Note: This was posted at The Rabbit Room recently. So, you may have seen it there. Do not read it twice. It’s like seeing yourself in time-travel. –sam

Last night I wrote a fable. It’s fabulous. And by that I mean it’s a fable.

With me?

Words really mean things. I want to be some one whose appreciation of this fact fuels more intentional investigation on word origins.

I only have one book on my shelf that I can think of right now about word origins in English. That book is pretty amazing (now I’m thinking of what amazing history the word “amazing” might have), but I ought to have more. I almost have aught.

I remember hearing Ken Myers talking to some fellow about how he was grading a student paper where it was said that a boat had “arrived half-way across the ocean.” The fellow was objecting to this use because the word “arrive” has in it the notion of coming ashore. So one cannot arrive half-way. It means to get there. Specifically to “come to shore.”

So, at Hutchmoot (the Rabbit Room conference) this idea of the power and origin in the original power of words arrived on the sandy beach of my mind. Courtesy of Walter Wangerin, Jr.

Walt (I call him Walt, because I was close enough to yank his pony tail –but I didn’t, amazingly) was amazing. <—– I haven’t looked that up yet.

I felt a thousand things as he spoke, which I feel incapable of putting into adequate words. I feel like a clever monkey trying to explain to Beethoven (who is deaf and dead) the joys of flinging poo. I felt validated, inspired, full, hopeful, peaceful, joyful and the list goes on and on like a long, long list.

But here is one thing. Walt knows words.

He inhabits language like the oldest local. He speaks as one with authority, as if in his naming the thing may finally –again– be itself. It was not that words were used by him, or that he was commanding with them. I can aspire to that. It was more.

He cooperated with words. Co-operated. He and the words were on the same side. He has arrived on their side after a long, literate life’s journey.

His relation of the history of schap (forever on the chalkboard of my mind) was a significant life event for me. Because, in so many words, he told me who I am.

I am a schap. A shaper. This is how he talked about storytellers.

And words are the tools of my trade. I will use them, care for them, add more to my bag and hope that one day I will do more than use them. I will inhabit them. Know them like an intimate friend. Partner with them. Conjure up with them a vision for those without eyes to see. And tell stories.

Like Walt.

Leg Crossers –Jason and Sam

I got to meet fellow Rabbit Room writer Jason Gray in Nashville a few weeks ago, as well as hear him perform some songs. Then this past weekend got to hear him again here in southern West Virginia (thanks Matt and Mark). Gina and I (and the kids) got to spend some extended time with him and it was really special. I encourage you to check out his music. It’s good, ya’ll.

Fake Scholarship –Jason and Gina, fakers

His emphasis on weakness, brokenness and the power and completeness of God in our weakness is beautiful. His song from several years ago, Blessed Be, has been a welcome reminder of something I have needed to hear lately.

I am going through some health issues now, again (I have a medical test today, in fact, and would appreciate prayer). This idea of being perfected in weakness, of being blessed in brokenness (which is so evident in Matthew, and all of Scripture) has been a comfort to me. Jason’s music has added to the chorus of truth I need to hear now and all the time.

The Gospel is for the broken, the needy, the ones who know they need it. Not for the morally superior. Again, consider this amazing passage in Luke 18. I need that!

So, after the jump here I put Jason’s song, Blessed Be, up for you to hear. I didn’t ask him, so mum’s the word. It’s not the best audio (or video), so I put up the words. But he tells the same story on Acoustic Storytime, which is a great record.
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Frauleins and Germanmen, allow me to introduce you to a pal who is launching his new weblog today (and by today, I mean yesterday).

Jonathan Rogers is a fine novelist and overall sort of swell fellow. His blog will, I have no doubt, be of great interest to you.

Among his many gifts, Jonathan is an accomplished practitioner of the art of the amusing anecdote. He appears poised to regularly unleash this gift on the public at the aforementioned blog. See, for instance, his initial offering. Is it amusing? Yessir, it is. Is it an anecdote? It appears to be. So, he gets very high marks from the start and it’s my belief that this will only continue.

Why yes, I am intimidated by the quality of his posts, but that can’t be helped. You will continue to see relatively few quality (or “real”) posts here, with quotes, my lame witticisms, and other “fillers” as a regular feature. That’s the best I can do right now. Expectations are important, as Jonathan says, citing some weirdo over at his “welcome” post.

Jonathan is an accomplished author of many fine books (which you can purchase, signed, at very reasonable rates). I am not. I need to devote as much time as I have for writing to that enterprise. This blog, it must be admitted, suffers from some measure of neglect.

But anyway, since we’re supposed to be talking about Jonathan, the chance to listen to Jonathan talk about the art of writing has been of great benefit to me, both in specifics and generalities. Maybe, just maybe, those of you who are, like me, working towards being authors, will routinely receive some of the wisdom he has to offer on this subject as well at his new blog.

Perhaps if we overload him with comments requesting such, he will guilted into action.

Go on over and visit. Amusing anecdotes and more await. The first one is about getting pantsed. Need I say more?

Or, it’s more about connection than it is about self-expression. And, of course, it depends on what we’re after. If we want people (who are not our mothers) to read us, then we need connection way more than self-expression.

I’ve never read Yancey, but I like this video (below). Especially at about the 23:20 point where he expresses how difficult writing is. As Pete Peterson said on the Story panel at Hutchmoot: “Many people say, ‘I write because I can’t not write.’ I don’t get that. I can easily not write. That’s the easiest thing in the world to not do.”

Well, he said something like that and he took the words right out of my mouth, so I’m putting them back in just as I like.

It’s easy not to write. It’s painful. On the self-same panel, Jonathan Rogers explained that when it’s easy it’s not usually worthwhile.

“I’ve written books that didn’t hurt, and to tell you the truth, they’re not all that good.” Jonathan Rogers

Well, this might have been easy to write.

OK kids, back to Yancey.

At one point he advises writers, “Don’t do it alone,” and goes on to say that there are many creative people, but:

“…they’re all into self-expression…but you don’t make a living in self expression, you make a living by connecting with people who want to pay money…to say ‘this is worth my time.’”

Good point, Phillip Yancey. Good point.

Also, you have an amazing ‘fro.

I have shared this vidya content before, but thought it might be good to do again. I thought those thoughts with the thoughts in my mind.

This is an attempt to collect all the posts “out there” referencing the inaugural Hutchmoot. It also attempts to present websites/blogs of Hutchmoot attendees. It further attempts links to those weirdos what made some kind of presentation at the 2010 Hutchmoot. I’ll continue to update it, so just comment if you wish to be included. I hope it is helpful. –sam

Hutchmoot-specific Posts (updated: newly added ones will be in italics)

Hutchmoot 2010, from Christina Szrama

Telling the Old, Old Story, from Bernie

Walt Wangerin Teaches: Hutchmoot Keynote, from Word Lily

Entering the Hutchmoot Fellowship, from Heather Ivester

Hutchmoot in the 2nd Chair, from Dan K

Hutchwhat?, from Kate Hinson

Waiting for the Artist, from Lanier Ivestor

Artist v. Dreamer, from Katherine

Still Here, from Leigh McLeroy

Hutchmoot Recap, from The Aesthetic Elevator

I Can, from Jodi

AP and Eowyn, from Christina Szrama (pictured above)

Dripping With Holiness, from Laura Boggs

Hutchmoot 2010, from The Grouchy Ladybug

Taste and See That the Lord is Good, Dan K

Counting Stars, from Dan K

Sigh, from Kelli

A Bit More, from Kelli

Hutchmoot cartoon pt 1, from John Haney

Hutchmoot cartoon pt 2, from John Haney

Hutchmoot, from Tricia Prinzi

What a Weekend, from Andrew Mackay

Hutchmoot Explained. Mostly, from Team Redd
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It is 2:13 AM (EST) as of this writing. I am back home in West Virginia, with my excellent wife, Gina, and our wonderful kids (all asleep, of course). I am, as the expression goes, a happy man.

I am just now returned from Nashville, where I was privileged to participate in the inaugural Hutchmoot (a conference of The Rabbit Room).

It was a tremendous event. I do not exaggerate when I say that these last few days exceeded my expectations in a great variety of ways.

I am too tired to get to all that at present, but the arch under which my joy grows is a deep thankfulness to my Father, who answered so many of my prayers with an unmistakeable “Yes.”

I intend to say more later. Happy Monday morning to you.

I’m getting to hear this fellow tonight. Exclamation point.

I love this tune from Counting Stars, “You Came So Close.”

Get your copy of Andrew Peterson’s new CD here.

Hutchmoot, the first annual Rabbit Room conference retreat gathering summit festival event, is happening this weekend in Nashville, TN. It’s the maiden voyage and I’m thrilled to be there for the breaking of the champagne bottle against the vessel. And the hoisting of the anchor.  Also, the green-faced sea-sickness.

The last time I went to Nashville it was for a basketball tournament back when I was in shape and could contribute my customary 6 or so points and 5 or so fouls per game. It must be admitted that I sometimes had more fouls than points. But, if memory serves, I think I absolutely went off for 10 in one game in Nashville. (Points, not fouls. Although, if you could have 10 fouls, who knows?)

I look forward to the event, especially to meeting in person so many of the people I have connected with in the Rabbit Room online community. I am also really honored to be inexplicably given a chance to share on the panels. I hope to demonstrate why taking such a generous risk on someone such as myself never pays off. It’s quite possible I’ll have more fouls than points, once again.

I really look forward to the concerts by AP and the Square Pegs, the address by Walter Wangerin Jr., the book release from Jonathan Rogers, and all the planned events. But I think I’m mostly jazzed for the conversation. The talks with new friends who share some of the same passions. (I refer, of course, to physical/lazy defense in basketball.)

I’m also really happy to be traveling with some great saddle-pals. Should be fun. I have no clever/cheesy, fourth reference to basketball to wrap this up. Sorry. That would have been a real score.

Andrew Peterson’s Counting Stars releases today.

After listening to this record (which I got to do for the first time on Sunday), I wanted to sell my house and buy a copy for every person I’ve ever met.

I haven’t done the math on that (not one of my strengths), but you get the idea. You know something is special when you have an immediate, overwhelming desire to share it with others for their good. And this record is so very good in so many ways.

Counting Stars continues Andrew’s uncanny record of hitting me simultaneously like a new piece of art that astounds, while feeling as familiar as the natural soundtrack to my family’s life.

With each successive song-story you find yourself going deeper into the mystery and magic of the world God made, but it is not always “new” ground. It is only that Andrew can call your attention to what you failed to see before, but might if you try (or stop trying). He is not content to let ordinary be bland, he will say something about magic. Here are songs about loving your wife (or husband), looking in on sleeping kids, planting trees, and hope in the night. All told by a wordsmith who is more like a wizard than an ordinary singer-songwriter.

He offers here a humble tonic against ingratitude. A poem for the glory of ordinary chores. A thin place where the wall between the divine and the plain is tenuous at best.

On this record, as you may guess from the title, Andrew again alludes to Abraham. This is one of my favorite recurring flavors of his musical catalog. He makes us feel like we serve and love the same God that Abraham did, not by diminishing the patriarch, but by putting us in our place –surrounded by the love of that same God.

The Magic Hour is one of the songs on Counting Stars, but it also describes my experience of listening to the entire record.

Get yourself a copy here, so I don’t have to sell my house.

Note: Tonight a 8pm (EST) Andrew will be playing a Counting Stars concert live on the internet. He will be standing on the internet, playing. See about it here.

It’s a busy season for my man, Andrew Peterson. I call him “my man” because –and this is kind of a technicality– but, I own him. He returns from a series of concerts in Sweden to a clamor of excitement surrounding his art.

1. Andrew won a Christy Award for writing the very best Young Adult novel in what is known as the Christian market for North, Or Be Eaten! Bravo! Well done. It’s an amazing book, as is its predecessor, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. His literary career is on the ascent and well-deserved it is. I love his music, but I think he might end up being a better author at the end of the day.

2. Speaking of his music, his new record is available for pre-order now. Go here to see the various ways you can support AP’s work and support your own ears (and heart) by putting your order in today. I just finished watching the video for “Dancing in the Mine-Field.” Another grown-up love song from AP in the tradition of “Don’t Give Up On Me” and others. Having just gone over the ten year mark with my wife, I was moved once again by AP’s gift for song-craft with deep truth. It’s excellent, and only one of the nifty bonus opportunities available when you pre-order. There’s t-shirts, immediate download of the record now, that video, coffee with himself, and I think a lock of his hair. Check it.

Congrats on the Christy, AP, and the new record.

I’m just waiting for your feature film to hit theaters. Your art exhibit? I hate you because you’re good at everything respect you so much.

Disclaimer: AP’s been very good to me -generous. But I was a fan before that and shall remain so until he crosses me to the end.

Here’s a video his label put together to promote Counting Stars. It’s good. Watch it.