Author and Speaker
We agree, to the best of our ability, that racism (and all the other phobias and isms) is still a problem in the world. We have raised awareness, taken stands, and we have composed Tweets and posts and essays about the evil of it all. There will always be a need for that. As long as racism exists, there will be a need for us to say it’s not okay for conferences and churches and schools and restaurants and neighborhoods and others to overlook or mistreat or prefer or exclude.
And, we agree about words. We love them. We write them. We read them. We memorize them. We forsake the laundry and the dishes and the lawnmower for the exquisite turns of phrase and the great expanse of wonder and imagination they invoke. We have been changed by the reading of a single book. We have changed the way we live our lives because of the words we’ve read between the covers of a book.
We also agree, when it comes to racism, we can do better. And so, we search for ways to elevate the conversation and broaden our horizons and pick up a hammer to build a bridge. There are protesters and organizers and speakers and pastors who help us find the way through the fog. And, maybe you’ve been wondering what difference you can make with your ordinary life and its regular kitchen with the windows that rattle when the weather grows windy.
So, we return to the words.
We believe words matter and conversation is powerful. We believe love is stronger than hate. We believe in disagreeing without being disagreeable. We practice those things here, in our book club. We named our book club "Forward" because we hope to move the conversation forward. We'd like to do something that doesn't sound like polarizing or othering or blaming or condemning. We'd like to learn from authors who don't like look like us. We'd like to learn from one another. You are welcome here. The best way to join Forward is to subscribe to this website (simply click the "Subscribe" tab at the top of this page) for exclusive updates and announcements as they're released.
Hey there! Are you still with us? I'm reading this book for the third time, and I still find myself having to read it slowly, with a highlighter in my hand. I'm wondering what you're thinking. Has the book captured your attention? Is it making you think differently, or is it frustrating you? As …
Continue Reading about Forward: Healing the Heart of Democracy | Chapter Two
The fact that Parker J. Palmer wrote this book while in the throes of depression is profoundly powerful to me. Early in 2015, I became terribly ill with a virus. The virus hung on and beat me down to the point that I could barely leave my bed, except to visit my doctor in her office. I'm an …
Continue Reading about Forward: Healing the Heart of Democracy | Prelude and Chapter One
We are just about there! The Fall session of Forward begins the week of September 11. Thank you to everyone who donated and helped make it possible to get books into the hands of each person who wanted one. That was fun! This session will run for eight weeks and take us right up to the November …
Early yesterday morning, while it was still dark, I boarded a plane to Nashville, Tennessee. In Tennessee, I met up with a few friends from LifeWay and Incourage. Together, we are working on a special project, just for you. We were told we could share a few sneak peek photos from the set with you, …
Continue Reading about An Update on Those Free Books, and a Sneak Peek from the Road
The next session of Forward will begin the week of September 11, 2016. On September 2, I'll post the reading plan for you to review and refer back to. I'm excited to read this book with you. In case you missed it, we'll be reading, "Healing the Heart of Democracy: the Courage to Create a Politics …
Continue Reading about Forward: Do You Need a Free Copy of the Book?
Hey, everyone! Thank you for completing our book club survey! I'm thrilled by the response, and I'm excited about reading through this book together with you. Our survey results were very close. In fact, by just one vote, you determined the Fall session of Forward will begin the week of September …
Continue Reading about Stretching Forward: A New Opportunity (and Survey Results)
