Dear friends,
It is a joy to have some good news to share with you. A couple of good things, in fact.
First, Justin and Mike Camara report that Amelia’s adoption was made official yesterday in a Zoom hearing with the judge. They are now Amelia’s dads in every way, and Lucas is now officially a big brother. Congratulations to the whole family!! (Pictures of the hearing are below.)
Second, Kristine Anderson’s first novel, Crooked Truths, will be published on Tuesday, September 1. The manuscript received Mercer’s 2018 Ferrol Sams Fiction Award for being the work that best speaks to the human condition in a Southern context.
Here is what one reviewer said on Amazon:
“Kristine F. Anderson’s CROOKED TRUTH inhabits the same fictional corner of the universe as TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD or Ferrol Sams Porter Osborne trilogy. Her narrator Lucas has a literary lineage that stretches back to Tom Sawyer, and Lucas’s uncle Alvin Earl embodies the bigotry and ugliness of every small-town Southern villain from Bob Ewell to Boss Hogg. But Anderson’s novel claims its own ground. Her characters are imperfect dreamers, seeking refuge in the past or trying to glimpse a brighter future. Anderson’s story touches darkness, but it is not a grim book. Instead, it is hopeful, expansive, and at the same time intimate. Race and class and family secrets are all part of this rich brew. We see through Lucas’s eyes the post-WWII South, a world Anderson renders with clarity and detailed historical accuracy without slowing down the story one jot. But Lucas also shows us the world the way young teenagers everywhere see it: full of chores, often dramatic, occasionally tragic, but peopled with dogs and girls and the eternal promise of a chance to go fishing. I was sorry to leave Lucas and his family at the close of this novel, but I am glad that I can revisit them as often as I wish. CROOKED TRUTH proudly takes its place in the ranks of Southern literature.”
—Christopher Swann, author of NEVER TURN BACK
The book is available for pre-order now. Congratulations, Kristine!!
The last bit of good news is that we are feeding a lot of hungry people. Thanks to all who volunteered to help provide 80 sack lunches to Church of the Common Ground on Sunday.
And a special thanks to Elise MacIntyre, who continues to take our donations to the PopUp Food Pantry each week. With the start of school the pantry is now open on Tuesdays and Fridays. Elise comes to church to pick up items on Tuesday mornings. Pantry director Jennifer Lott told her that a popular item that is quickly depleted is spaghetti sauce. So next time you’re at the store pick up a few jars and a few other items and bring them by the church.
Finally, the bulletin for Sunday’s service is attached.
See you tonight at 8 for compline.