Gifts

While I was in Louisiana, I had the pleasure of attending the very first birthday party of Anna, the daughter of my friend Rebecca and her husband Steve. Rebecca and I have known each other since we were fourteen. All babies are special, but Anna is absolutely cherished by everyone who knows Rebecca. No mother could be more deserving of such a precious baby girl.

What is Serious Fiction?

I just ran across a 2005 article by Mary Gordon in Atlantic Monthly. She wrote her essay in response to John Gardner's On Moral Fiction(1978).

For anyone who knows the twenty-first century audience of Atlantic Monthly, it will come as no surprise that Gordon argues against the idea that fiction has a moral effect on its readers. Her article is very modernist--well-written, but ideologically flaccid in its assertion that "art" is intrinsically amoral. Serious novelists, she claims, must eschew clear moral values, seeking instead ambiguity and complexity in order to create art.

Gordon dismisses (but never refutes) the argument that what she calls "serious" fiction lost its relevance and became unpopular because the literary elite discarded narrative in favor of play with language. Gordon never gives a substantial reason why "serious" fiction is no longer popular, though it was popular in the nineteenth century. "Technology" is her one-word answer.

By technology, I assume she means primarily film and television. Whatever the impact of film on our culture of reading, it's clear that filmgoers seek out narrative in their films just as they seek it in popular fiction. Experimental films composed of images or fragments don't earn millions at the box office. The average Joe and Jane on the street want stories to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Joe and Jane want to see interesting events, shaped by suspense and dramatic tension. They want to see their own values and problems reflected in the lives of characters. They want to see those characters overcome these problems. This has been the essence of storytelling for thousands of years. Heroic epics are the longest-surviving form of literature because they reflect the values of the cultures that produced them, and, yes, those values include what we would call "morals."

(Here I have to pause to clarify my use of the word moral. I was surprised to discover in graduate school that people often think only of sexual issues when they hear the word "morals." In fact, a person's moral character encompasses all moral values, sexual conduct being only a small part of the rest of the picture. Moral values include honesty, loyalty, bravery, charity, and anything else that people now call simply "values.")

The literati construct tautologies about what "serious" fiction can be about, and what kinds of values it can espouse. Many of them tend to believe, like Mary Gordon, that writing quality fiction cannot be a moral endeavor. Some imply, as she does in an off-hand remark, that the entire category of Christian fiction is not worthy of serious consideration because inspirational novels are informed by a distinct set of moral values.

Here's my take, for whatever it's worth. There's bad fiction out there of all ideological persuasions. There are simplistic, preachy Christian novels and there are simplistic literary novels "preaching" that the only certainty in life is that there can never be moral clarity or coherent selfhood.

Affirming a set of moral values does not automatically produce simplistic novels. Those of us who try to live by clear moral standards know that we flawed humans produce plenty of complexity by our failure to live up to the things we believe. That doesn't invalidate the moral values themselves, nor does it mean that we should cease striving to live a moral life. That kind of complexity--moral aspirations toward goodness coexisting with moral failure--is what "serious" moral fiction is all about.

Back to Life

Yesterday afternoon, we finally made it back home after two weeks of travel. I love our house, and it's great to walk in the door, even when the floors are in desperate need of cleaning, spoiled milk is in the refrigerator, and baggage and trip detritus covers every available surface. This may tell you what I have been doing since our return. :-)

In addition to today's adventures in cleaning and restocking groceries, I spent several hours last night giving my entire manuscript another quick polish. It's in good shape now, but I fully expect that someone may ask for revisions. That's part of the process, and as long as one chooses editorial partners carefully, editing is a wonderful thing.

Providence

We've been out of town for the past week at a family wedding.

My sister-in-law and her new husband were married, each for the first time, in their mid-40s. It was a wonderful wedding. The bride was beautiful, the groom was handsome, and they were both radiantly happy.

I don't think either of them would have ever predicted this moment four years ago, when they hadn't yet met and their lives seemed to be going in very different directions.

The joy of the wedding was a powerful reminder that Providence is beyond our understanding. We sometimes feel buffeted and beaten by unexpected changes, but we also receive surprises that are like kisses of God's lovingkindness.

Novel in My Pocket

I'm taking a moment to marvel at the technology that allows me to carry in my pocket my novel, several Favorite PASTimes interviews and about six headshots of myself and others.

Sure, in 1990 I could have carried a floppy disk in my back pocket. But it wouldn't have held all this stuff. Not even close. In 2008, I can carry it all in my front pocket, thanks to my favorite gizmo, the flash drive.

This comes in handy for moments like this one, as I access the internet from our traveling van to post on my blog.

Hello? Calling Gene Roddenberry!!! Yes, I have fully entered the cyber-era.

Now, if I could only have that Star Trek machine that materializes whatever food you like at the touch of a button.

Kingdom Quest: A Smash Hit

What a relief! The musical is over, and it went very well. The children performed very well, and they were relaxed and happy. The congregation and visiting guests LOVED it.

The set was really cool, too. I loved the "Pac-Man" type tracks that Heather designed as our backdrop. (The musical is about a video game, so I went retro and asked the designers for something that looked like an '80s video game.)

The opening number: "Be Strong and Courageous"




Our Conquering Knight and Lady Victory



The whole set: real world and video game



Bonnie, Molly, and me (from left to right in front) trying to be subtle about song leading (we didn't sing, we just mouthed the words)



The Supremes tell it like it is to The Temptations


Colby in his Temptations hat



Some of the cavegirls, before they got into costume



Ashley mugs for the camera before we start. It's moments like this that make me love working with kids.

Interesting Times

I have said to myself about fifty times today: "I have an agent."

I still can't believe it. And not only do I have one, but it's the person I really wanted to work with: the one I always felt would be right for my work.
WOO-HOO!

I had absolutely no idea that I was going to get a call from her yesterday. I had reconciled myself to a long wait before I would receive any news at all, because this is a very busy time for agents in the inspirational market.

I am so happy! I managed to contain myself so I could remain coherent and semi-professional during the phone call, but rest assured that I've been an emotional blob of jelly off-and-on all day long. My years in graduate school were enjoyable and rewarding, but success in a field one likes is not the same as pursuing a lifelong dream. Fiction writing has been my calling for so long that even the possibility of publication is overwhelming. There are no guarantees, but I'm going to enjoy the moment.

Rehearsal Recovery!

Today was great. My main objective was to make sure that the kids had fun, and that we kept the tone light. We started by playing a theater game that is always a hit with people of all ages. The children cheered when each of the three adults messed up and got booted out of the game. That's good kid fun!

Our two run-throughs were very smooth, thanks to the tremendous commitment and know-how of the crew. Two crew members hung lights for hours after I left yesterday. Several other crew members used the information we gained from our dress rehearsal to create an amazing organizational system for the backstage costume changes. Others put their heads together to solve logistical problems with microphones, exits, and entrances. It was a fantastic team effort, and I'm really proud of the heart and the talent of these volunteers. I don't think many 500-member churches contain this many people who are passionate about doing things well, and who have the training and the experience to create a fully-staged musical from nothing in five days.

Our most important achievement is that the kids *did* have fun today. Now, whatever happens on Sunday, we will feel that we succeeded in creating a positive experience for them.

Day Four: Tech Rehearsal

Yesterday was easier than Day 2, but today was the hardest day of all. We had a tech rehearsal. Technical run-throughs are never easy, but in a space with only one onstage exit, primitive lighting, and no headsets for communication, a tech rehearsal can be pretty chaotic.

One person pointed out that it was especially difficult because we combined our first tech run-through with our first dress rehearsal. While that's true, our five-day rehearsal period gave us very limited options. Had we waited until tomorrow to run our first dress rehearsal, we would have had less time to sort out our rapid costume changes.

All of this brouhaha left me with one major question. Is it fair to ask children of this age to put on a thirty-minute musical in five days?

We already figured out that the rising first-graders are too young, but even the older children were showing signs of strain today. This type of project may be too much. If we do it again, we may need to scale back the length and/or type of presentation. The whole point is to create an educational and enjoyable experience for them. If adults and children end up feeling too stressed-out, then the project may not be the right choice. We need to decide if this is a "serious" drama camp during which we are going to rehearse until we drop, or a laidback camp during which we have some playtime. This year was definitely the rehearse-til-we-drop version.

I am *so* glad that we chose this "simple" musical (as opposed to some other musicals that would have been absolutely impossible). I knew that doing a musical in a week with elementary-schoolers was going to be an enormous undertaking.

Now, the toughest rehearsal should be out of the way. It's time to make sure that the kids feel free to have fun.

Day Two, "The Musical"

For the past two days I have brought my camera to rehearsal. Thus far, I have had no time to take pictures!

Today was a big day. We blocked and taught choreography for the giant group numbers. While this was challenging because we had so many children onstage, we made good progress. My goal for tomorrow is to smile and compliment more, and bark orders less. Some barking is inevitable. I'm the director. And I'm directing thirty-five kids.

We've learned some important lessons already for next year.

*****Don't cast the show under too much time pressure. (We've rectified the small error we made in this department, but we don't want to make *any* errors next year.)

*****Don't include rising first graders in the chorus for the entire show. They're too young, and the hours of rehearsal are too arduous for them. Instead, we'll cast them only in a single scene, as we did with a couple of rising kidergarteners this time.

All the kids are doing a great job, and even the little ones are concentrating pretty well, considering their age and what we're asking of them.

We Survived!

We made it through the audition day for the children's musical. It all went smoothly, especially considering that this is our first time to try to put on a one-week music camp.

The only part I don't like about this whole process is revealing the cast list. Inevitably, some of the kids are disappointed with the parts they get. I just keep telling myself that it's good for them to learn that being in the chorus is valuable and fun.

Tonight, our children's minister is calling all the children who are "only" in the chorus to make sure they are OK and excited about their roles in the play. That's eleven phone calls. I am very grateful that we have such a compassionate and hardworking person to head the children's ministry. She hasn't slept much for the last six weeks!

Historical Board Games: Darjeeling

I bought Darjeeling because I couldn't resist an economic battle between nineteenth-century tea houses in India. Next on the board game agenda: Around the World in 80 Days. I won't stop until I've acquired every nineteenth-century game on the market! :-)




We played Darjeelng for the first time last night. It's more complex and strategic than Ticket to Ride, but just a little less complex than Settlers of Catan. I think the estimate on the box is correct in stating that the game will take about an hour. (It always takes longer the first time we play because we have to muddle through the rules.)

I think this will become another household favorite. The wooden components like ships and tea crates are nice. Nineteenth-century games get extra points in my book for having wooden pieces instead of plastic ones.

A Day to Celebrate

This morning, I was tempted to sit around the house and work on my latest draft. Instead, I suggested we go to the local small town parade. It's important to celebrate and be thankful for this beautiful, peaceful country of ours.

All kinds of marchers, riders, and floats passed us as we stood in the bright Southwestern sunlight. We were part of a large crowd of happy people. Kids scrambled for candy, a huge herd of horses clip-clopped across the concrete, and the local Democratic group even had a real miniature donkey braying for Obama.

A marching kazoo band played "America the Beautiful," and hordes of antique and classic cars rolled by. Veterans and firemen gave out flags, and we all clapped and cheered for them. Floatriders squirted the crowd with supersoakers. Two gigantic draft horses that pulled a big cart were probably Belgians (they were sorrel, meaning light golden brown with flaxen mane and tail). You really have to see these Belgians to appreciate how huge they are. They're bigger than Clydesdales, if that tells you anything. It's an awesome sight to see them from ground-level, up close.

My favorite parade people, though, were the motorcycle guys who led the whole thing. They cruised by slowly, cool as can be on their bikes, with their big biceps, grey beards, long hair, bandannas, and leather chaps. Some of them smiled at us; others just smiled with their eyes while retaining their proud independence. They were an icon of American freedom. It was also nice to see that there were women riding their own Harleys, and that the racial makeup of the group was mixed.

We just made Independence Day cupcakes. Now we're off to our friends' house to eat, let the kids play, and set off a few fireworks. Happy Fourth of July, fellow Americans!

Self-Promotion for the Polite..

...is uncomfortable.

I was raised to be polite. Foisting oneself on others was not a polite thing to do. One did not interrupt one's conversational partners to talk about oneself, nor did one boast about one's own achievements or even the reflected glory of a family member's achievements. I was taught that all of these behaviors made a person tiresome company.

I still believe that these behaviors make for bad conversation and strained personal relationships. Unfortunately, those beliefs about personal relationships have nothing to do with success in business. And authorship is entrepreneurship, in this day and age. Because success in entrepreneurship depends on self-promotion, many successful entrepreneurs are not very enjoyable company. Or, if they are interesting, it's in a trainwreck kind of vainglorious way, like Donald Trump.

I do think it's possible to learn to promote oneself in a professional sphere while retaining good manners and a pleasant personality in private life.

I was nonetheless embarrassed today to be carrying around a self-promotion guide entitled Get Slightly Famous. Help! I don't want fame. I just want people to read my novels. But, despite the title, it's a good book, and I can see why a well-known agent recommended it.

I couldn't agree more with J. M Barrie, who said:

“Fame is rot; daughters are the thing.”

Musical Approaching!

Though I've been neglecting my poor little blog for the past few days, the good news is that I'm going to collect scads of good blog stories when I start directing the musical. Only six days until we start rehearsals!

Last night, I put together the scene-by-scene rehearsal schedule. What a bear that was. The hard part is scheduling simultaneous rehearsals that do not require the same actors to be in two places at once.

In college, I stage-managed one very complicated production that also needed a scene-by-scene schedule and a complicated tech script with over 100 lighting cues. I am so glad for that experience now! My goal is to avoid the painful and typical church play rehearsal in which the director makes thirty people sit around watching while she blocks the entire thing using the actors as living chess pieces. I know I'll have to make changes, but having a plan in advance will save us precious time.

I have to choreograph three more numbers in the next few days.

Other ongoing tasks: 1) working on my new historical fiction blogging team, and 2) completing some agent-requested rewrites for a re-submission.

My daughter will be in camp for three hours each day until the 4th, which will give me some free time to do all this stuff!