:: a poem ~ normal ::

Last night my husband and I watched the first half of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. We'll finish the movie tonight, but so far we are very impressed with the cinematography; and Casey Affleck's, Brad Pitt's, and Paul Schneider's acting. In fact, I really think Pitt should've received an Oscar nomination along with Affleck.

This morning I remembered the movie is based on a novel of the same name by Ron Hansen. I read Hansen's Mariette in Ecstasy a few years ago and liked it for the most part (4/5 stars). I also recalled that a back issue of IMAGE - #57 - contained an interview with Ron Hansen. I skimmed the Q & A, and now I want to read The Assassination of Jesse James, Atticus, Exiles, Hitler's Niece, and A Stay Against Confusion: Essays on Faith and Fiction.... I just have a feeling that Ron Hansen will be one of my favorite writers. My literary hunches are usually correct.

As I flipped through IMAGE #57, I discovered the following poem. It is worth sharing:

Normal
by Richard Jones

Tent Revival, 1957

When things get back to normal
God will put on black robes
and ascend to the mercy seat
to judge the world, the ruined
cities, the devastated hills,
the living and the risen dead.
When things get back to normal,
He'll open the Book of Life
and read what each man has done,
said, and written, reciting our words
and deeds to the angels to see
if there is any forgiveness
like honey on our tongues.
When things get back to normal
all will stand before God
and be burned like dead branches
or blessed with the incomprehensible fire
of mercy. When things get back to normal,
we will be standing on the threshold of heaven,
a kingdom of singing where at last we will learn
the meaning and purpose
of poetry.

:: a new book ::

[coconut black tea there]

It's tough to follow up a book like Peace Like a River, but for an avid reader such as myself, it had to be done. I like to have both a fiction and non-fiction book going at all times. As for fiction, I pulled Christ the Lord: the Road to Cana off the shelf a few days ago, and since then, it's been very hard to put it down.

Selecting that book was not a hard choice. For one thing, I loved Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. Both of Anne Rice's Christ the Lord books are pretty astounding. She honors Scripture within fiction, writes beautifully, and presents history accurately. As for how she describes Jesus - brilliant. Perhaps it seems controversial, but who hasn't sat around, imagining what Jesus was like - as a child, growing up, obeying Joseph & Mary, working as a carpenter, and all the while never sinning? We have a great account of Jesus in the Bible, of course, but I don't see any harm in using our God-given imaginations, as long as Scripture is not contradicted.

The Road to Cana was also an easy choice because my husband "oooh"-ed and "ah"-ed out loud when he read it last month. We usually read together in the living room at night. I sit in my spot on the couch sipping tea, and Johnny sits in a chair across the room sipping a martini (or Scotch). We get absorbed in whatever we're reading, and if we are impressed, we'll often say, "Hey, can I read you something real quick?" This annoys both of us, yet we continue to bug each other.

Last month, Johnny was convincing enough that Anne Rice's new book is making me "oooh" and "ah," too. I'm determined to persuade him to read Peace Like a River ASAP, but he keeps reminding me that he's reading a good book about Stonewall Jackson (by George Grant). I love Stonewall Jackson as much as the next guy, but please, tell my husband I'm right. I can't keep my mouth shut about Leif Enger's story much longer, and I gotta know Johnny's opinions!

Anyway, I might share more thoughts when I'm done w/The Road to Cana, but if you're curious, go ahead and read both "Jesus books." They're absolutely beautiful.

And if you're wondering, yes, I did read one of Anne Rice's vampire books: Vittorio the Vampire. It's not my preferred genre, but that book was great; it even had a quote by St. Augustine and a few redemptive elements. I liked the film Interview with a Vampire, too. So there.

What are y'all reading now that Leif Enger is out of your life (or is he)?

:: peace like a river - movie? ::

Well, it seems that Peace Like a River will be made into a movie in 2009 or so. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm nervous.

I've seen some good book-adaptation films; I was recently very pleased with The Kite Runner, for example. But I think we all agree that the Peace Like a River movie better honor the book, to the highest degree. Right? If this film is done well, I'd love to see it on the big screen.

The only cast member listed is Billy Bob Thornton. Interesting.... Who do you think he will play? Which actors should portray the other characters??