100 Places to See After You Die: A Travel Guide to the Afterlife by Ken Jennings

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

After the initial reaction of “Wait, what?” I found this to be a clever and engaging book.  Jennings, best known for his gig as host of Jeopardy!, has compiled many, many different versions of an afterlife from many different sources. Of course, mythology and religion lead the list, with Jennings describing many different beliefs from Native American to Norse, but he moves on to other versions of the afterlife as depicted in books, films, television, music, and more.

It’s a fun book to dip into at any point, though a handy index is provided in case you’d like to find out what the afterlife is like in, oh, Marvel Comics or the movie Beetlejuice. Books include not only Dante’s The Divine Comedy but The Five People You Meet in Heaven  and The Lovely Bones. Visions of the afterlife are also depicted in shows like The Twilight Zone  and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Jennings even remembers My Mother the Car.

While this is a lighthearted book, I enjoyed a lot of the miscellaneous information Jennings tosses in, such as titles of several stories in which ghosts think they are still alive, or the origins of the image of death as a carriage ride. (Emily Dickinson I knew, but the Coen Brothers?) That’s the real delight of this book: the connections Jennings makes across centuries and genres. Well, that and his sense of humor.

This paperback edition comes with a bonus: the “Afterlife Planner,” a flowchart which starts “You have died.  Sorry for your loss.” Then you decide what you want to do next—stay on earth or move on? Each decision brings up more decisions, until you reach a destination page number that describes the afterlife you have chosen. For example, if you want to stay on earth but not in your old house, you have several choices from there. Pick-up baseball? You’ll find yourself in Iowa in Field of Dreams. Want to move on and face judgement? From whom? God or gods? Are you Klingon? Then go to page 234 for descriptions of Klingon afterlife in Sto-vo-kor or Gre’thor.

Whether you want just read selections or entire categories or play “Choose Your Own Afterlife Adventure,” this light-hearted book is a good way to spend an hour or maybe an eternity.

The Element Encyclopedia of the Celts by Rodney Castleden

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Subtitled “The ultimate a-z of the symbols, history, and spirituality of the legendary Celts,” this book does take on a lot of territory.  Author Castleden, a former teacher, divides the book up into six sections: Celtic people and lifestyles; Celtic places; Celtic religion; myths, legends, and stories; symbols, ideas, and archetypes; and Celtic twilight and revival.  Each section has an a-z listing of terms under that topic, with many “see” references for alternate terms and spellings.

The length of entries varies from a couple of sentences to several pages, depending on the topic.  The tone is conversational but not casual; and the author tries to be very even-handed on some controversial topics, such as King Arthur. (Castleden does believe there was a historical Arthur but also explains why others don’t believe he existed.)

To be honest, I got much more than I expected from this book.  I like the detailed explanations and that some things are put in historical context:  as in, this is what was thought about the item when first discovered, this is what other evidence showed, and this is the current thought. I like that it is very browseable, and that I found all the entries both interesting and entertaining.  Under “Bean Si,” I learned that this is the term for a Celtic fairy woman who is often seen washing the bloody clothes of those about to die.  It’s pronounced “banshee”—and that certainly explains a lot.  Another term I looked up was “Claddagh,” the popular symbol of clasped hands and a heart. Castleden says it dates to the sixteenth century and seems to have originated in Galway, though it may have been inspired by a Roman design. The section on “Fairies” was quite enlightening, and certainly explained some references I had come across as to their origin and dress.

There are entries on Druids, Samhain, Celtic Cross, and many more.  There aren’t a lot of illustrations but the information more than makes up for it. As mentioned before, I like that the author is up-front about his biases and beliefs rather than just presenting them as fact; it leaves room for disagreement.  I do wish there was an index, but otherwise I found this a very enjoyable and informative book.

Conversations with American Writers: The Doubt, the Faith, and the In-Between by Dale Brown

Reviewed by William Wade

 Conversations with American Writers:  The Doubt, the Faith, and the In-Between by Dale Brown is a collection of ten interviews between Brown and a number of contemporary American writers.  This is the second such set which Brown has put together, and they are remarkably charming pieces, indicative of his knowledge of American literature and his ability to draw from these writer significant conversations about their work.

Brown gently guides these interviews through a number of different topics, generally following the lead of his authors.  He explores the reasons why they write, the relationships that develop between them and their publishers as well as those who buy their books.  A significant part of the conversations deal with the religious positions held by the writers and how those views have been shaped from childhood.  Brown lets his authors speak freely as to their convictions, and he never expresses any judgment about what they have to say.  And although all of them can be thought of as individuals with serious Christian viewpoints, the way in which they live and express their faiths may vary sharply.

These interviews should be read when there is ample time for relaxation and consideration of what it being said.  It might be best if any interview could be read when the author’s books are readily available for comparison and study.  Fortunately, the Bristol Public Library has books by all these individuals.

Authors included in this book are the following:  Eleanor Taylor Bland, David James Duncan, Terence Faherty, Ernest Gaines, Philip Gulley, Ron Hansen, Silas House, Jan Karon, Sherri Reynolds, and Lee Smith.

It needs to be noted that Dale Brown served for many years as a Professor of English at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and director of the Festival of Faith and Writing.  During this time he also came to be recognized as the leading American authority on the theologian Frederick Buechner.  Brown left Calvin and joined the faculty at King University where he also instituted a program to bring Christian writers and speakers to King.

Salvation on Sand Mountain by Dennis Covington

Reviewed by Meygan

Dennis Covington is a journalist just trying to make a living. In the past, he has put himself in dangerous situations to cover stories, but he hasn’t been scared enough to quit his job just yet.  He becomes intrigued by a story about snake handler and pastor who is accused of attempting to murder his wife by rattlesnake, and decides to do his own investigation.

Glenn Summerford is the pastor of The Church of Jesus with Signs Following, a church in situated in a rinky-dink gas station in Alabama. In spite of being someone who preaches the word of God, there is a dark side to Mr. Summerford. In a drunken rage, Mr. Summerford puts a gun to his wife’s head, forces her to stick her hand in the cage of rattlesnakes he keeps for his church services, and refuses to take her to the hospital when she asks medical attention after she has been bitten. His wife had participated in the snake handling services before but only at church. Willingly accepting a rattlesnake from someone in a holy ritual is one thing, but being forced to pick up the deadly reptiles is another. She manages to escape after her husband passes out from the amount of alcohol he has consumed. 

It doesn’t take long for the trial to become national news. Even more than the sensational murder attempt, people are riveted to reports about Summerford’s religious beliefs. Trying to delve into more information about the church and its people, Covington and his photographer friend begin to attend The Church of Jesus with Signs Following. Covington was raised in a Methodist church, so he was taken aback by the usual rituals of a snake handling service. But still he found something fascinating about the handling of rattlesnakes and what exactly causes the people to get so close to death just to feel Jesus within their presence. The longer Covington spends at the church, the more engrossed he becomes. Most of the people at the church have accepted him as a member, referring him to as Brother Dennis. Some hint that they wish he would handle snakes and participate in their rituals but not in a forceful or demanding way. 

While Salvation on Sand Mountain does provide minimal coverage about Glenn Summerford’s trial, the book mainly focuses on Covington’s spiritual awakening and the people of the church. Although I enjoy reading about religion, this is not a book I thought I would appreciate due to Covington’s journalistic viewpoint. However, my wariness was laid to rest as I flipped through the pages, captivated by Covington’s “voice.” I enjoyed reading his spiritual memoir, and I can see why this book was a National Book Award Finalist.