Faith and writing

What a wonderful, life-giving day it's been here at Calvin College. Day one of the Festival of Faith & Writing has drawn to a close...well, for me it has, anyway. I think there are still some activities happening back on campus, including a Caedmon's Call concert, a showing of the film version of Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia, an a poetry reading. I'm happy to be unwinding and digesting the sessions I did attend today, and am ready for a good night's sleep before a full day of sessions tomorrow.

Besides hearing inspiring messages from likes of Mary Gordon, Mischa Berlinski (whose novel Fieldwork has now been added to my must-read list), Mary Karr (whose memoirs The Liar's Club and Cherry I purchased immediately after), and Michael Chabon, I ran into several friends and acquaintances, in this order: Margie Haack, Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma (editor of catapult magazine), Gregory Wolfe (editor of Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion), Denise Frame Harlan, Erica Young, Lew Klatt, Dennis Dean and Tom McWhertor. I saw Gail and Andrew Heffner from a distance, and I imagine there will be more sightings, and hopefully opportunities to interact, with many of these folks and more tomorrow and Saturday.

If you're interested in reading more about what's happening this weekend at Calvin College, check out these three live blogs: Thoughts on faith and writing, Rebelling Against Indifference, and I've Only Been Wrong Twice. Enjoy!