Idea saturated and book laden
Calvin College hosted the 2008 Festival of Faith and Writing on April 16-18 and I was one of the 2000+ attendees. Spending a couple minutes on Google should link you up to many fine reviews of the conference and of specific presentations. Personally, I recommend the reviews on Life In the Slow Lane as a good place to start. I’ll not reinvent the wheel here and so will take a different tack, because I don’t want to let the event go wholly undocumented on this site.
At this conference, the exchange of ideas is so massive--as evidenced by the multitude of presentations to choose from and the stacks of books and periodicals in the exhibit hall--it is amost paralyzing. Like a tourist in New York City, one could never hope to sample all the offerings. It must be sufficient to absorb the overall milieu and pick a few paths to explore at closer range.
The milieu to be absorbed was one of reading, writing, thinking, and studying. Despite the fact that multiple presenting authors made a point of saying their work and life were about the heart/soul and not the mind, no one translates life--personal or universal--onto the page with integrity without generous application of mental power. And self-discipline. The joy was in seeing such an outpouring of work, from multiple faith traditions, that was an organic product of mind and heart/soul. I came home with a fresh supply of role models.
A major tenant of modern literary writing is ‘no ideas but in things,’ but I find ideas/concepts in and of themselves exciting. Here are some ideas or snippets of ideas from various presentations that I brought home like souvenirs: the deep and necessary connection between prayer and writing (Mary Karr); what makes writing moral? (Mary Gordon); confession alone does not equal truth (Leslie Leyland Fields); living and finding meaning in life is to bear the burden of mystery (Elizabeth Strout); whether or not your dreams come true, God is God (Uwem Akpa); stillness, silence, waiting (Haven Kimmel); "narrative theology" in the lives of the many instead of the headlines of the few (Krista Tippett).
I also came home with five new books, all but one purchased from the Eighth Day Books table: Speaking of Faith, Krista Tippett; She Got Up Off the Couch, Haven Kimmel; Outlands, Robert Finch; Thirty Days, Paul Mariani; and Looking Before and After, Alan Jacobs.
The conference’s website offers links to author websites, lists of publications, and other resources.
Thank you, Nancy! The link above to "Life in the Slow Lane" is a delight-- I tend toward quick impressions and summarizing, so I appreciate the careful notes AND I appreciate your "long look" at the conference.
I left the conference excited about the literary community, inspired to "find ways in."
So good to have a chance to hang out with you, and hear you read, too.
Posted by: Denise | Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 04:31 PM
How wonderful that you were there! Must have felt like a preview of heaven. Thanks for the links -- it's nice to be able to read up.
Posted by: Lisa | Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 08:34 PM
Sounds like a great experience! These are great concepts to explore, and I think the few paths you chose from the milieu are enough to keep you (or anyone) like a tourist in NY inside your mind... and hopefully in your literary works! :)
Posted by: Tim | Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 09:48 PM
Thank you for the reference, Nancy. I skimmed this on the way toward the door, and will be back. There was so much depth found there. I could truly leave saying I felt fed, which I heard someone else saying, also.
Posted by: Julana | Friday, May 02, 2008 at 05:14 PM
Denise--Thanks for checking in here! So good to see your name appear. Even better to see you at Calvin. I'm going to think of you now whenever I buy Fugi apples. :)
Lisa--Calvin comes every two years so maybe plan now for the next one in 2010. I think you would enjoy it very much!
Tim--You too; maybe get the next Calvin on your calendar now. And you are absolutely right and thanks for the reassurance--a few chosen paths are absolutely sufficient. Thanks!
Julana--Your recap is so great I think I'm going to print it out and use it to supplement my much sparser set of notes as documentation and for future reference of the event. If you go again in two years, and if I go again (which I hope to), for sure we must plan to meet. I'd love that.
Posted by: Nancy | Saturday, May 03, 2008 at 10:45 AM
I wish I could have been with you at Calvin this year Nancy, but I am glad you were there with so many mutual friends and I'm glad you met my friend Stacy Barton. Thanks for all the notes you've brought home and for generously sharing them. I'll be looking forward to your feedback on these Eighth Day Books.
Posted by: Meg Sefton | Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 05:38 AM
I would love to meet you Nancy. That conference waas right up there with visiting Big Sur! I'm glad if my notes help.
Our son had some health issues that kept me busy outside conference time.
Posted by: Julana | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 08:53 PM
Julana, next time for sure! I hope all is well with your son.
Meg, it was great to meet Stacy. Next time I hope to be there with you as well.
Posted by: Nancy | Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 06:43 PM
Nancy,
I emailed the conference staff,and they replied the audio will be up next week.
Our son's better--always an education!
Posted by: Julana | Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 06:37 PM