Of Witchfinder and the Hugo Witch Hunt

Those of you who follow my blog on a regular basis may recall that back in November 2014 I ran a series of posts on an interview with author Sarah A. Hoyt by the Avondale United Methodist Church book club. The initial reason for the interview was to discuss her book Witchfinder, along with other questions about the writing process in general.

I bring this up to create a point of reference for those of you who may have read those blogs, or may even have attended the interview. Because, if only tangentially, Sarah has been in the news recently in regards to the Hugo Awards, and the nomination process for said awards.  Seems she is part of a group, known as Sad Puppies 3, that has taken heat for their involvement in encouraging more people to participate in the nomination and voting process for Science Fiction’s “most prestigious award.”

Let me caution anyone who sees news stories about Sad Puppies 3 and the Hugos to be very careful in believing what you are reading. There is a lot a misinformation out there by a lot of allegedly credible news sources.

The Sad Puppies have been accused of being racist, misogynistic, homophobic. We are being told that the group is a disgruntled set of white men who cannot stand that people other than white men are winning Hugo awards, and want to put women and non-whites in their places. Even the Library Journal calls Sad Puppies misguidedly misogynistic. Which is rather curious, considering the number of women and people of color (Like Sarah) who are part of Sad Puppies, along with the number of women and people of color on their slate of suggested nominees.

The story of the detractors simply doesn’t hold together. Calling women of color “white men” is the course of someone desperately out of touch with reality. One of the successful nominees happens to be another of my favorite authors, and a woman — Cedar Sanderson (still gotta purchase my copy of Dragon Noir — when I know I have time to finish this final book of the trilogy — once I pick it up I will never take a break until it is finished!)

Another complaint is how the group came in and gamed the system. They said it took just a few organized people to “take over” the awards for their own nefarious purposes.

But the numbers on the nominations shows a different tale. The total numbers of nominations went significantly up. More people than ever were involved in the process. More people makes it harder, not easier, for a small group to control the process.  This means that if Sad Puppies was a small group that took over the process, that an even smaller group than Sad Puppies has been controlling the process in prior years. This whole accusation against Sad Puppies simply proves that someone else was already controlling the process, and their control was taken away (that control was one of the allegations of the Sad Puppies).

Nor did Sad Puppies do anything clandestinely, or as a conspiracy. I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul in Acts. 26:26 when defending Christianity to King Agrippa, that this thing was “not done in a corner.” Sad Puppies was openly on the internet for anyone to read about what they were doing and thinking. Those who are complaining now had plenty of time to know what was being done and said to organize their own counter effort of encouragement to people to become involved in the process.  That they couldn’t find those people just indicates how truly out of touch they are with regular fans and regular readers, who saw fit to take the process back.

And now that their party of control is over, what we are hearing is sour grapes, and a sort of “burn the house” down, destroy the Hugo awards. If my favorites can’t have the awards, no one should, is what they are saying. A scorched earth policy. Which is enough to show which side is sane, and which side isn’t.

So beware of what you hear, and what you believe, even from “reliable” sources.

Easter Music Roundup

Easter was Sunday. Today is Wednesday.  Took me this long to edit the musical clips I wanted from our Easter services to share here. Nine clips.

Sunday was the last day with our organist Matt Gender at Avondale United Methodist Church, and he pulled out all the stops. First number I will share is his prelude: Improvisation on Victimae Paschali Laudes.

That was followed by a choral introit (accompanied again by Matt on organ) of “Come, Proclaim the Victory.”

Then the congregation did a rousing rendition of “Christ the Lord is Risen Today!” (Easter Sunday is a terrible time to not have your full singing voice — and try to sing this. I was in half-voice on the day, and had to reserve voice for the Anthem, which comes later).

But it is this next piece that I really want to feature.  The Youth Chime Choir (with my son) did offertory of “Daybreak” (McKlveen).

That was followed by the choral Anthem “Hail the day that sees Him Rise”.

A little later, following the scripture reading, Aaron Redburn and Shannon Lowe did “I’ve Just Seen Jesus!” for the sung response.

The Song of Preparation for communion was “He Lives.” While it was well done, the tempo, as you listen to it, was about half that I was used to singing this song growing up in a little country church. We would rock this one out a little better.

Matt did a nice improvisation of some sort for the Communion Music.

Then the service closed with a Postlude: “Toccata from Symphonie V”.

A Blast of the Past #8 — College Graduation

For such a big landmark event is life, it is amazing how it seems to be truncated down to these particular 12 photos (okay, probably 13 if we include the official graduation picture we purchased).

Woolsey Hall disappeared soon after we graduated.

The event is called commencement for a reason — it is the beginning of something — though we usually think of it as the end of something — the college experience and education we have spent 4 years of our lives on.

Me and my college roommate for three years.

As I look at these pictures I am amazed at what I do not remember from that time, and what memories the pictures invoke. I don’t remember anything about the speaker or what he said at the ceremony. I don’t remember how comfortable or uncomfortable it was in the graduation robes.

My friend from high school came.

I do notice in the pictures afterwards that some graduates are unzipped, while I still have my robe zipped up, and tie firmly still in place.

The pictures of the Houghton College Quad are definitely vintage in the after-ceremony milling shots. The one shot shows Wollsey hall, that is no longer there, and every shot probably has something that could easily date it.

Dr. Jost, college choir director. Never saw or heard from him again, but he had quite an impact on my music and singing.

The other main impression I have is the people that are in the shots. My aunt and uncle came on down, and my friend Stephen Westbrook from High School was there. Time drifts us apart so quickly. What amazes me today is how many of these people  still are a significant part of my life — some through the influence they still exert by how they shaped me, and others through the amazing way modern technology has kept us connected, or brought us back together.

In Praise of the Easter Egg Hunt — and the Easter Bunny

Yesterday I wrote a post about the Hope of Easter.  In it I talked about having seen Rise of the Guardians for the first time, and how I thought it was a great movie, even if it did take creative liberties with the childhood myths of the “guardians” that were part of the movie plot.

Today, in heading to the family Easter dinner and egg hunt, the son started talking about how the Easter Bunny was actually something pagan, not Christian. That got us into a whole conversation about pagan vs. Christian, about borrowing from paganism, and why.

There are a lot of Christians who are skeptical of the myths, of the Easter Bunny, and Santa, the Tooth Fairy, etc. They think we should teach our kids only the truth, not “lie” to them and make sure they understand the difference between fantasy and reality. I am not one of them.

I believe the distinction between fantasy and reality as stated is misdrawn. And I believe kids can tell the difference between the fantasy and the true story. And that the pleasure of the fantasy contains an important truth that we hide by denying the power of myth.

G.K. Chesterton says the following in Orthodoxy:

Christianity is the only frame which has preserved the pleasure of Paganism. We might fancy some children playing on the flat grassy top of some tall island in the sea. So long as there was a wall round the cliff’s edge they could fling themselves into every frantic game and make the place the noisiest of nurseries. But the walls were knocked down, leaving the naked peril of the precipice. They did not  fall over; but when their friends returned to them they were all huddled in terror in the centre of the island; and their song had ceased.

Yesterday’s blog talked about Hope’s Song, and the true meaning of Easter. Today, I say, when we focus on the true meaning of Easter, and its hope, we get all the pleasure and magic of paganism into the bargain, without any of its nightmare — but we have to start with the truth first for the magic to follow.

So celebrate the truth, and enjoy the magic.

Happy Easter!

The Hope of Easter

“Easter is new beginnings. New life. Easter’s about hope, and now, it’s gone.” E. Aster Bunnymund, Rise of the Guardians.

I watched Rise of the Guardians for the first time Saturday night. An excellent movie plot — if you don’t mind its rerendering of the stories of some of the childhood myths. It tells some good truths, and plays loose and free with the underlying stories to do so, while remaining true to most of them.

The lead quote of this story is a good example. The character the plays the Easter Bunny explains the meaning of Easter, as the hope of Easter disappears.

For Easter is the story of hope. That much the movie gets right. and people understand: hope and new life. That is the reason for eggs as such a symbol of Easter. We just tend to misunderstand the true meaning and nature of the hope. For that let us turn to another animated rendition: Hope’s Song from An Easter Carol.  But this story telling is not the retelling of a myth, but of the greatest truth — an historical truth — that underlies all the myths.

There’s a story that started on Christmas
When a baby was born in the night
And those who came far who followed the star
Were seeing a heavenly sight
A heavenly sight

Well, the years hurried by and the boy, now a man
Could make the blind see with a touch of His hand
He was born to be King, He was Rabbi and Priest
But the best that He had, He gave to the least
He gave to the least

He was born and He died, almost 2,000 years ago
He laughed and He cried, He felt all the fears we know
But what does it matter? A story so strange
Even if it is true, what does it change?
What does it change?

Though He spoke like a prophet, like no one they’d heard
This simple young carpenter, crowds hung on every word
He hated injustice, He taught what is right
He said, I’m the way and the truth and the light

His friends soon believed that truly He was the one
The Savior, Messiah, God’s one and only Son
But others they doubted, they did not agree
So they took Him, they tried Him
He died on a tree, He died on a tree

God has made a way
For all who mourn and grieve
Death will never be the end
If you just believe

There is nothing left to fearNothing Heaven knows

Nothing Heaven knows

For He died for us to give us life
And to give us hope He rose

For He died for us to give us life
And to give us hope He rose

A Blast of the Past #7 — Senior Skip

View of downtown Toronto from the museum house we visited on the north side of the city.

In my day, at least, there was a traditional “senior skip” excursion by the seniors before graduation. But as someone noted, we students at Houghton didn’t actually skip any classes. We just took off between the end of finals and the beginning of the graduation weekend. Some complained that if it was senior skip, we should skip something more than just “skipping town” — like maybe some classes.

Senior Skip 1988 skipped no classes — but took a few days up to Toronto. In those days we didn’t have to worry about passports at the border crossing into Canada. Those were “simpler” days.

On the roof of the museum house.

I have pictures of some sort of museum house we visited in the north of Toronto, and pictures of the Toronto Zoo.

Globe and gull at Toronto Zoo.

I have memories of using the bus system to get around. Toronto had a very good bus system running on a grid: north-sound buses and east-west buses. I remember Terri Chubbuck and I ran around together trying to get downtown to see the top of some tower, and then didn’t want to pay the admission when we got there to go to the top. But if that is the case, where did I take all these pictures looking down for a fairly good height?

Penguins at the Toronto Zoo.

All that running around meant we were out of position when it came time to rendevue for the evening’s dinner event. I had scheduled to meet Matthew beforehand, and couldn’t make the bus schedule work to do so. This was also in the days before prevalent cell phones, so there was no way to let him know where we were, or that we would be late. I do remember he wasn’t happy with me. It’s amazing that I don’t seem to remember much else.

Where did I take this shot from?

One of the surprises in looking through the pictures is who I found in this final picture below.  She is someone very important to my current and future happiness, but back then, she was just a friend I was somewhat oblivious about. I am talking about the girl in the blue blouse.

Why was I taking a picture of all these lovely ladies? I had no ulterior motives on any of them at the time …

A Blast of the Past #6 — Which concert?

Blast #5 mentioned the loss of a lot of film. Which puts the date of this next album into question. This is an album of pictures from a college choir concert at Houghton my senior year. That would make it either the Homecoming concert right after the tour, or the Parent’s concert of graduation weekend.

Dr. Jost addressing the audience.

Something about me wants to put this concert as the homecoming concert, but the loss of film more accurately suggests it is probably the parent’s concert on graduation weekend. I have pictures of student Dan Fortune directing the choir. That might be enough of a clue for someone to know which one of the two concerts this is.

Dan Fortune directing.

During my college choir years I had three different directors: Dr. Brown freshman year, Professor Reigles (the most famous and longest-term of the three) sophomore and junior years, and Dr. Jost senior year. Dr. Jost came in as a one-year loan from somewhere in California, I think, while Professor Reigles took a year off to work on her doctorate.

You can see centered in the picture, singing.

I enjoyed all three directors, and learned a lot from them. From Dr. Jost I remember during our Messiah Sing rehearsals learning to not be afraid of my falsetto voice, and how to use it much better. I have him to thank for the extension of my useable range upwards.

Dr. Jost directing the choir.

During Homecoming Weekend senior year we had George Beverly Shea as a special guest at the Founder’s Day Chapel, and Dr. Jost composed a special arrangement of “I’d Rather Have Jesus” that the college choir sang with Shea. Shea was very impressed with the arrangement. I really wish I could have kept a copy of the arrangement, but it was all done with special licence arrangement for the song, and all the copies had to be accounted for afterwards. I don’t suppose the arrangement still exists anywhere.Singing with Shea under Jost is one of my fondest musical memories from Houghton.

(Left to right) My sister, mother, me, father, Aunt Olive and Uncle Bill after the concert.

Such are my memories of College Choir senior year.