I want to write everything.
Film criticism, book reviews, op-eds, blogposts (check), short stories, fiction, academic essays—I’ve tried my hand at all of them, and many efforts have found homes in publications like The Christian Post, Christ and Pop Culture, Loud and Clear Reviews, and more.
But poetry, well, that’s a first!
I’m excited to have my first poem, Plunging Obscurity, published in the Christian Courier.
Something I’ve learned in recent years is, despite the overwhelming push from society for everyone to become influencers and get tons of likes and follows online, Christianity often calls us away from that. There is a place for social media and “influencing” in many Christians’ lives, to be sure, yet the majority of us should welcome obscurity—we should rejoice in the seemingly “ordinary” lives we live.
This is a theme in my writing that I can’t seem to get away from. I wrote a feature essay about one of my favorite rom-com movies, About Time (2013), in which I praised “the beauty of an extraordinary, ordinary life.” My Easter essay for this year, “Sunday as Usual,” contended for the “extraordinary reason to carry on with ordinary life,” with support from C.S. Lewis’s “Learning in War-Time” sermon.
And now, I’ve got a poem in print and online about that very topic.
Ironically—or, better, providentially—this is a poem I wrote more than a year ago, and had accepted would be as obscure and unknown as its topic. But after a few pitches and some tweaks along the way, it’s found a home at the Christian Courier. It was also published (in print) just one day after I deleted my Twitter (now called ‘X’) account, due to the website’s updated policies regarding adult content. This was by far my most-followed social media account, and so I quickly put my own beliefs to practice. (It’s paid off.)
Anyway, I do hope you enjoy the poem and I trust it won’t be my last one read by someone other than me and my wife! In the meantime, here are some movies, music, and books I’ve been enjoying this month.
Movie Round-Up
In May, my wife and I binged the Star Wars original and prequel trilogies (read one my reviews here), and it was just epic. We then, of course, followed it up by listening to 70mm Podcast’s episodes on them. Just a legendary experience to revisit (for like the 30th time) such a great franchise. Highly recommend!
This month we’ve continued the trend of watching iconic films, as we saw The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) in theater (the remastered and extended edition). I realized I’ve not yet written any words on The Lord of the Rings or the Star Wars movies on Letterboxd, or rarely elsewhere, until this go-round. Here are some brief thoughts, but maybe I’ll write something longform in the future for this blog. In the meantime, here’s an essay from the archives on Boromir and political theology. (Does it hold up? Let me know!)
I also watched an indie movie which somewhat broke into the mainstream: Vesper (2022) is a sci-fi story now streaming on Hulu. It had a decent budget (around $5M) but flopped at the box office, despite a 91%/60% critics/audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I couldn’t get many thoughts down, but I tried. The resounding feeling I had watching it was that “this had all the makings of a good, true sci-fi movie…and delivered on none of them.” Oh well. It’s been a minute since I one-starred a movie; felt good to be ruthless again.
To stay up-to-date with my movie-watching and reviews, follow me on Letterboxd and Instagram!
Fantastic Jams (and Where to Find Them)
I’ve had Judah & the Lion’s latest album, The Process, in rotation almost constantly since its release. It’s a real return to form for them, with folk-driven songs and pop songs. The album features interludes which reflect the five stages of grief, and its following songs show, well, the process, that Judah went through to write this album. Bangers include; “Floating in the Night,” “Long Dark Night,” “Better Than You Found It,” and “Heartbreak Syndrome.” Give it a spin!
Porter Robinson has been releasing singles for his upcoming album, which have been good, but also got me spinning Nurture (2021) again. It’s such a good EDM/pop album with much heart and meaning behind it. Highlights include: “Look at the Sky,” “Something Comforting,” “Blossom,” and “Unfold.”
Two worship songs that constantly stay in rotation for me are “Suffering Servant” by The Modern Post (led by Thrice vocalist, Dustin Kensrue) and “He Will Hold Me Fast.” My favorite versions of the latter song include Shane & Shane’s and The Norton Hall Band’s. Both songs elevate the glory of Christ and offer such unwavering hope for Christians.
Honorable mentions: Foo Fighters’ But Here We Are (2023); Manchester Orchestra’s entire discography honestly, but prominently The Million Masks of God (2021); Soundgarden’s Superunknown (1994); and Vampire Weekend’s Only God Was Above Us (2024).
On My Shelf
There’s not much variety here; since January, I’ve made it my goal to read the works of well-known fantasy author (and who I want to be when I grow up) Brandon Sanderson. He announced the final book in the Stormlight Archive (Arc One) will be released at the end of 2024, which gives me (checks watch) very little time to read like twelve more of his books. I’ve almost finished his Mistborn (Era One) series, and hope to either dive right into Era Two or break up the reading with one of his stand-alone novels.
I’ve slowly made progress through J.R.R. Tolkien’s compilation Tree and Leaf, in which he collected his essay “On Fairy-Stories” and his poem, “Leaf by Niggle.” The essay is just a masterclass in literary criticism, and I can’t wait to read the poem!
I’ve also had some theology and film/literary criticism books on my shelf, mainly for reference.
Throughout this summer, I’m reading Babel, a novel by R.F. Kuang, for a book club I’m in. It’s a great tale of magical realism in 19th-Century Oxford which hinges upon the use of language to rule the world.
For more updates on my reading interests throughout the year, follow me on Goodreads!
Well, folks, that’s about all I have to say for now (thanks for sticking around). I’d be honored if you gave my poem a read! Let me know what you think of it, as well as what you’ve been reading, watching, or listening to lately.