Donald Miller's Blog, page 131

Blue Like Jazz Cast Intro: Tania Raymonde

So it's been about a week since I left Nashville, and I miss the cast a lot. Not only do I miss watching them act, because they are amazing, but I miss them as people. Tania Raymonde is brilliant. I vote her the best person to have a cup of coffee with at 4 in the morning, which is usually about the time the cast and crew is taking a coffee break. She will be playing Lauryn, who is based loosely on Laura from the book. Here's Tania:

Introducing: Tania Raymonde from Blue Like Jazz The Movie on Vimeo.

Movie Monday, Another Video Update

Video Update 3 – Blue Like Jazz the Movie from Blue Like Jazz The Movie on Vimeo.

Follow more consistent updates on the film at www.bluelikejazzthemovie.com

Lets Talk Turkey

Thanksgiving is next week and I've got about ten people flying in to hang at the house, go snow shoeing and sledding, and watch the lighting of the Portland Christmas tree.

And we are going to cook. My friend Mike Barrow is in charge of the turkey, and I'm going to smoke a brisket on the old Traeger (remind me to buy stock in the company that makes that thing) but the rest is up in the air.

So lets hear it! What do you absolutely love to eat at Thanksgiving? Share the recipe with the blog and lets try some of this stuff out.

Living From our Squirrel Brain

I was recently troubled to learn I think like a squirrel.

A friend told me a story a while back about a squirrel he saw on the deck of his condo. He put a couple nuts out one day, and the squirrel came back the next day looking for more nuts. So he opened his sliding door, and placed a nut just inside. The squirrel studied the distance he'd have to run to get in and out of the house, then took the chance, grabbed the nut and escaped back to his tree. Each day my friend would bring the squirrel further inside the house, until, after a few weeks, he could feed the squirrel from his hand. Awesome story. Except for what happened next.

My friend decided to stop feeding the squirrel. And the squirrel went nuts. The squirrel put it's paws (whatever they are) on the glass door and shook it, chirping and squelching at my friend to let it in to get it's nut. My friend tried to scare it off, but the animal only hissed at my friend. My friend now hates squirrels. He thinks they are spoiled animals and essentially slightly cuter than rats, though less friendly and human like.

We each have squirrel brains and mostly operate from them. We feed our hunger, our sexual desires, our desires for sleep and so forth from our squirrel brains. But then we also have an executive brain which can overrule the squirrel brain. The executive brains helps us share with others, be patient, resist temptation and so forth. When our executive brain is weak, we become like animals.

If Apple computer puts a nut outside it's door, then puts another closer to the counter, then another right at the counter, then suddenly sells us something that doesn't work right, we turn into animals, putting our paws against the door, squealing. Or if Wendy's is out of frosties, or if church doesn't start on time, or if somebody disagrees with us and doesn't give us our intellectual nut. Rodents!

The real corrupt geniuses are the folks who feed the squirrels, the producers, the Glenn Becks and Rahm Emanuels, who doll out press releases to the masses, stirring up the squirrel rebellion to fight the other team, who is making us uncomfortable by squeezing our nuts.

It all makes me want to poop.

I don't want to think like a rodent anymore. I'll find my protein in the trees.

I Know how Old You Are

When I read a bit of criticism online, especially if it's some kind of theological attack, my mind immediately assumes it's been written by a white young man in his early twenties. And I'm normally right. Last night we were at a show, and before the show somebody tweeted that "Donald Miller better not mess up this show for me or there will be hell to pay." The twitter profile offered no picture, but I knew it was a white kid in his twenties, and it turned out I was right. I was on the road with Derek Webb, Robbie Seay and Sandra McCracken, and we wrote the kids name down on pieces of paper, then put them all into a hat, then did a drawing from the stage where he thought he'd won something, and was invited up to be interviewed. I asked him what he did, and he wrote a blog espousing a certain theological position, and then we put his tweet up on screen. He was a great sport about the whole thing. I'd share his blog but to be honest I never read it. He'd unfortunately lost my respect. He claimed to not know me or have read my books, but had no problem issuing a threat like some kind of religious cop.

But I've noticed something. I've noticed that a little bit of truth in the hands of the immature turns immediately into a sense of superiority, and usually an attack on whatever position is seen as contradictory.

What is really happening here is a young man who is struggling for an identity, to tell the world that he is right and smart, uses some bit of theology as a flag for his identity, skipping the part where the truth about God he has learned humbles him and brings him to his knees, and makes his heart tender and broken for those who are suffering outside the unconditional love of Christ. It's a disgusting trick, and it isn't from God.

When we are young or immature, right theology makes us feel superior, but when we are older and more mature, a study of theology makes us feel inferior and unworthy, undeserved, and grateful.

The Joy of Getting Older

This is a bit of a belated post, but I celebrated my 39th birthday this past summer. Unlike many, I actually like getting older. With age has come emotional stability, the resources to make ideas happen, and what I hope has been a great deal of wisdom. I also feel better than I did ten years ago. I'm not sure why, but I do. I don't drink much and I used to smoke sometimes when I wrote and it's been years since I've done that. I don't eat much better but I go on long walks by the river with Goose and this habit alone I think has added to my happiness.

I overheard somebody the other day talking about traveling to "find their soul" which I suppose could mean any number of things, from finding out who they really are, to figuring out what they are going to do with their lives. But when I heard it, I was thankful, because I'm not trying to find my soul anymore. I'm honestly not trying to find much of anything I lack anymore. And I say that in the face of not having gotten so many of the things I thought I needed. I found my soul. I'm not sure where, but I found it and it feels very complete. I'm not very afraid of death anymore (don't try to run me down with your car to see if I flinch, because I will) because I know that what we all really want is on the other side of this collective experience we are all having. But my soul is fine. It might be Jesus, I don't know, because when I attend church the sermons are usually addressing and prescribing for a common lack that I don't identify with, I think it might just be that I've gotten older, and my brain chemistry has changed, and I just decided to be grateful for the things I've been given, which have been a lot.

All that to say, getting older isn't all that bad. Although yesterday we had a hotel near a mall and I went over for lunch and then walked to get some exercise along with the senior citizens and was unpleasantly surprised at how much I preferred it to the gym. When I turn 40 I am going to get an indoor scooter with a basket on the front.

I wish I could go back and talk to myself when I was twenty. I'd say to myself "listen, don't worry about the things you've been worrying about. Everything is going to work out great." And I'd likely clarify with myself that "In the future I get everything I need?" And I'd say back to myself "No, you just realize you didn't need it. And that's even better."

Clarification about Killing the Blog

Well, I woke up on a tour bus to find hundreds of you awesome, unbelievably encouraging folks asking me not to kill the blog. I assure you, I was only thinking out loud. I even felt creepy as though I was being dramatic, but that wasn't the intent. The blog will stay for a while. But I do think there has to be a way to find focus, and to create books. For me, the future holds another spiritual book called The Way of a Disciple, and then a series of novels, and when I'm smart enough to write it, a book exploring the Lifeboat Theory in depth. That one, my Mother will buy.

We are back on set of Blue Like Jazz, and tonight we film the confession booth scene. It's not much like the confession booth scene in the book, but in a way I think it's much more powerful. I wish I could give some of the story away, but Steve and Ben would kill me. Just know it's all going well. Can't wait for you to see this film.

Leaving at 3AM tonight to head to St. Louis, Saginaw and Minneapolis with Robbie Seay, Sandra McCracken and Derek Webb. Can't believe I get to do this for a living.

See you soon.

To Kill a Blog

So lately I've been considering killing the blog. And in a way, the idea terrifies me, because the old adage "publish or perish" is true, and in an age where people aren't reading books, the adage might as well be "blog or perish" and soon will be "twitter or perish" and I am sure this will all be replaced with an even more brief and perhaps visual way to communicate with each other. I do think people are reading more than they ever have, but I don't think they are reading books, and I don't think what we are all reading is very good. This blog is written in coffee shops, on busses, early in the morning before walking the dog. It is, as you know, rarely checked for spelling or grammatical errors. A book is thought through, over months, edited, rewritten, and then presented. A blog is "published" seconds after it is written. The writing life has changed. And my fear is the true craft is dead. There may never be another John Steinbeck, because the next Steinbeck won't be able to sell enough books to pay for a year or two of writing the next book. He'll need to speak, and in order to speak he will have to hire an accountant and a travel agent because God knows his creative mind can't manage a checkbook or get to Detroit by Thursday. And then he'll be treading water, not honing his craft. And he will never become the next John Steinbeck. So the question is, do you publish (blog) what people will read, or hone a craft and publish hard-earned books that may never be read? I'm leaning toward the good book unread.

So here's a question? What writers have you read this year who have no online presence? Does it honestly make a difference to you?

Movie Monday, An Update

We've been filming for more than a week now, and have our most technically difficult scene in the can, along with, perhaps, the most difficult scene for Claire Holt and Marshall Allman wrapped up, too. Our most technical scene involved over a hundred extras, a stage, laser lights, fog machines, multiple cameras and a crane and involved multiple characters with dialogue. It was a long night, but the extras, most of whom joined us from Belmont University, were remarkable. And Claire and Marshall killed it with their difficult scene. Lots of tears on set as they performed with enough strength to drag all our emotions into the fictional situation.

Behind the scenes, we are working on getting our donor/extras into scenes, shipping our incentives, and getting my phone book ready so I can thank all of you who donated to the film.

We've had some very long and potentially stressful nights, but they've each gone extremely well. There is still a spirit on the set that we are filming something very special. Can't wait for you to see at least a trailer….

Here are some answers to questions I've gotten about the film:

1. Is this a Christian film? Sort of. Steve, Ben and I are all Christians. Most of the principal cast are not Christians. The theme of the movie is about a kid who is ashamed of his faith, both for selfish reasons and for very good reasons. That said, it does not have a "christian" message, as much as it tells a story. The film is not trying to convert anybody to anything, so in that sense it is not an evangelical film.

2.  When will the film be released? We will be filming through Thanksgiving here in Nashville, then will wrap up the film in Portland just after New Years. After the film is completely wrapped, we begin the editing process, color correction, sound correction and then begin working on the soundtrack. While this is taking place, we will be raising more money for investors for print and advertising, which allows us to release the movie into theaters. If all goes well, we will hopefully have it out as early as summer, though the film may hit the festival circuit which may delay it's release. But a 2011 release is certainly what we are all hoping for. That said, nothing about this film has happened in a normal production or release schedule, so who knows.

3. What's it like seeing your words come to life on screen? Steve, Ben and I are having the time of our lives on set. Steve is the director, of course, and Ben is the Director of Photography (the guy who sets up each shot visually) and I mostly sit around, waiting for Steve to call on me for any adjustments in the dialogue. We are loving bringing this script to life. It has far exceeded my expectations. The location is better than I imagined, the script is playing much better than I imagined, and the actors, who are making the story their own, are turning around and telling us our own story and it only feels better in their capable hands. I've been hit in ways I never expected. While watching the scene where Don gives Penny mittens for Christmas (Penny didn't buy clothes for a year to practice solidarity with the poor) I was moved because it brought back a great memory. And then in another scene, where a character named Jordan, loosely based on an old roommate of mine, Jordan Green (Burnside Writers Collective) came to visit Don at school (a fictional scene that never took place) I was equally moved because the scene was funny but also painful. I guess I was moved because we were seeing our fictional characters go through a struggle we had created for them. In all, it's the joy of the creative process.

Okay, enough for now. Thanks again for all the support! Can't wait to show you our story…

Best,

Don

Love Tells the Story

If you live near Dallas, Nacagdoche, St. Louis (Chesterfield), Chicago, Saginaw or Minneapolis, I'd love to see you on this way-too short tour with Derek Webb, Sandra McCraken and the Robbie Seay Band. This Sunday we start in Dallas and it's promising to be a good time. All of us go way back, so this tour is something we put together just so we could hang and enjoy each others company. I seriously love these guys as people, and have enormous respect for them as artists. My job is to get out of the way and showcase their talent, so I'll be speaking in short interludes between their sets, telling stories about them, perhaps asking a few questions, and then sharing some stuff I've learned along the way.

The tour is called Love Tells the Story, and we will be talking and singing about the power of Love as an invention of God, serving as a metaphor to help us understand his personality.

Derek has a new album called Feedback and he'll be featuring symphonic-like electronic instrumentals that follow the progression of the Lords Prayer. I've heard it and it's terrific, and this will be the first time he's played the material live. Sandra will  be featuring songs from her hymns record, and Robbie Seay and the boys will close the night with a long worship set. I'll be sharing everything from stories from the artists lives to Billy Collins poems to anecdotes about how love, in it's many forms, has caused revolution.

We will also be hanging out in the lobby to answer questions. I wish I could bring some dailies from the film, because it's looking amazing, but we will just have to wait for a trailer. I know I speak for all of us when I say we are incredibly grateful to be able to do this, and have longed to be on tour together for years. These will be good nights.

If you're up for a bit of storytelling, both in spoken word and music, come on out and join us. Hope to see you soon.

Don