A Poem Rediscovered
The theme of Ruminate’s 19th issue (soon to be released!) is “Sustaining.” It has been such a fun theme, and I have discovered and rediscovered some of my favorite books, passages, and poems as we, the staff, worked to pull everything together to go to print. And I just had to share with you one of the beautiful things I re-discovered as I researched—“Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front” by Wendell Berry.
Read More »Art’s End Is Not Despair
I was recently reading through one of my favorite publications, The Sun, and found this quote–it resonated with me and I think it expresses some of our vision for Ruminate:
3 Parties Per Weekend
On average 3 parties per weekend. One Saturday, 5 in one day. My husband and I divided and conquered and actually made every party that day, but not without consequences. The kids were a mess, jacked up on sugar, and convinced for days after, that every moment should be filled with intense activity. We love celebrating these special moments with the people we care about. But as a pastor’s family, we are learning that we love others better if our family is happy and healthy i.e. a little less frantic.
Read More »A Story of Hope in Haiti
Although her story has been broadcast day and night on television and radio, I am disturbed by how disconnected I have felt from Haiti’s tragic situation. Only two hours from the continental U.S., I think I am surprised by how far away it seems and how little I know of this island, the first country founded by former African slaves, the second oldest republic in the western hemisphere.
Read More »A Parenting Book Worth Reading (really)
I have wanted to share this little book with friends for a long time, and now, with Tony Woodlief’s story in our upcoming Issue 12, I have a good excuse. My husband and I read Tony’s book, or pamphlet, Raising Wild Boys into Men: A Modern Dad’s Survival Guide, driving from Colorado to Tennessee with our five-year-old boy and three-year-old little girl. We laughed so hard our bellies hurt, and we both cried several times throughout the book. Our two kiddos sat clueless in their car seats devising ways to make guns out of Wendy’s straws and ammunition out of the plethora of leftover fast food found throughout the car.
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FEATURING Walter Wangerin, Jr., Jeanne Murray Walker, Nahal Suzanne Jamir, Aynslee Moon + 2012 William Van Dyke Short Story Prize judged by Walter Wangerin, Jr., winner Nahal Suzanne Jamir