Letters and Life: On Being a Writer, On Being a Christian
“Letters and Lifeis nothing less than an invaluable gift to the body of Christ. Let no serious believer who aspires to serious writing neglect to read it and to be encouraged, instructed, and blessed by it. A wise, wonderful, and desperately needed primer on what it means to be a genuine Christian writer and artist.”—Eric Metaxas,New York Timesbest-selling author,Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy“Like all great storytellers, Bret Lott is a bridge builder: his characters cross into our lives and help us know ourselves more truly. In this lively collection of essays, Lott is determined to bridge another gap—the sometimes uneasy tension between the world of literary fiction and the broader community of faith. Along the way, he demonstrates that reading literature, far from being an elitist indulgence, is at once deeply pleasurable and a transformative spiritual experience.”—Gregory Wolfe,editor,Image; author,Beauty Will Save the World“Bret Lott has dared to write an impossible book—a serious and candid set of meditations on what it means to be a Christian writer living in a secular society that neither respects nor even understands his faith. I can hardly imagine a more difficult topic or a more necessary one.Letters and Lifehas the courage to explore a question at the heart of contemporary culture: How do we reconcile the spirit and the imagination?”—Dana Gioia,poet; former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts“Bret Lott is one of America’s finest writers and editors; this book reveals him to be one of our greatest mentors to writers of faith, as well.Letters and Lifebrims with wisdom and advice to all who bear the call toward an authentic journey of a writer. It is a gift for all readers who desire to know more about the creative process and to infuse their creativity into their lives.”—Makoto Fujimura,Founder, International Arts Movement and Fujimura Institute; artist; author