publishing

Busy Hands

I wonder how many hands Jimmy Carter shook over the course of his 100 years. I encountered him twice. The first time was via an interview for Publishers Weekly, where I worked in 2012. It was by phone, so no handshakes could be exchanged. The subject was two religious books he was authoring, one of which was a Bible: NIV, Lessons from Life Bible: Personal Reflections with Jimmy Carter. He told me he drew from his Sunday school lessons to develop the commentary he wrote, and we talked about prayer and faith. The interview is archived behind a paywall, so I’ll cite some of my favorite remarks by Carter. When I asked him if he had a favorite biblical passage or story, he said he liked the Gospel of John because it was emotional. Then he added, “I also like ‘Be ye kind to one another, forgiving one another.’” (Eph. 4:32). He also talked about his difficulties with praying: “It has been hard for me to pray. I prayed more when I was president than any other time. I prayed more the year the hostages were held by Iranians than at any other time. I think that’s the most fervently and frequently that I prayed.” Carter was 87 that year.

In 2015, I had to get up pretty early in the morning to report on a book signing at the Seminary Coop Bookstore in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. The Secret Service expected the press to show up at 7:30 a.m. for a noon signing; they were checking the premises early. The press included three middle schoolers from a program for talented students from families with limited economic means. These kids had done their homework on Carter, and were given the privilege of being first in a very long line when Carter arrived punctually at noon. I ended up not with an interview but a blog post which included a picture of three smart middle schoolers quizzing the former president, who was then 90. I also got a signed copy of A Full Life, a memoir that is one of 32 books he wrote.

Rest in power, Mr. President.

Prayer of gratitude to celebrate and mourn Phyllis Tickle, publishing visionary

I owe my professional livelihood to Phyllis Tickle. Had she not established the religion department of Publishers Weekly, I would not have had a dozen years of supporting myself through writing about the publishing of religion books. Phyllis’ comprehensive vision accommodated not just a segment of the publishing industry, but a team of professional observers, of which I was privileged to be a member.

More personally, she wrote the introduction to my first book, The God of Second Chances. In it she called me an investigator of hope. I would like that on my tombstone. Phyllis treated words like gems — precious, beautiful, and precisely faceted. She also had an admirable and large collection of them, so that she had just the right words always at the ready. She generously wrote introductions and endorsements for dozens of grateful colleagues. This, in addition to having the discipline of a writing machine, turning out her own provocative and far-sighted work that was especially visionary in the later part of her amazingly productive career.

Now she goes before us, to a place where all the books are about heaven. After she and Sam catch up, she may turn her energy to forming a Divine Words imprint. Here on earth she has sown a bountiful crop in the field of publishing. We benefit from the harvest. May we honor her memory and remember her well-chosen words and broad insight. Hard as it is to imagine her not writing, may she rest in peace.

Amen.