R.W. Holmen's Blog: Spirit of a Liberal, page 2

Early Amazon reviews for Wormwood and Gall

Folks who received advance reader copies of Wormwood and Gall have posted five-star reviews on Amazon. Pastor Wesley White has penned his own book centered in Mark’s gospel, entitled, Slow Reading the Gospel of Mark, a reflective, meditative, and introspective invitation into the gospel narrative.  Pastor White’s review of Wormwood and Gall lauds the historical […]



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Wormwood and Gall–first review

A few years ago, I participated in a Saturday morning men’s group over coffee and Panera pastries. Mike Allen was another participant. Recently, he responded to my request for an early review and quickly downloaded a digital copy, and he has now sent me his review. First, he contrasts light Christian fiction with heavy theological […]



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Wormwood and Gall: an odd book title

The Hollywood screenwriter who hopes to bring A Wretched Man to a movie screen near you, once complimented me on my imaginative, and sometimes provocative, book titles. So, where does Wormwood and Gall come from?



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Is literary fiction a dinosaur?

Literary fiction is often contrasted with genre fiction, commercial fiction, popular fiction, etc. Among other trends in the publishing industry, literary fiction is increasingly becoming a lost art, driven by cultural changes and market influences. Sadly, good books don't sell.



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Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth

I have attended countless church conventions as voting member (delegate), visitor/observer, or as vendor hawking my religiously-themed books. In this latter context, I became acquainted with a group of Wisconsin Methodist queer activists. In fact, when I penned Queer Clergy, a chronicle of the history of queer Christians seeking a place at the table, I […]



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Reviewers wanted

Advance reader copies (called a galley) of Wormwood and Gall: The Destruction of Jerusalem and the First Gospel will soon be available, before the book is released to the general public. Would you like to receive an early, free copy in exchange for a review? If so, send me an email obie dot holmen at […]



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Wormwood and Gall to be released

Wormwood and Gall: The Destruction of Jerusalem and the First Gospel will soon be released. This sequel to A Wretched Man has been in the works for some time. The novel fictionalizes the scribe who penned a narrative to uplift the discouraged remnant of the Christian community as Jewish civil war raged and the Roman Legions […]



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Gonna Stick My Sword in the Golden Sand

Gonna Stick My Sword in the Golden Sand: A Vietnam Soldier's Story has just been released. The title comes from a stanza of the gospel traditional, Down by the Riverside, with its refrain--"Ain't gonna study war no more." Golden Sand is a bold, dark, and intense retelling of the Vietnam experience through the eyes of an army scout that is hauntingly honest and brutally true.



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Gay Games Symposium

I am pleased and honored that the UCC has asked me to moderate a symposium during the games entitled Queer Christians: Celebrating the Past, Shaping the Future.



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Email sent to my followers

Whew!

It's time to catch my breath. Since the release of Queer Clergy in February, I've been on the road ... Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and California. I have been the guest of book clubs, adult forums, LGBT reconciling groups, the Pacific School of Religion, and I've been a guest preacher (always a treat for an old lawyer). I've made the rounds of Lutheran, Methodist, and UCC church conventions and a book fair.



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