A Syllable of Water: Twenty Writers of Faith Reflect on Their Art

Members of the Chrysostom Society, Christian writers from varied denominations offer essays on aspects of the writing life and craft. While pieces in such collections tend to vary in quality, the lineup of prominent contributors—including Scott Cairns, Philip Yancey, Luci Shaw, Richard J. Foster, Virginia Stem Owens, Diane Glancy and John Wilson—turn this book into a valuable resource for aspiring writers. It addresses the usual beginners' issues (keeping a journal; research; overcoming writer's block), but the strongest section, on literary genres, yields keen insights on poetry, drama, journalism, the short story and memoir, rounded out by a rather surprising two essays on the art of translation (including one by Eugene Peterson, author of the popular Bible paraphrase The Message ). The resources for further reading by each contributor are excellent. Most of the insights are applicable to all good writing, and Christian readers may find that the essays don't engage as deeply with the intersection of faith and writing as they might wish. But these writers' love for their chosen art and craft is contagious. (Oct.)