be located across from the Zondervan booth, where Michael's book was front and center.  When we had a chance, we hung out with Andy Meissenheimer and his crew.  I even tried to get Andy to hook me up with a "Dog Gone Good Book" shirt (Sadly they were all allocated.)  I told so many people to purchase Mike's book that two separate people asked me confusedly if I worked for Zondervan. (which prompted questions about where I actually worked, at which point I remembered why I was there and plugged Relief.  Since Zondervan wasn't actually selling books, I think I managed to frustrate a few would be readers by selling them on the story and then explaining that they couldn't actually buy it at the booth--sorry Mike!  I blame Andy.)

Relief offers our congratulations to Michael Snyder, who's pulled off a wonderfully fun debut novel that sits quite comfortably outside the box of stereotypically Christian fiction.  True, there's no toad venom, but he does booze up the dog on occasion :)  

But I’ve read Rob Bell before. I’ve seen him speak to a crowd. It’s never been dull. So I lamented to Ben about why Zondervan would do that to Rob Bell’s new book and shelled out my cash for it anyway. Plus, the inside design is crisp and simple with warm orange touches, quite fitting with Rob’s succinct prose, (written and formatted with a modern, almost html feel to it) and his kind and conversational tone. With a title like Sex God and chapters like “God Wears Lipstick,” “Leather, Whips, and Fruit,” and “Whoopee Forever,” how could this book not be interesting?

Sex God Sex God Sex God…

Despite how much I’ve enjoyed Rob Bell’s teaching in the past, the strength of this book took me by surprise. For those of you that have been bopping around the Relief site for a while, you know that we think sex is too often taboo in Christian culture and that writers and preachers should address it more, as if it really was created by God (though often twisted by sin and Satan), and is generally part of our reality. I applaud pastors who teach about sex, but know that it’s difficult to do well, especially in our church culture.

Rob manages to weave divinity and sexuality in a way that makes the reader wonder how they have been separated in the first place. The title is perfect as a hook, but is also the best title for the book, because the basic premise is that sexuality and God are linked: healthy sexuality leads to a better understanding of God, and a healthy understanding of God leads to better, well, sex. Gasp! How can he say that? He does and he does it well. His dance between the two is so well choreographed that I was often surprised by where he had taken us, the transitions between sexuality and spirituality so fluid that I almost missed them. I finished the book and wanted to read it again. Immediately.

A Christian book about Sexuality that is not laced with guilt and condemnation: Wow.

There are no checklists of what you should or shouldn’t do in this book. There are no unreasoned commands about how to “be good”—that frustrated child inside of us that says “But why?” to a father that says, “Because I said so” will be sated—since Rob explores the reasoning and reality of God as it relates to this very sensitive subject. And since the words and attitudes presented in this text mirror a God who cherishes you, you can’t help but feel loved when you put the book down.

I can’t recommend the Sex God enough. It’s wonderful. Go buy it.

Relief Blogger Travis Griffith reviews I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist’s Eyes, the story of the much-publicized eBay auction where Hemant Mehta sold the right to send an atheist (himself) to church.

Hemant Mehta’s Journey:

Raised in the Indian religion Jainism, Hemant Mehta rejected his religion and became an atheist as a teenager. In his early twenties, he realized he didn’t know very much about American’s main religion: Christianity.

And what’s the best way to learn about Christianity? Go to church. The twist that Mehta put on that though was to let someone else decide what church he’d attend and how many times he’d go. Hence the auction.

The winning bid of $504 placed by Seattle minister Jim Henderson sent Mehta on a cross country tour of churches and interviews (The Wall Street Journal, The Seattle Times, The Chicago Sun-Times, to name a few).  Eventually an editor at Waterbrook Press asked Mehta to visit even more churches for the purposes of a book. And Mehta jumped on the opportunity to continue learning about Christianity while at the same time spreading the word of atheism and proving that atheists are not the angry God-haters they’ve been branded as by some Christians.

The Book:

The book begins with an explanation of how and why Mehta became an atheist, and then continues into his journey to churches across four states: Illinois, Michigan, Colorado and Texas. Mehta begins by reviewing small churches, followed by medium-sized churches and finally mega-churches including New Life Church (before the whole Ted Haggard controversy), Mars Hill Bible Church and Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church. Along the way, Mehta details his thoughts during each service, questions certain traditions and, at the end of the book, offers suggestions for improving services and ways for drawing non-Christians to church. 

His writing style is simple and clear, and it only took a few pages before I found myself identifying with him, his emotions, and his questions regarding faith.

What really surprised me is that Mehta is completely open to belief. As a former atheist myself, I can’t say I ever had the same amount of openness. And it’s his willingness to be open that makes this book so intriguing.

Another aspect of the book I was impressed with was Mehta’s proposal to bring atheists and Christians together for discussion, which he does at his website The Friendly Atheist. After all, he says he knows atheists who are actually following Jesus’ example more closely than many Christians. Many atheists have a strong commitment to Christian values, just without the belief in Christ.

Honestly, the logic and reason with which Mehta speaks about atheism is powerful, yet never condescending towards Christians.

This book is simply about finding the truth which, perhaps, is why some Christians feel so threatened by atheism. Are Christians afraid that atheists will bring up too many good points in a debate? Do Christian teachings not stand up to reason? Can Christianity continue to survive on faith alone? If these are your fears, then you really need this book.

Mehta says it would take a miracle to convert him from atheism—some undeniable proof about the existence of God or spirituality. This book reveals whether or not he received that proof.

On a More Personal Note:

I’m in the unique position to view this topic from both sides: I was an atheist and am someone who’s seen the undeniable proof that Mehta is open for. However, one person’s proof is another person’s fiction, which I suppose is what makes faith… faith.

Read this book and you’ll gain an insight into the truth about atheism. For Christians reading this book, you’ll come away with knowledge about how your religion is viewed by outsiders, and what can be done to bridge the gap between believers and non-believers.

Relief recommends this book because it takes two polar opposite beliefs and challenges each to consider the other. In the end, I would guess that Christians who are exposed to atheism won’t become atheists, but will become more passionate about growing into their Christianity.

 Travis Griffith, who recently left behind the corporate marketing world choosing family and writing in lieu of “a comfortable life” financially, is a former atheist trying to define what leading a spiritual life really means.  His children’s book, Your Father Forever, published in 2005 by Illumination Arts Publishing Company, Inc. captures only a fraction of his passion for fatherhood.  We’re glad to have him aboard.

Fiction Editor, Alan Ackmann , recommends one of favorite books about writing, Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird.

Many people I know can’t remember when they decided to become writers, but almost all of them remember when they realized what writing could be—when it transformed from escapism into a way to understand, even endure, the things they considered important.  For some writers, a gifted teacher showed the way.  For others, an illuminating book.  For me, it was a bit of both: I got my first real clue about writing in high school, when I read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott .

Those of you familiar with Lamott’s spiritual writing, most notably her fine book Traveling Mercies, have already encountered her wry sense of humor and unflinching honesty.  Bird by Bird takes this same compassionate worldview and applies it to writing.  Many chapters seem like modifications of classroom lectures, but it is incorrect to view this book as a collection of lesson plans, as it feels more like something delivered from a front porch than from a podium.  That’s because Bird by Bird is as much a meditation on the life of writing as the craft.  Lamott devotes a great deal of attention to describing the frustrations of the writing process, and how to overcome them—which is one of the hardest things to do in art. 

The best way to dramatize these frustrations is to explain the book’s title, which references a time her little brother, then in gradeschool, put off a report on birds for several weeks, until (and stop me once this gets familiar) he found himself at the kitchen table surrounded by a stack of books the night before the paper was due.  The enormity of the task was paralyzing until his father placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, saying “bird by bird, buddy.  Just take it bird by bird.”  This story introduces one of Lamott’s central claims about writing—that it is much less terrifying if imagined as a series of short assignments rather than a single huge one.  Elsewhere in the book, Lamott discusses how writing is about paying attention to details, and understanding which stories are worth telling.  She talks about having the courage to write honestly about things although your honesty might hurt someone, and she talks about the importance of not being jealous when your friends find success before you do—as they somehow inevitably will.  She talks about writing a present, and why writing from the hope of getting published is, in the end, not that good of a reason to do it.  And all of it’s good advice.    

None of these things, of course, have much to do with the “words on a page” sense of writing, but they have everything to do with getting yourself to a point, as a writer, where you can actually write. The guiding principle through Lamott’s book is that, with patience and the proper frame of mind, good writing will come.  She believes, as I do, that everyone has a story to tell, and that one of the most challenging but worthwhile things you can do as a writer is get out of your own way, giving yourself permission to make mistakes, and knowing that since no one sees your first drafts anyway you can always fix them later. When I first read that advice, I couldn’t appreciate how wise it really was; I was just thrilled to have someone tell me it was okay if I sucked (because I did), since I’d get better.  And, with time, I did.

And I think that’s the charm of Bird by Bird.  In an age where much talk of writing is reduced to academized, theoretical discourse (and I’m guilty of that one much more than I’d like), hack-and-slash workshop sessions, or grim reflections on the unforgiving harshness of the business, it is refreshing to find a book that is so, well, nurturing. 

The good/bad news, of course, is that nurturing never gets old.  Like I mentioned, I first read this book when I was a teenager, and I must have read it a half dozen more times between my freshman year of high school and my senior year of college.  And while I hadn’t cracked the spine since graduating until I sat down to write this review, I’m glad to attest that her advice remains relevant.  I’m working on a novel at the moment, and as many of you know there are times in the process where it goes so well you can’t get over how much you have to say, and times you want to hit delete on the whole friggin’ thing.  I’ve been drifting into the later phase recently, but after rereading several chapters of Lamott’s book this evening I felt much better about my place in the process.  Amid the solitary highs and lows and struggles, it’s comforting to know that my experience is not unique. 

So check it out.  It worked for me—I hope it works for you. 

Anybody else have any favorite writing books?

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• Using Setting Wisely in Fiction
• The Importance of Characterization
• Introducing Our Crafting Fiction Blog Series
• The Moral of the Story Is...