DIKKON EBERHART
  • Home
  • About Me
  • My Books
  • Listen
  • The Longer View
    • GOD
    • WRITING
    • LIFE
  • Subscription
  • Calendar
  • Crosswalk & Bible Study Tools Articles

your reading suggestions, please

1/18/2019

12 Comments

 
Picture





​





​Dikkon Eberhart



I write memoirs in order to bring religious seekers closer to God and to gratify believers who wish to be re-enthused. 

Most readers of my recent memoir are Christians, but some are not.  The same applies to readers of my blog posts.  Some are; some are not. 

My point is that, irrespective of the religious stance of readers, I write from the perspective of a believing Christian who happens to be a Lutheran by denomination. 
 


A memoir is a variety of writing that differs from, but is a sub-category under, autobiography. At a higher level, each is non-fiction.

Autobiography is an organized, factual, narrative recounting of the events that comprise the writer’s life, usually presented in order as they occurred.  On the other hand, while a memoir also draws from the writer’s life, the word memoir has been traced back to a Persian term for “that about which we ponder.”

That Persian word is mermer. 

The person who writes a memoir does relate factual events, indeed, but he or she devotes attention not so much to the events themselves or to the order in which they occurred, but to the ponderings which arise from the events. 

The ponderings may be happy or sad. The pondering reveals the book’s theme. 

The reader of memoirs experiences something that is more subtle and more nuanced than the reader of autobiography.  Memoirs are closer to poetry than they are to general non-fiction.  The reader of a memoir is engaged with the writer’s mind, imaginings, and soul. 
 
 

During past centuries, published memoirs generally were written by persons of high achievement, or who had encountered some event of great significance as viewed by their entire culture.  Near the end of the last century, and into our own, with self-publishing available, memoirs have exploded as a variety of published writing. 

(My Amazon search just now, using the single word memoirs, pulled up over 60,000 titles…of course, my search was not nuanced, but that’s a lot of books that Amazon’s algorithm categorizes as having some relationship with memoirs!)
 
 

What is lamentable in our age of social media me-me-me-ism is that many persons who have lived their lives are stirred to write and to publish their memoirs, whether of general interest or not. 

As a man who has written one memoir (and who is nearing completion of another), I am aware that I might be chided for deciding on my own authority that it is important to the world that I ponder in print on the truths of my life. 

Who do I think I am, after all? 

All I can say is that, manifestly, some memoirs rise above the ordinary into the significant.  Since I write anyway, and am always working on another book, writing memoirs ought at least to be worth a try.    

As a writer of memoirs, I am hungry to read them.  What I want to gain from the reading of any memoir is two things.  One, what is the story about?  Two, how does this writer do the memoirist’s job?    
 
 

I ask for your suggestions.  What should I read? 
 
As I select memoirs, especially I like to read--
  • Christian memoirs by believing Christians;
  • Jewish memoirs by committed Jews;
  • Memoirs by religious seekers who avowedly pursue Christianity;
  • “Spiritual” memoirs by religious seekers who view multiple religions phenomenologically with no struggle to select one over the others;
  • Skeptical memoirs that don’t desire to select any religion at all;
  • The “almost theres.”
 
 
I am eager for suggestions from you regarding memoirs you recommend, memoirs which have moved you, memoirs that are significant.  Please give me a title or two and a sentence about them.

Particularly, coming from those of you who are Christian readers, I’m interested to read the “almost theres.”  
 
 

In my language, an “almost there” is a memoir written by a serious-minded, skilled writer, who is pondering on the page about the nature of his or her life.  Often there is a tone of anxiety.  There may be an illness, or a relationship problem, or something else that produces a sense of wretchedness or emptiness of the writer’s soul.

A Christian reader of such a memoir may have a sensation that the writer suffers from lack of hope. 

As a Christian, that reader has hope due to redemption provided by God through Jesus Christ.  See, for example, 1 Peter 3:15, which speaks of that same hope. 
 
 

When I finish reading an “almost there”, I may admire the writer’s skill, but I am left with sadness.  The book is over.  The life that the book depicted does not climax with the hope that is in me as a Christian, and which is available, through Christ, to all.   

Of course, anything can happen for the Lord’s glory, and Channa and I ourselves came late in life to Jesus Christ.  To those who knew us beforehand, perhaps our progress would have been judged unlikely, too.    

I am left only with hope that another memoir might come from that same writer, whose craft I admire.  I would welcome a new memoir that would reveal that the writer is no longer almost there, but there. 

And still pondering….
 
 

So, my friends, what should I read?        
 
 


12 Comments
Maggie Rowe
1/19/2019 03:00:07 pm

Dikkon, if you enjoy historical fiction, I highly recommend Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patty Callahan. It incorporates meticulous research on the relationship and subsequent marriage of C.S.Lewis and Joy Davidman as well as their writings, but best of all it's a compelling read, particularly because Joy was Jewish (and also at one time both an atheist and a communist.) Her conversion story is much like Lewis's.

Reply
Dikkon
1/19/2019 04:52:51 pm

Thank you, Maggie. Good suggestion. This is just the sort of historical fiction I am bound to like--it's hard not to like almost anything that has to do with Lewis!

Reply
Susan Blount
1/20/2019 07:57:53 am

Good snowy Sunday morning, Dikkon. No church anywhere in Maine today. This post may me feel like I was hearing a lesson from one of our Maine Fellowship of Christian Writer's meeting. I've never considered the difference between a memoir and an auto biography. Two books come to mind and they both came to me through, Elizabeth Elliot.

More Love To Thee (also the title of a hymn) was compiled by George Lewis Prentiss. His wife, born in Maine, was the author of the hymn. The book is a thick one and full of her letters and extracts from her journals.

Elizabeth Prentiss was the daughter of Rev. Edward Payson - one of the great revival preachers of the early 1800s. They lived in Portland, Maine and there is a public park there named for him - Payson Park.

I don't think there has been a book to move me as much as this book did. She was a woman who suffered greatly, but with such Godly character, you can't help but be inspired to imitate her faith. I have quoted her often when encouraging young mothers and others who are suffering.

Second to this great read is The Journals of Jim Elliot. Again, a collection of letters and journals put together by his wife, Elizabeth.

So my question is, are these books still considered memoirs even though they were edited by spouses and not the individuals themselves?

God continue to bless you. Susan

Reply
Dikkon
1/20/2019 02:50:57 pm

Dear Susan,

What a nice snapshot of a memory arises from your first sentence--contemplating Christian writing at your lovely farmhouse surrounded by snow! Thank you for that.

As for your question, no, I don't think that the books you describe qualify as memoirs, though that should not be taken as a detraction from what I understand to be their excellence and godly instruction.

George Prentiss and Elizabeth Eliot could write their OWN memoirs arising from their experience of compiling and editing their spouses' work and containing their ponderings about that area of their lives--such books might be fascinating, both literarily and in terms of their own Christian walks.

And thank you for the tip about Payson Park. I've been there of course but had no idea about the derivation of its name. Yet ANOTHER Christian reference hidden out there for a seeker to find! What fun!

It's delightful to hear from you, Susan, and may the MFCW continue to thrive!

Blessings to you,

Dikkon

Reply
floyd samons link
1/20/2019 02:59:58 pm

I have standard answers when someone asks me about books, memoirs specifically.

The first one I recommend to people you might be familiar with. It's titled The Time Mom Met Hitler, Frost Came to Dinner and I Heard the Greatest Story Ever Told... 😉

The next one is "Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me - A Memoir of Sorts" by Ian Morgan Cron.

The last one I consider a "seeking" author, even if he doesn't realize it as of yet. The book is All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg. It's Southern style has a broad appeal I think.

There's my two cents! Might only be worth half that...

Reply
Dikkon
1/22/2019 09:03:20 am

Hi Floyd--

That one about the guy's mom and Hitler has come up a coupla times on FB in response to this post. I suppose I should give it a read.

Oh! Look! Turns out I have a few copies of it on my shelf! How'd that happen, I wonder?

I've read Cron's book, parts of it intensely funny, others of it sad. It's nice to know you, too, Floyd--you enjoyed it.

The Rick Bragg book has been suggested before also, and I haven't followed up. Given that it comes from you (and given that you style it as "southern"), it might be my next. Thanks for that.

Blessings to you and yours.

Reply
David Walden
1/20/2019 05:19:11 pm

The best memoir I've read recently, and I don't read many books in that genre, was written by a guy named Eberhart. Perhaps you know him. :-)

How about Black Elk Speaks, the memoir of an Oglala Lakota healer and visionary? There is, of course, a strong spiritual component in the book, but one has to wonder how much Black Elk's ideas are impacted by having been conveyed through a white man, John Neihardt.

I trust that all is well in the Star City with you and yours.

David

Reply
Dikkon
1/22/2019 08:55:12 am

Hi David--

Thanks for bring up Black Elk Speaks, which I read maybe twice back in the day, certainly once thoroughly and then at least skimmed through now and again. I haven't thought of it for a long time and am grateful to you for re-alerting me to it.

Here in the Star City right now it's almost as cold as it probably is where you are. Many residents here are eager for it to be over, whereas I would kinda like it to hang on.... I do miss a real winter.

Best wishes to you, friend!

Reply
Betty Draper link
1/25/2019 12:45:53 am

The person who writes a memoir does relate factual events, indeed, but he or she devotes attention not so much to the events themselves or to the order in which they occurred, but to the ponderings which arise from the events.

The "ponderings" is why I like these books:

Through The Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko

The Fire Of Delayed Answers by Bob Sorge


As Soon As I Fell by Kay Bruner


Each of these has made me ponder my walk with the Lord. Created in me a desire to go deeper into Him for He promised in this world I would have trouble. These books along with others have also given me a burning desire to not waste any of my life, past, present or future. They made me want to write my own story for God's glory and my good in order it could encourage others. Almost finished with first chapter. I had not written one word since before Christmas then about a week ago, one night late it started to flow. And I have started a list of titles or maybe they will the headings on each chapter. Being a newbie I know nothing. Your posts made me ponder, thanks brother.

Reply
Dikkon
1/25/2019 11:07:38 am

Dear Betty--

Press on! Let it flow.

I hope you have downloaded my free writing guide - "What Would the World Miss Without Your Christian Story?" As a subscriber, it's yours. If you have any trouble getting it, let me know.

And thank you for your suggestions here, all unknown titles for me. What a lot of titles there are out there indeed! The world is overflowing with wonders, with written wonders among them! Thank the Lord!

Reply
Betty Draper link
1/25/2019 04:52:09 pm

Yes, I did print out your free writing guide, the pages bound with it blank on other side for easy access. I would read a page then on the blank side, which I did on purpose I would write what came to mind. Just trying a ton of thing to stir the deep inside of me.

I am not much on reading non-Christian memoirs but the few I have read were worth the read. We have the human quality in all of us, saved and unsaved. Reading has become something I do not want to waste either so I am picky. There are tons of free books out there and I download a lot of them for my Kindle for traveling. The three books I mention I had to have in book form, must underline, put a star by, and some I just mark for the whole page, GOOD, GOOD, GOOD.

Thanks a bunch for your input.

Reply
Dikkon
1/26/2019 05:10:08 pm

You're welcome, Betty. I hope my guide helps in the long run.




Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    May 2015

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2021 Dikkon Eberhart
Website Design by Michelle Gill

Headshots by Alexander Rose Photography, LLC
  • Home
  • About Me
  • My Books
  • Listen
  • The Longer View
    • GOD
    • WRITING
    • LIFE
  • Subscription
  • Calendar
  • Crosswalk & Bible Study Tools Articles