Publish Envy...

I have a bunch of friends who have books...I don't just mean they have a bookshelf at their house and they have strolled through Barnes and Noble and made an occasional purchase..I mean they have authored books...they have been "published". I had supper last Sunday night with my friend Don Piper who has authored several books, the most successful of which was a little New York Times best seller entitled "90 Minutes in Heaven", at last count it was nosing its way toward the 2 million mark in sales...who knew? The very cool pastor/friend that I work with everyday, Rick Diamond wrote a book called "Wrestling With God" that several years ago was on Border's list of top ten religious books of the year. I have a friend , Jeff Luce who had a book of Aggie (Texas A&M University) jokes published when he was a junior in high school...OK that is kinda sketchy, because it is Texas A&M (sorry, Luce) and because his parents ran a printing business...but actually it was pretty good, and had more business being printed than some other crapola I have seen bound and sitting in the sale bin at the checkout counter. I'd love to see him writing again. My friend Christy Desisto had a couple books, one a collection of her excellent devotionals appearing on the Riverbend Church website several years ago and then a collection of individual God/change stories entitled "The Bottom of the 9th" . Even my own daughter has had articles published by Relevant Magazine and The Burnside Writers Collective including co-editing a publication last year entitled "The Ankeny Briefcase". My friend, Gordon Atkinson, more widely know as the blogging sensation, Real Live Preacher, released a collection of a few of his brilliant blogposts, and it is wonderful. Then there's Donald Miller...Don has written 4 books with a 5th due out in February. The one that is a New York Times bestseller and has him speaking all over the country is entitled "Blue Like Jazz". Donald was here in Austin last night and took the time to do a couple book readings from the new work on "Story" at our little faith community called Journey on his way to speak at a huge conference in Dallas this weekend. It was a delightful evening and he even talked a little about the screenplay just completed that is making a feature length film our of "Blue Like Jazz" and Donald's life...again...who knew?

When I am honest...I have a little publish envy...and while I know that these are all remarkably talented folks who have worked hard and deserve every bit of accolade coming their way, I have a tendency to look at my life and wonder if I have been hiding my light under a bushel...or my reading lamp under the bedspread...so to speak. I wonder if I have anything to say that is worthy of a publisher scratching his chin hair, raising his eyebrow, smiling and saying..."we think you should sign a 3 book deal because this is sheer genius...whaddya say?". Then I think about some other friends who do not have book deals or publishing contracts who are some of the finest writers I know...Milton Brasher Cunningham writes a blog entitled "Don't Eat Alone" that is always movingly insightful...He also has been writing a Lenten Journal for the last several years that has become one of the things about the Lenten season that I look forward to the most as I see those preparatory days through his eyes and experiences. My friend Sarah Bickle is a bright, funny, insightful writer and minister, who has been walking with her husband Scott alongside their beautiful two year old son Thomas as he battles cancer. My friend JJ Peterson is one of the funniest, soulfully connected folks I know, who is a former youth minister, stand-up/improv comedian, aspiring actor and filmmaker who also has a blog to chronicle his uncommon perceptive observations of life...and there are many many more...and we haven't even talked about the guys and gals who are songwriters and poets.

So... what is it that separates the published from the non? Is it luck...it is divine appointment...is it who-you-know connections, is it being in the right place at the right time...is it strong-willing your way to publication, or pain-the-ass-ing your way to the top? I really don't know the answer...but what I did come to realize as I meandered through this post is that I, Lil Davy, have to be unequivicably the most fortunate guy in the world because I get to share the privilege of having these remarkable people in my life...and really, how good is that!


So... what if I wrote a sizzling tell-all book revealing the deep, dark secrets I know of all these authors from down through the years? Let's bring the Weekly World News back to the checkout stand racks where it belongs...throw in a cover story about an alien mating with Britney Spears and then Britney giving birth to the most unfortunate/cursed child on the planet...oh shucks, that's already happened...Oh well, in the meantime...keep writing my friends...you make me very, very proud.

Pling...Pling...

dg