An much-abridged version of this review was published at Christianity Today. • In a recent British poll, U2’s song “One” was voted the greatest song of all time. Okay, perhaps it wasn’t a poll of musicians, historians, and songwriters, but of music fans. Still, the poll proves that U2’s song about longsuffering has struck resonant chords in its listeners over the last decade. The refrain, “We’ve got to carry each other…” is indeed powerful and true. The song is not... Read more
We had a lot of fun a few weeks back considering what the best fantasy novels for young readers might be. That prompted this question from a reader named Melissa: I really enjoyed your recommendations for “what to read after Narnia” with your kiddos. We are loving DiCamillo! Do you have a similar list for adults? I’ve read The Lords of the Rings, Harry Potter, and your books, and I would love to know what else is worth reading. I’ve... Read more
Auralia’s Favorite Bookstores You can find copies of Auralia’s Colors and Cyndere’s Midnight at any of your favorite bookstores, but these fantastic stores have been especially supportive in sharing The Auralia Thread with their customers and communities. Many thanks to all of them! The Next Chapter Third Place Books Eighth Day Books Village Books Barnes and Noble Read more
Cynthia writes: Hello from hot and humid Singapore! I have become a fan of your blog for about 2 years now. It was introduced by a friend of mine who lives in LA. Generally I don’t trust film critics, but I found an unpretentious opinion and style in your writing. I found myself going back to the blog over and over again, just to keep up with what’s happening in the film world because obviously in this part of the... Read more
I first met Charlie Kaufman when he visited Seattle to promote Adaptation. I met him again when he came back to talk about Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. About a week and a half ago, when he returned to Seattle to discuss his fantastic new movie Synecdoche, New York, I interviewed him a third time. This was the most enjoyable and in-depth of the conversations. A few short excerpts appear here, in my latest article for Image’s “Good Letters.”... Read more
So… I spilled the beans and mentioned that I have some glorious new posters for The Auralia Thread. And I’m planning to give away ten of them. Want one? Come up with one of the ten most creative blog posts about Auralia’s Colors or Cyndere’s Midnight. Here are the guidelines: It must be new, not a re-post of something you’ve done before. It must introduce readers to Auralia’s Colors and/or Cyndere’s Midnight in a creative fashion, giving them some idea... Read more
On Christianity Today’s “Feedback” page, you’ll see a wide range of responses to Peter T. Chattaway’s review of the film Save Me. Read the review. Then read the responses. Quite a variety of responses there. Some show evidence that the writers actually read Chattaway’s review. (And you can bet that there were plenty of other letters CT found unfit to print.) But the Ted Slater award* goes to Ron F. Wagley, who says: Your review of Save Me leaves me... Read more
I’m in Orange City, Iowa. It’s like… 20 degrees here, and there’s snow on the ground. I’m preparing for my third presentation of the day at Northwestern College. It’ll be a public lecture about Christian discernment in the arts. So I’m busy, I’m tired (jet lag and stress), and I’m having a fantastic time with gracious hosts. Normal blogging will resume when I get back and catch up on my sleep. Stay tuned… Read more
The Decemberists live on NPR, tonight! Read more
Buckle up. Pixar’s going to lift your spirits. Read more
Looking Closer
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In