In this edition of Tideline readers recall something they have read which continues to uplift them. The inspiration for this topic came from Luleen Anderson who wrote about precious things she has carried with her from some favorite stories of her childhood. I asked the writers to recall one or more of their favorite writings, prose or poetry, fictional or factual that has remained an important part of their lives. I asked them to tell us not just the insight they gained but the joy they feel when they recall a line or more from that writing. Just now I am reading the newest biography of John Keats just published (April 2022). One of my favorite lines from Keats, one that always brings me joy, is the opening line of Endymion: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever....” Keats believes that in the midst of hard times beauty helps take away the darkness.
General Editor, Geneva Reid; Copy Editor, Sara Allen; Technical Editor, Gail Henry; Advisor and Contributor, Rev. Jody
From the Rector - June 2022
I admit that, as strange as it may seem, I really don’t have a favorite poem or childhood story that has served as inspiration through the years. I do remember loving the Encyclopedia Brown series as a kid, perhaps revealing my inclination to...
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The Little Princess - Leslie Antos
When I was about 8 years old my godmother started giving me books for birthday presents. This might sound like one of the least fun things an 8-year-old can receive, but Aunt Ethel always tried to choose books that she had loved when she was grow...
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The Denial of Death and My Faith - Phil Stine
It is astounding that a book by an atheist who personally was not really well-disposed to Christianity is what allowed me to retain my faith at a time when I was considering rejecting it all. But that is exactly what happened. In his 1974 ...
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A-tro-ci-tee/ Tor-tour/ Pri-zun - Lucia Robinson
In first grade at five I was unhappy
because my friend Susan made Rabbit
while I was only a Squirrel (which
was one step up from Chipmunk).
My father determined Dick and Jane
was being taught by Sight, so
most evenings he took m...
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My Favorite Book - Fisher Manning
The book I chose was The Maze Runner . It is a sci-fi and
action book. This is my favorite book because the story is magnificent! I will give
you a brief synopsis of the story. In the beginning there are
people called “Gladers .” Thes...
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The Raisins - Gail Henry
When this writing task was presented to me by Geneva, the oddest quotation came to mind. I would love to say it was Yeats or Emerson, Oprah or even Einstein, but instead it was a short line from a storyteller that I used to listen to with my sons...
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Loving Words - Sara Allen
During summer beach vacations when I was a little kid, my mother was a stickler for one rule: no swimming for at least one hour after lunch. Given the chance, my brothers and I would have spent all summer in the ocean, so to tame our grumbling ab...
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Searching for The Spaghetti Lady - Kim R. Deslaurier
A child’s love of a book began an endless search. When my daughter Beth was in first grade (33 years ago), all she wanted for Christmas was The Spaghetti Lady , a book that her teacher had read out loud to her class. Without the author’s nam...
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