Dream Book
About seven weeks ago, when I went to tell stories, and talk about storytelling, to the diocesan annual readers' conference, I had a few minutes after arrival and before supper to look at the bookshop in the centre.
There I saw a book I hadn't seen before, by someone I know and admire, on a subject that really looked important and interesting. I have several of his books already, and most of them are some way over my head; but this one looked as if it might be written more for the average reader like me. (i.e. I might understand it.) I made a mental note to return after supper and buy a copy.
Then I discovered that the bookshop closed for the evening, and didn't reopen until after I had to leave the following morning.
So I went to Blackwell's in the week and asked for the book. I had remembered the name and title correctly, because a) it was by someone I know, and b) it was a subject I was interested in. It wasn't in the Blackwell's computer. The man at the theology desk said, "It doesn't sound like anything by him. Are you sure?" I said, "But I've seen it. Haven't you got a list of books about to be published?" - for I suspected that what I had seen was a pile of books displayed before the publication date, in a place where people don't mind about such small details. They didn't have such a list. Whatever happened to Bookseller - one of my favourite reads when I was in the librarian business? Reader, I wavered. Yes, I even began to think I might have dreamed it, or that there was another writer with the same name, maybe somewhere strange like America. But I didn't really think so. I decided to wait and see.
Then today, when I had forgotten all about it, I was in Blackwell's and there it was! I snapped it up and slapped my hotly clutched book token on the counter. Alas, my friend from the theology desk was not there today, but I hope he has hung his head in shame for being a doubting Thomas.
The book?
Keith Ward's What the Bible Really Teaches: A Challenge for Fundamentalists. Published by SPCK at £9.99.
I think this will be an important contribution to an important debate. Sadly, the people who most need to read it probably never will. But it could provide important material for the rest of us.
There I saw a book I hadn't seen before, by someone I know and admire, on a subject that really looked important and interesting. I have several of his books already, and most of them are some way over my head; but this one looked as if it might be written more for the average reader like me. (i.e. I might understand it.) I made a mental note to return after supper and buy a copy.
Then I discovered that the bookshop closed for the evening, and didn't reopen until after I had to leave the following morning.
So I went to Blackwell's in the week and asked for the book. I had remembered the name and title correctly, because a) it was by someone I know, and b) it was a subject I was interested in. It wasn't in the Blackwell's computer. The man at the theology desk said, "It doesn't sound like anything by him. Are you sure?" I said, "But I've seen it. Haven't you got a list of books about to be published?" - for I suspected that what I had seen was a pile of books displayed before the publication date, in a place where people don't mind about such small details. They didn't have such a list. Whatever happened to Bookseller - one of my favourite reads when I was in the librarian business? Reader, I wavered. Yes, I even began to think I might have dreamed it, or that there was another writer with the same name, maybe somewhere strange like America. But I didn't really think so. I decided to wait and see.
Then today, when I had forgotten all about it, I was in Blackwell's and there it was! I snapped it up and slapped my hotly clutched book token on the counter. Alas, my friend from the theology desk was not there today, but I hope he has hung his head in shame for being a doubting Thomas.
The book?
Keith Ward's What the Bible Really Teaches: A Challenge for Fundamentalists. Published by SPCK at £9.99.
I think this will be an important contribution to an important debate. Sadly, the people who most need to read it probably never will. But it could provide important material for the rest of us.
posted by Tony at 11/06/2004 05:38:00 pm
1 Comments:
Keith Ward's 'What the Bible really teaches' is a brilliant and moving book. There is an excellent detailed review of it in the parish magazine of St Margaret's, Durham, February issue.
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