The Progeny
Ma's Literary Corner: Zacharias and Stephen King
Having read Stephen King's "On Writing," (Pocket Books, New York, 2002) it is perfectly understandable where he got some of his weird ideas for his novels.
This is a fascinating book, from his childhood remembrances, through his nuts and bolts instruction on the craft of writing, to his traumatic postscript, "Here's what it's like to be hit by a van." That last part just about made me cry, thinking about the obvious "My-husband's-in-huge-physical-danger" parallels between his wife and me. I had to restrain myself from emailing him to inquire, "Hey, Steve, are you OK, man?"
Certainly Mr. King excels in story-telling, but his primer on writing is equally absorbing. There is just enough information to be as helpful as a small text book, minus the dry and boring parts.
I would make one exception to his advice on the use of "colorful" language, particularly in matters of dialogue. Stephen King advises using it, since that is the way people talk in the real world. But I know an awful lot of people in "my world" who convey various ideas quite effectively without the added "color." I rather doubt that leaving out questionable material is going to offend anyone. And any writing in my future would probably not depict persons of (verbal) color.
My favorite quote:
(Thanks to daughter Ardith for the loan of this book. I'll get it back to you, sometime.... :-)
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"The Lotus and the Cross," by Ravi Zacharias, (Multnomah Publishers, Inc. Sisters, Oregon, 2001) is a slim little volume I picked up at the Goodwill Store. Any book that I can complete while waiting on four children in the dentist's office has got my stamp of approval. (the fact that this is the only literary work I've read front to back in a waiting room.....is beside the point)
An imaginary conversation between Jesus Christ and Buddha, I was struck by the following quotes, all attributed to Jesus:
I want to read more of Zacharias.
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This is a fascinating book, from his childhood remembrances, through his nuts and bolts instruction on the craft of writing, to his traumatic postscript, "Here's what it's like to be hit by a van." That last part just about made me cry, thinking about the obvious "My-husband's-in-huge-physical-danger" parallels between his wife and me. I had to restrain myself from emailing him to inquire, "Hey, Steve, are you OK, man?"
Certainly Mr. King excels in story-telling, but his primer on writing is equally absorbing. There is just enough information to be as helpful as a small text book, minus the dry and boring parts.
I would make one exception to his advice on the use of "colorful" language, particularly in matters of dialogue. Stephen King advises using it, since that is the way people talk in the real world. But I know an awful lot of people in "my world" who convey various ideas quite effectively without the added "color." I rather doubt that leaving out questionable material is going to offend anyone. And any writing in my future would probably not depict persons of (verbal) color.
My favorite quote:
"No one can be as intellectually slothful as a really smart person: give smart people half a chance and they will ship their oars and drift....dozing to Byzantium, you might say." (pg 138)
(Thanks to daughter Ardith for the loan of this book. I'll get it back to you, sometime.... :-)
___________________________
"The Lotus and the Cross," by Ravi Zacharias, (Multnomah Publishers, Inc. Sisters, Oregon, 2001) is a slim little volume I picked up at the Goodwill Store. Any book that I can complete while waiting on four children in the dentist's office has got my stamp of approval. (the fact that this is the only literary work I've read front to back in a waiting room.....is beside the point)
An imaginary conversation between Jesus Christ and Buddha, I was struck by the following quotes, all attributed to Jesus:
"....morality as a badge of attainment breeds the deadliest state of mind - a delusion of absolute autonomy." (pg 28)
"These two things - superstition and legalism - rush into hearts bereft of a God of mercy and grace." (pg 67)
"....truth doesn't eliminate respect. But respect should not be an end in itself."
"Respect for the right of another to be wrong does not mean that the wrong is right." (pg 81)
I want to read more of Zacharias.
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posted by Ma Hoyt | 3:58 PM
1 Comments:
I listened to some of his radio shows or something my freshman spring break with friends on the way to Arizona....I was an instant fan. Some of them made me cry--there was one about a girl in New York that was so powerful...If you can find any of those....
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