Sarahbeth Caplin's Blog, page 27

How did Martin Luther King speak without a Xanax?

If you ever wondered what you would have said or done during the Nazi invasion of Germany or the Civil Rights movement, you’re doing it now. That statement, as seen on Twitter, sits at the edge of my thoughts on a daily basis. Of course I imagine myself siding with the Resistance. My allegiance would … Continue reading How did Martin Luther King speak without a Xanax?

Donald Trump’s battered supporters

In a segment that is both infuriating and perplexing, Fox News anchor Melissa Francis defends Donald Trump’s remarks about the white supremacist riot in Charlottesville (the so-called violence on “both sides”) to the point that she ends up in tears. “I’m so uncomfortable having this conversation,” she laments. “I know what’s in my heart, and … Continue reading Donald Trump’s battered supporters

‘Not All Christians’ needs to go

In the next coming days, your social media feeds will likely be inundated with posts from Christians eager to defend their religion against the stain of the white supremacists who stormed Charlottesville, Virgina, this weekend. They’ll use the hashtag #NotAllChristians. They’ll remind you, for the umpteenth time in two thousand years, that “real” Christians aren’t … Continue reading ‘Not All Christians’ needs to go

The first time I felt pride as an independent author

I’ve had books published for five years now, but I’ve never looked at the physical editions of my books in my hands and thought, “Wow, this is amazing,” until now. This is one of the benefits – and hassles – of self-publishing. Because there’s still a stigma that “self published” equals “half-assed,” or something one … Continue reading The first time I felt pride as an independent author

3 lessons I learned from my abuser

I’m not one of those people who believes that everything happens for a reason. For the most part, I think that idea is complete horseshit. Redemption from past pain is something different: it doesn’t require that a terrible event take place in order to teach you something. It doesn’t require you to be grateful for … Continue reading 3 lessons I learned from my abuser

“Not bad” is a perfectly fine response to “How are you doing?”

I’m going to start giving this “vlogging” thing a try. You can find more of these on a semi-weekly basis by ‘liking’ my Facebook page, or subscribing to my Youtube channel. I want to offer a few brief thoughts on mental illness in response to the death of Chester Bennington from Linkin Park, and why … Continue reading “Not bad” is a perfectly fine response to “How are you doing?”

“You can’t sit with us,” Jewish edition

For a magazine whose demographic is liberal Jewish women, I was rather surprised by the responses to the article “Please Stop Asking Me ‘Are You Even Jewish’?” that was recently shared on Lilith’s Facebook page. The author, Alyssa Weinstein, was raised by interfaith parents: an Episcopalian mother, and a reformed Jewish father. Though Weinstein’s mother … Continue reading “You can’t sit with us,” Jewish edition

Your suicide story doesn’t rule them all

Related post: ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ isn’t really about suicide The following contains spoilers about the book/Netflix series Weeks after I finished the series, I still can’t let Thirteen Reasons Why go. I’m still seeing Facebook posts from people who are a bit late to the party, asking if it’s worth watching. Still reading the same … Continue reading Your suicide story doesn’t rule them all

Are millennials leaving church? I don’t know, but here’s why I did

To be honest, I’m a little annoyed by all these alarmist-sounding “Why are millennials leaving the church in droves?!” kinds of articles. Okay, not all of them are quite so alarmist. More like…concerned. There are sources that want to understand, like this one here, and Christian groups that just want a new demographic to make … Continue reading Are millennials leaving church? I don’t know, but here’s why I did

My first podcast

Last week I had the opportunity and privilege to appear on The Daily Author podcast, with host Richard Keller of Wooden Pants Publishing. I answered questions about the indie publishing process (a term I prefer over “self publishing,” because no one truly publishes anything by themselves!) and about my two memoirs, Confessions of a Prodigal … Continue reading My first podcast