Re: left behind etc.

[John Paul Davis <johnd at antioch-college_edu>]

Bethany Keeley wrote:
> I can relate.  I grew up knowing that I wanted to be a writer,
> but for years I worried that I shouldn't write the sort of books
> that I loved, but write stuff like you find in a christian
> bookstore, if I wanted to be a good Christian.  Th

heh. I get the feeling that if the various authors of the Bible went to 
IVP or BRoadman & Holman to get thier work published, they'd be laughed 
and/or thrown out of the boardroom.

SCENE: Matthew, an ex-IRS agent-turned author, has completed his first 
work, a memior of his encounter with the Son of God. He stands in front 
of a group of publishing executives at InterVarsity Press as they 
prepare to discuss his manuscript, humbly titled "The Book of Matthew"

SUIT 1: Well son, you've got a flair for style, and it's clear you can 
write well, but... we'll have to pass.

MATT. : I... I don't understand. I thought this material would be 
perfect for your market.

SUIT 2: We're with you on the general idea, but we feel you'd have to do 
some serious edits. For example, all this repeated business about loving 
your enemies and turning the other cheek is pretty and poetic, but 
haven't you heard? We're at war, son. This stuff smacks of crticising 
the President, who is, we all know, a devout Christian, which means that 
stuff which criticises him is by definition anti-Christian.

MATT.: You're aware, I take it, that the person saying all that stuff is 
Christ...

SUIT 1: I don't care if it was The Virgin Mary. The President prayed 
about the war, so it must be God's will. Did you pray about this book 
before you wrote it?

SUIT 2: Then there's this violent, disturbing scene where your main 
character enters a temple and disrupts the business there. Reads like 
terrorism to me.

SUIT 1: And the end, son, the end. Your character just *gives up*. 
Hardly a bestseller. We find that books which emphasize the victorious 
aspects of the Christian life sell more.

SUIT 2: Right. You know, there was this nice Jewish chap in here earlier 
- what was his name - oh yeah: Joshua. Wrote a killer book about a bunch 
of Isrealis kicking the asses of thousands of Palestinians. "Be strong 
an courageous." "They left none alvie that breathed." Man, that's good 
writing.

SUIT 1: That's what's selling these days son. Write us a good story 
about this "Yeshua" guy kicking ass and takig names, and maybe we'll talk.


- John

np: "Empty Sky" - Da Boss



-- 
John Paul Davis
Center for Community Learning
Antioch College
http://www.antioch-college.edu/ccl

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The benefits of helping somebody is beneficial

- George W. Bush
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.johnpauldavis.org

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