Volume XI, Issue 15
April 13, 2022
“I was struck by how often the lessons we learn when we’re young,
the things we could never imagine needing,
make it possible to meet what life will ask of us later.”
~ Ann Patchett
Dear ,
I have been savoring the essays in Ann Patchett's latest book, a collection of essays called These Precious Days. Perhaps because I grew up Catholic, one called "Worthless Servant" made a big impact on me. It's about a Catholic priest in Patchett's hometown of Nashville who serves the homeless population there with deep love and respect. Living out one's faith through service (and/or religious services) seems an appropriate theme for this week, as Passover begins this Friday, as Christians commemorate Good Friday.
If these definitions of service don't serve up inspiration to you right now, you can scroll on down to this week's prompt to consider other kinds of "serving" that might!
CPCC's Literary Events at Sensoria
Juan Felipe Herrera is the 21st Poet Laureate of the United States (2015-2016) and the first Latino to hold the position. Herrera is the author of thirty books, including collections of poetry, prose, short stories, young adult novels and picture books for children.
Learn more about Juan Felipe Herrera here.
Last Call
for Sale Price
After I spent months wondering if Covid had put Spinning Words into Gold out of print for good, my publisher was finally able to deliver two boxes of beautiful, brand new copies with thicker, sturdier paper, than the originals!
I still love this book years after its publication, in large part because it's full of writing wisdom, insight, and inspiration from so many writers, known and unknown, including Ray Bradbury, Mary Oliver, Naomi Shihab Nye, William Stafford, and a number of Charlotte writers who have gone on to write their own books, including Cheryl
Boyer (Counting Colors), Caroline Castle Hicks (Such Stuff As Stars Are Made Of) and Lisa Otter Rose (You've Got Verve, Jamie Ireland.)
For a limited time, even though my publisher's costs have gone up and he's passed them on to me, I'm selling them at the original price of $21.95 + tax and shipping through April 18, to celebrate this new shipment's arrival! Things were looking very iffy for several months. You can learn more,
order a copy, and/or even watch a rare video of me discussing it here on my website.
The Worthless Servant
by
Ann Patchett
In the middle of June in Nashville, a few days before the summer became unendurably hot, I was in the car with Charlie Strobel, driving out towards the river. To grow up Catholic in Nashville is to know at least some of the members of the Strobel family, and long before Charlie and I
became friends, I knew the stories of what he had accomplished, and what he had lost. We were on our way to the Stadium Inn to visit some homeless men who were about to get their own apartment, and while he drove, Charlie told me a story about Father Dan Richardson. Father Dan was the priest at Assumption, the North Nashville parish in the poor neighborhood where Charlie grew up. It was not too far from where we were headed now.
“Father Dan was a father figure to me,” Charlie said, his own father having died when he was four. “We lived down the street from the church, and by the time I was in the third or fourth grade, I was an acolyte.”
Assumption was a parish with an older congregation, and Charlie remembered the funerals coming one after the other. For every funeral, Father Dan gave the exact same homily. “We knew it word for word. We could mouth it along behind him,” Charlie said, and though he is sixty-nine now,
a good distance from his altar boy self, he begins the recitation:
“Father Dan would say, ‘We’re on this earth to get ready to die. And when we die, God’s not going to say, ‘Charlie [Ann, Sally, John, fill-in-the-blank], what did you do for a living? How much money did you make? How many houses did you have?”’ God is only going to ask us two
questions: ‘Did you love me?’ and, ‘Did you love your neighbor?’ And we can imagine that Charlie [Ann, Sally, John, fill-in-the-blank] will answer truthfully, saying, ‘Yes, Lord, You know I loved you. You know I loved my neighbor.’ And then God will say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Now enter into the kingdom of heaven.’”
Charlie smiled at the thought of it. “He nailed it every single time. He had this soft voice, and his cadence was perfect. Even though I knew exactly what was coming, it never failed to grab me. It was sad, especially if I knew the person who had died, but I never
heard it as anything but a positive and hopeful message. We come from God, we return to God, so death was never frightening.”
Charlie realized then that he had missed his exit. Neither one of us had been paying attention to the interstate, and neither of us was sorry. It gave him time to finish the story.
“Even after I grew up and became a priest, I could never call him Dan. It was always Father Dan. I’d always say to him, ‘What are you going to get me for Christmas this year?’ And he’d say, ‘A bridge,’ because the homeless lived under bridges.” Father Dan, who was Irish, was always
one for a joke.
“When I went to see him for the last time before he died, we had a personal talk, a father-son talk, and I told him how much I loved him. Then I said, ‘Now I’m going to be your priest,’ and I did his whole routine—‘We are on this earth to get ready to die, and when we die, God’s not
going to ask, “Dan, how much money did you make?” He’s going to ask two questions: “Did you love me?” and, “Did you love your neighbor?” And I know you’ll say, “Yes, Lord, You know I loved you. You know I loved my neighbor.” And God will say, “Enter, good and faithful servant.” ’
I was struck by how often the lessons we learn when we’re young, the things we could never imagine needing, make it possible to meet what life will ask of us later. “I’ve grown to be who I am,” Charlie said, “because of those life experiences each of us has.”
To continue reading, click here.
WordPlay Now! Writing
Prompt
This is WordPlay—so why not
revel in the power and potential of one good word after another? This week, it's "serve."
PROMPT:
Who, and what, has served you (or one of your characters)? When, and how? Who have you (or one of your characters) served? When and how? Whom do you know (or know of) who has served others in a truly selfless way?
If nothing that inspires you comes to mind, look to other ways the verb "serve" shows up. We had a great brainstorming in my fabulously creative Tuesday morning Under Construction class that led to, among other topics, stories about waitressing, serving or being served legal papers, paramedic service, a silver service, even a tennis serve.
Once you've found an interesting scenario that involves any kind of serving, go ahead and write about it, in any genre you like.
MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and two collections of poetry, This Scatter of
Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water. She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another."
Maureen also believes that serious "word work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best learn—and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her
clients along the way. Language, when used with intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours!
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