where are you, Prince Caspian?

On May 16, opening night, I curled up in a theatre chair in a row of friends and prepared to take in Prince Caspian, the movie adaptation of a children's classic.

I am not one to insist that a movie exactly mirror a book. I studied screenwriting for a little while and even tried penning a couple of screenplays, so I realize that these two radically different art forms take an entirely different approach to storytelling. I wouldn't have complained if the movie had simply approached the story differently.

I am complaining, however, because the movie wrote a whole new story! True, it features the same characters and (sort of) follows the same events. But the heart of Prince Caspian, as C.S. Lewis wrote it, was gone. I realized this but couldn't quite put my finger on the problem. I knew it had to do with faith and the centrality of Aslan to the whole story, but beyond that, I was left trying to figure out why the story I loved had disappeared.

My friend (and author of TorahBytes) Alan Gilman hit the nail on the head in his blog post, "Prince Caspian the Movie Misses the Mark":

"One of the things that make C.S. Lewis' writings as poignant as they are is that they effectively communicate God's truth within a society that has lost its spiritual moorings. As intellectuals redefined reality for the modern world, pushing it away from a biblical understanding of God and life, Lewis calls us back to the old stories.

"The movie version of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe gave us hope that Lewis' legacy was being preserved for a new generation, that the biblical world view would at least be part of the contemporary discussion. The movie version of Prince Caspian, on the other hand, reminds us that Hollywood cannot be trusted with that legacy."

I encourage you to check out the entire post at torahblog.blogspot.com

Religion BookLine on Creating Culture

Religion BookLine, a division of Publishers Weekly, published this interview with Andy Crouch, author of Creating Culture, today.

Crouch says,

"As I read the work of academic sociologists like Peter Berger I became really convinced that the only way that cultures change is when people make more culture—which called into question a lot of the strategies that Christians think they ought to use to change culture, such as protest. There's lots that's worth protesting, in our culture and in every culture, but protest alone doesn't change culture, and analysis doesn't change culture, and withdrawal, which has been sometimes a strategy that Christians have adopted, doesn't change it. It only changes when you create something."

It definitely sounds like a book I'd like to read.

Boundless goes to print!

A few years back, I discovered Boundless.org, a Webzine for 20 and 30-somethings put out by Focus On the Family. I really liked it, so I queried them a few times and got turned down.

Last year, that changed dramatically--I got a yes to a query, and then regular contributor status.

Today, another milestone: for the first time, Boundless has gone to print instead of just the Web. And much to my delight, I'm in the inaugural issue.

You can pick up the first nine pages, including my article, in PDF form at Boundless Line.

subscriptions for whatever you can afford

Way back in ... 2001? was it? writing of mine appeared in print for the first time. It was an article on child training entitled "Save the Children," and it was published by the quarterly journal Home School Digest.

Since then, Wisdom's Gate, publisher of HSD and other magazines, has published my articles on a regular basis. Many of the now-chapters in Letters to a Samuel Generation reached a wide audience through them, and they continue to feature articles from Peculiar in Home School Digest and An Encouraging Word.

Early this week I received an email from Israel Wayne, the marketing director at Wisdom's Gate (and the son of the editor-in-chief ... Wisdom's Gate is a largely family-run ministry), about a bold new step they're taking in their subscription policy. I've pasted it below. I encourage you to follow the links and check out what they have to offer!

Dear Rachel,

We have been very concerned about the strain that the poor economy is placing on our readers. Many families are struggling just to make ends meet and have virtually nothing left at the end of the month. We have also experienced the effects of these inflationary costs in the rising expense of printing and shipping of our magazines. However, after much prayer and seeking the Lord, we are taking a step of faith. We do NOT want a lack of funds to keep ANYONE from receiving the spiritual and practical encouragement of our magazines.

If you have been wanting to receive:

An Encouraging Word Magazine (for Christian Women of all ages)
Home School Digest Journal (Family Discipleship magazine)
Brush Arbor Quarterly Magazine (on Revival and Deeper Life)

but have been hindered because of finances, please do not let that stand in your way. We are making these three magazines available to you for literally WHATEVER YOU CAN AFFORD!

Please help us get the word out about this offer to your friends and family members who would benefit from our publications. Prayerfully consider forwarding this email to your email list, posting it on your blog, printing it out for your church bulletin board, or giving it out at your next small group or homeschool meeting.

To subscribe for WHATEVER YOU CAN AFFORD, please visit http://www.WisdomsGate.com or call 1-800-343-1943.

Please pray for us as we embrace this new act of obedience to God's direction for our ministry.

Your servant,

Israel Wayne
Marketing Director
(for all of us here at Wisdom's Gate)

www.HomeSchoolDigest.com
www.AnEncouragingWord.net
www.BrushArborQuarterly.net
www.WisdomsGate.org

more Boundless on writing

And the series continues. I would have been more on-the-date with these, but I just spent a weekend in Chattanooga, Tennessee, far from home and my handy wireless connection!

"Writing Without Inspiration" shares one of the great secrets of productive writers, who can't exactly wait for the miraculous muse to hit before cranking out work on deadline: the practice of thinking through your fingers. I can attest that this works, because I do it all the time. (In fact, I'm doing it right now.) The author is Susie Shellenberger, the editor behind Brio, Focus on the Family's magazine for teen girls. The article is also an interesting behind-the-scenes look at a magazine.

In "A Moment to Write," Jenny Schroedel shares advice and anecdotes from professional writers who helped her reach her own dream of becoming a writer. Advice is given in four areas: Begin Where You Are, Set the Stage, Invest in Tools, and Find a Friend With Gentle Eyes. She closes with a lovely section on why we write, encouraging us to write in a "simpler, childlike way" through a story about Vincent Van Gogh.

P.S.

Chattanooga was warm, green, and beautiful, thank you; although I can't believe it's muggy down there and it's only the first week of May!

Boundless on writing

Boundless Webzine, regular home to my own articles, is featuring a series on writing this week. I've enjoyed both articles so far and thought I'd share them with you.

Yesterday's article was "On writing" by Andree Seu. Though her "reach out and throttle you" writing style took me a minute to get used to, her rapid-fire advice is excellent, pithy, and an entertaining read.

Today's article, Thomas Jeffries' "Writing by the Book," examines many of the literary devices used by the Bible writers, from the prophets to David to Paul. Not only can writers learn a few techniques and principles by studying the unique style guide we call scripture, they might stumble across a few truths, too. This article is for anyone whose interest is piqued by writing or literary studies.

I'm not alone!

Sam Torode of Boundless loves words, too! As it happens, I love his words (and his wife's). Intelligent, articulate, and, in this case, all about Winnie-the-Pooh. Go read it.

The lovely ladies of the YLCF also like words. The proof is in the bookshelves.