True Confessions from a Christian History editor
The seven literary sages really are a good read!
By Dawn Myers-Moore
True Confession: I don’t read my own magazine. Ever. By the time Christian History goes to print, I have already read each article at least four times on my computer screen. I’ve evaluated them for readability, have tried to make them as engaging as possible, and have sought to catch all the typos and missing commas. I’ve read and re-read every paragraph, every heading, every photo caption, and every photo credit. So, while it’s always a thrill to see the final finished product in print, I do not actually sit down and read it. Until now.
Issue #113 on the Seven Literary Sages arrived just in time to make it into my bag for a cross-country trip. Though I had other reading material in my carry on, I immediately reached for the sages with the colorful book jackets lined up on the cover. I thought maybe I’d just leaf through it and admire the glossy images in print. Not so fast! I was quickly drawn into the quirky stories in our “Did you know?” feature. Turns out there was a lot I didn’t know (or didn’t remember?), and my pen and highlighter were dug from the bottom of my bag to note the most interesting tidbits. And with a turn of the page I never looked back. My personal copy is now marked up from front to back, with items I want to chat about with my husband, my adult children, and my friends who share a passion for Lewis and Tolkien.
Turns out that reading for work (even when it’s enjoyable) is different than reading for pleasure. And even a classic multi-tasker can’t really do both at the same time. Besides that, the Seven Sages are just plain interesting and the articles are well-written (and maybe well-edited!). Since that day on the airplane, I’ve read a George MacDonald book, several short stories by G. K. Chesterton, and a detective novel by Dorothy Sayers. Many others are queued up on my reading list. All have delivered food for thought and hours of reading pleasure – which was precisely the goal of the magazine in the first place. If you haven’t already, spend some time with the sages! Read about them, and then read them. All for pleasure.