Newsletter - June, 2000

The Word Shop continues to be an oasis of peace in the midst of a bustling world, an open door, a place to discover great saints and funny ducks...all beloved of God. In order to maintain our already odd hours, we need 7 weekly volunteers, most doing three hour shifts. We currently have 5 of us with various staff members traipsing about the country, tending children out of school, or just plain goofing off.

Local folk who know Jesus as Lord and Savior can commit a weekly time slot to reading, praying and fellowshipping with whoever walks in the door. Two monthly shifts are also available to meet our goal of being open on Sunday afternoons. Please consider adding the gift of yourself to this corner of the kingdom and/or pray the Lord will send (and I will recognize!) laborers for this field.

Meanwhile, e-mail continues to be a good way to check stock and order books. Those of you who are traveling a distance to come see us, should call ahead to make sure somebody will be home.
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Memoirs
At the writers conference, Nick was complaining about how Christian Publishers won't step out and publish memoirs. My first response was that my whole store seemed to be full of memoirs. The light began to dawn when I realized I had shelved Angela's Ashes on the fiction shelf. Hmmmm.
Inventing the Truth ($13) is the title of a collection of essays with the subtitle, "The Art and Craft of Memoir." Perhaps the difference between an autobiography and a memoir is precisely that infusion of story; some basic elements of fiction breathed into a remembrance.
Nick suggested The Color of Water ($12.95) by James McBride, a black man's memoir of his Jewish/Christian mother who raised 12 children. James McBride gives us a wonderful story in this book, which is also available as an audio cassette ($25). Both Michael and I highly recommend The Color of Water, which is currently being read by a staff memeber. If you get it first, the now well used copy is $6.

The first story I ever published was "The Lion with a Tickle on the Tip of his Tail," published in Highlights for Children. Some time later they reprinted it in a charming collection of animal stories, Room for one More. It's a little paperback for the astonishing price of $3. I ran out of copies, ordered some more and they sent me double my order. (Books seem to multiply at the mere thought of my presence.) This is a great read aloud book for early elementary bed time. Add another dollar if you want it shipped. I'll even autograph it....

We've had a huge influx of secular children's books, including a 15 volume set of The Children's Hour, which includes all sorts of great classics. I'll sell it for $30 plus shipping; a great deal!

I finally read Boundaries, "When to say yes, when to say no, to take control of your life," which a number of people have told me was a life changing book. I can see why. I ordered in two copies and promptly had to loan one out. $19.99 new...if you catch the loaner in between folk, it will be cheaper.

More I Could not Ask by James Peterson is a Roman Catholic priest's story of ministry with prisoners, street folk and the like. It's subtitled "Finding Christ in the Margins." I wouldn't call it a memoir; have no desire to shelve it with fiction. But it's a great inspiring read for $3. If no one buys it soon, I'll take it off the this-is-a-cool-book shelf and put it on the shelf I want to call "Marketplace," but since no one seems to know what I mean by that is currently called "American Issues and Outreach," which is not only too long but sounds really boring to me. How's that for a run on sentence?

Time to run off.

Blessings,
Alliee +