Odorifous: Susan Isaacs
Posted by Troy | Filed under Books, Odorifous
I grew up in a particular Christian culture where it was considered sin to be angry with God. We also had no framework for Christian living that recognized sin as a part of our lives.
“Just stop sinning!” was the underlying theme. (well, that and “culture is evil”).
I don’t know if Susan Isaacs came up the provocative title for her book Angry Conversations with God: A Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir
I remember seeing an ad when the book first released and thought, “I must read that book.” It took me a couple years to finally get to it, but I’m glad I did.
The perspective is unavoidably female, which might make the book seem un-relatable for some guys (not everyone is as sensitive as me), but her struggles are universal. She battles self-worth and identity; faith and doubt; relationships and honesty; and ultimately her view of God.
I especially related to Susan’s struggles to find herself in her art. She was always so compelled to fulfill her calling and find real meaning in touching the lives of those that encountered her work along the way.
(and of course she’s totally honest about her desires to be successful too – something I have a hard time with sometimes)
Even though I’d already had plans to read her book, I was especially interested in touching base with her about this interview when I saw that her acting career had landed her on some of my all-time favorite shows like Parks and Rec, Family Ties, My Name is Earl, Quantum Leap (!), Fresh Prince and movies like Planes, Trains and Automobiles (the one John Hughes classic that I unfortunately had to leave out of my recent JH poster series because I ran out of time).
When I saw she was also in one of my favorite eposodes of Seinfeld (the one with Jean-Paul and George taking the reps from Texas out on the town) I flipped.
Honestly though, it has been her writing that moved me the most. She is so honest and has come so far and so many women share her struggles with heartache and frustration and loneliness and impossible expectations that I must insist every woman I know read this book.
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Goodbye
Posted by Troy | Filed under Cancer, Thoughts
Lost someone today.
You could lose half a day if you happened to sit down in the room with Tom. He loved theology and loved sharing his discoveries even more… Nothing really made him happier than talking about new things he was learning (regardless of whether you cared to sit and listen).
As he leaves mortality behind, I can’t help but wonder at the discoveries in store for him.
My brother Thunderbeard has been blogging about (among other things) the weeks leading up to his dad’s death.
Finding a way to emotionally understand their edgy past and courageously seek some sort of resolve in their relationship has been inspirational reading for me and spiritually nourishing for him.
Feel free to share a story about Tom in the comments and be sure to check out Thunderbeard. He’s my brother and I love him and my heart’s aching for him today.
Tags: Cancer, death, original illustration
