2 of 2

The writing this time isn't as tight as in the last two volumes, and Knipfel has a tendency to linger and wonder. He recounts the story of the two of them—she a lapsed Catholic, he a lapsed Lutheran—stumbling into St. Patrick's Cathedral after a night at the bar, and of Morgan stopping by the votive stand to light a few candles for her departed grandmother.

Knipfel explains that he is "hardly a religious man" and that he certainly wasn't "touched by God while I was there that night." And yet, there was "still something—something good and beautiful, even poignant —about stopping into St. Patrick's (and stopping into St. Patrick's all sloppy drunk) on a chilly autumn eve, about lighting a candle for a grandma who meant something to you, about just being there for a while. I don't know what it was, but it was one of those brief, rare, good moments, like sitting at an old empty bar you'd never heard of or getting your feet wet in the ocean for the first time, that'll stick around for a while."

Jeremy Lott is a contributing editor to Books & Culture.

Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Ruining It for Everybody is available from Amazon.com and other book retailers.

Books & Culture Corner appears every Tuesday. Earlier editions of Books & Culture Corner and Book of the Week include:

After Worldview? | A lively conference offers a state-of-the-art assessment of the concept of "worldview," with both advocates and dissenters represented. (Sept. 28, 2004)

A Forgotten Founder's Fatherhood | Race, nature, and patriarchy meet in Rhys Isaac's biography of early American diarist Landon Carter. (Sept. 21, 2004)

The Great American Hustle | The first volume of an ambitious new history of America highlights the engine of "worldly ideals"—and the role of evangelical religion in creating a distinctive American identity. (Sept. 14, 2004)

The Poet Who Remembered | Poland (mostly) honors Czeslaw Milosz upon his death. (Sept. 07, 2004)

Be Careful What You Pray For | The strange tale of the controversial Bishop Pike and his fatal quest for relevance. (Aug. 31, 2004)

Book 'Em! | The concluding installment of our three-part midyear book roundup (Aug. 24, 2004)

(Not Just) Summer Reading | Part 2 of our midyear report on outstanding books. (Aug. 17, 2004)

Real Fantasy | The first installment in a new Tolkien-inspired series shows genuine promise. (Aug. 17, 2004)

We've Got Books | The first installment of our new midyear book report. (Aug. 10, 2004)

'Be Happy!' | How the ancient Olympics differed from the modern spectacle. (Aug. 10, 2004)

Rediscovering 'Husbandry' | What Colonial farmers have to teach us about living with the land. (Aug. 03, 2004)

China's Spiritual Hunger | The lessons of Falun Gong (July 27, 2004)

Ambiguous Redemption | A riveting memoir by the author of Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight. (July 20, 2004)

first page |  2 of 2

share this page

October (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48