Before we spend the day with author Kathleen Popa from our sister blog Novel Matters, we’d like to remind you that today is your last chance to enter Monday’s giveaway. The winners will be chosen and notified this evening.
Long ago and far away, there was an earnest, well-meaning, silly young Christian woman who quit a class in mythology after the first hour, because the professor began by stating that the Bible – her Bible – was a book of myths.
I’m embarrassed to say that silly young woman was me.
Writers ought to understand mythology, and I’d understand a lot better today if I’d only stayed in the class. In fact, if I’d stayed just an hour longer, I’ll bet that professor would have assuaged my ignorance and explained that a myth is not a story that is false. A myth is a story – true or untrue – that is not about unreality, but about hyper-reality. In Christian Mythmakers, Rolland Hein tells us that “myths are stories that confront us with something transcendent and eternal.”
That makes the Bible a most excellent book of mythology, wouldn’t you say?
Over at Novel Matters, we’ve been having a great discussion this week, and it all began with a post from SheReads’ own Marybeth Whalen, on the factors that make a novel a “keeper.” In the comments we joined with our readers in listing the books we hold most dear, and as the list grew longer, one of our co-bloggers, Sharon K. Souza whispered the obvious question none of us Christian authors wanted to ask:
Why are so few of the books on this list published in the Christian market?
Latayne Scott attempted to answer this in her post the following day, and the comments were enlightening. Ariel Lawhon offered a quick reality check about the ugly numbers and biases confronting a Christian author, and Latayne came perilously close to voicing the second question we authors would rather not ask:
If the general market audience is so much bigger, so much friendlier, then why oh why are we writing for the Christian market?
My best answer is that the stories I admire most, the stories I want to write, are distinctly suited to people who love the myths in the Bible.
I think of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis – I read them through out-loud with each of my two sons, often wiping tears from my eyes. I think of The Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin Jr., in which a Rooster shows what it means to be intimate with God. I think of novels by Madeleine L’engle, such as Ring of Endless Light, in which, faced with great sorrow, a pod of dolphins expresses the cry of all creation, calling, “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”
In books like these I share the experience of that special set of readers described by Rolland Hein:
“Those who react with a pause and catch of breath, as though something “of great moment” has been conveyed, are encountering the dynamic of myth. They feel as though something numinous has confronted them. It is not so much that they receive a message, but rather that they seem to have a fleeting contact with some remote unbroken world, one in which, to borrow a stirring phrase from Flannery O’Connor, ‘the silence is broken only to shout the Truth.’”
I write for the Christian marketplace because I want to entertain you, I want to inspire you, I want to tell you a wonderful story – but mostly I want to follow the great footprints of these authors. I want you to pause and catch your breath.
Yes, but the books you mentioned caught the breath of the world, not only the tiny country of Christianity~ thank God! Isn’t that the point? Madeleine L’Engle in ‘Walking on Water’ writes with such clarity on this point, right? The whole christian artist, christian writer, christian marketplace thing was so frustrating to her. It is for me also. God speaks through art. Period.
Food for thought…..
Kathleen, that is very interesting about myths. You educated me, so thank you. It was nice to see you here today.
Blessings,
Carla
Brennan Manning writes in his book ‘Ruthless Trust’ about the need and importance of “Artists, Mystics, and Clowns”. In this chapter of his book I believe he helps us understand the need of Christian Authors sharing in the gift of Artful writing that will touch not only Christian readers but also the non-believer readers. He uses examples of Russian author Dostoevsky and author Leo Tolstoy as such passionate visionaries. ‘Rahner, one of the most important theologians of the twentieth century, declared that we need these artists and mystics to disrupt our complacency. “Eternal God, let them say what You Spirit has given in their hearts,” he prayed, “rather than that which would make pleasant hearing to those who represent the forces of all that is average.” Then, Brennan asks; “Is God different from what we perceive?” We see God through Christ and the Word, but yet none have seen God and lived. We can’t put God in a box, so The Spirit lead with wisdom and knowledge that which will transend our understanding, that will move and captivated the audience God has predestined it to impact. Keep writing and thanks for the insights.
An absolutely beautiful – and true – post. Thank you Katy, for being here to today and for helping us remember why Christian authors are so important, so needed in this industry. As I read this post, I was reminded that some of the novels I love best have taken on “mythic” proportions over time. And they’ve done so because they were effective. I felt those stories. And to this day I need those stories.
Cynthia – thank you as well for such clear insight. Our words matter. Our stories matter. And God will lead each writer to the well of stories meant for them.
Thanks everyone, for your comments and kind words.
Kathleen – you with the lovely name – you are right: the books I mentioned caught the breath of the world, or at least those parts of the world that read them. Walking on Water is one of the best ever on Christianity and the Arts. We are not Christian Writers. We are writers who are Christian.
Cynthia, Ruthless Trust is another great book. “Artists, Mystics and Clowns” – I wish they’d offered that as a major when I was in college! What better calling? I think you touched on the reason I love fiction best of all. Non-fiction tends to insist that we sort out what we’re talking about, and it seems to me that leads to the “God in a box” problem. Fiction allows us to invite the Holy Spirit to be our muse, and then to explore, to swim in the great ocean without having to measure the volume or map the contours.
Ariel, thank you for all you and Marybeth do to promote the best in fiction in the CBA market.
It has been an interesting discussion week. You said, “…the stories I admire most, the stories I want to write, are distinctly suited to people who love the myths in the Bible.” The problem, I think, is that this in actuality is a very broad category of people, not all of whom are Christians. There are many who love and believe the Biblical stories to varying degrees, especially Old Testament, but who do not practice Christianity. Some may refer to themselves as Christians; others, not. Do they look for and purchase CBA books? Because, let me tell you, one has to go out of his/her way to do so in the average, non-Christian bookstore. I think there’s a much bigger audience for the books that you and other CBA authors write, but there’s a disconnect in the marketplace.
Katy, your post showed why you are such an extraordinary writer — you have the ability to engage a reader with a sense of the wondrous. Your post sparked creativity in me, called me to something higher and nobler. Thank you!