This, That, and the Other Funny Thing

There's a ton of information to report in publishing these days, so let me catch you up...

First, it looks like the Google settlement could be tossed out. Too many arguments among the various parties. If you're an author, and you spent all that time filling out those arcane rights sheets so that you could get paid... sorry! 

Second, Bill Anderson suddenly resigned as the Prez of CBA. It happened after a stormy board meeting. He's been president since the mid-80's, and was a gracious man with a positive attitude. (Bill was always nice to me, even though I sometimes said some things on my blog that made him mad. In my view, I was just reporting the truth -- that CBA is in a world of hurt.) We had our differences (I thought the organization was slow to let charismatics and Catholics really be a part of the organization, and I still think they've done a terrible job involving African-Americans, meaning the core of CBA is still middle-class white conservative evangelical... but they'd argue that's just demographics). Still, the industry came a long way with Bill at the helm. I think he'll be missed, and it'll be interesting to see what direction the organization goes now.  

Third, self-publisher Lulu announced they're now doing e-books, and paying ten bucks on a $13.99 e-book. Wow. If you can actually SELL your books, that's a nice deal.  

Fourth, in case you haven't heard, Wal-Mart, Target, and Amazon are in a price war. Honest. They're each trying to drive the others out of business by charging less for hardcover novels. (I don't think I've heard the words "price war" since Shell and Texaco had one back in the 1960's. Imagine... paying 29 cents a gallon for gas.) And yes, that's just another nail in the coffin for good bookstores everywhere.  

Fifth, in response, Thomas Nelson has talked of staging a rollout with new books (that means having them available only in bookstores first, and in Wal-Mart and on Amazon later) and having a minimum advertised price (a concept that is much debated -- some don't think it's legal, others question if it's enforceable). This will be fascinating to watch -- but it's nice to see a publisher side with actual bookstores instead of the big retailers. 

Sixth, in honor of Dan Brown's newest book release, British newspaper The Telegraph put together a list of what they considered to be the 20 worst Dan Brown sentences. You can find it here: http://tinyurl.com/r6tye2.  Thought you'd enjoy marvelling at how such a lousy writer can sell so many copies of his books.

Seventh, I've had a couple people write to ask, "Are there any humor writers who also write about the church?"

There are a few. Jon Acuff, who runs the fabulous website Stuff Christians Like. Perhaps the funniest thing on religion in America you can find (and currently one of the most-read religious websites in the world). You can find him at http://stuffchristianslike.net/ 

Others would include Mark Twain (his "The Diaries of Adam and Eve" has some touchy humor about the church, but some is laugh-out-loud funny -- if you're interested in this topic, check out McCullough and Baetzhold's The Bible and Mark Twain), Dave Meurer (a very funny storyteller with a nice voice in his writing), Dave Barry (you may not know this, but his father was a Presbyterian minister, and his writings on religion are generally insightful, over-the-top, and hilarious), and Garrison Keillor (his faith stories are warm and funny). Two similar writers are Michael Lindvall's The Good News from North Haven and Haven Kimmel's A Girl Named Zippy.

I suppose we could talk about  Anita Renfroe (humor for women that's actually funny, whereas many of the women trying to be funny in CBA are simply boring...so it's time we all admit that Barbara Johnson is not funny) and Phil Callaway (he's a funny guy, but he always pulls his punches so as not to offend) and Becky Freeman Johnson (some of her tales of life with family are a riot).  If you like funny stories about those of us who grew up in church, read Todd and Jedd Hafer (Snickers from the Front Pew and Mischief from the Back Pew) and Charles Marshall (I'm Not Crazy But I Might Be a Carrier). Finally, Patricia Klein's Growing Up Born Again is a great book from twenty years ago, and if you haven't seen Joel Fitzpatrick's A Field Guide to Evangelicals and their Habitat, by all means pick yourself up a copy. If you have any ability to laugh at yourself (something MANY Christians are unable to do, seeing how they're serious people who need to set the world straight on this whole end-of-the-world scenario), you'll find page after page of laugh-out-loud humor.

That should get you started...

Comments

[Angie B.]

For more Christian humor that's actually funny, be sure to check out Lark News, the evangelical answer to the Onion:

http://larknews.com

[Marcia Washburn]

Homeschoolers are enjoying Todd Wilson's humor at http://www.familymanweb.com/ and in his series of cartoon books, The Official Book of Homeschooling Cartoons. His stories about being a hands-on dad are witty and true-to-life.

[Sharon A Lavy]

Do you really remember the gas wars of the 60's? I wouldn't think you would be old enough.

Husband finally quit telling this story so I hated to go refresh his memory, but in the winter of 61-62 in Modesto, California he bought gas for 13.9 cents and got his window washed and tipple S&H green stamps.

People were predicting that gas would go to $1.00 a gallon.

[Matt Mikalatos]

Well, since we're on the topic of shameless self-promotion (what's that you say? We're not on that topic? Uhhhhh... well, never mind) I have a comedy theology novel releasing in April from Tyndale called Imaginary Jesus. That's right. Comedy. Theology. Novel.

[Tim Patrick]

Although its content varies wildly, http://www.humorality.com does include church-focused humor, including articles like "Outsourcing Prayer" and "Government to Bail Out Churches."

[Linda M Au]

THANK YOU THANK YOU for typing out loud what I've been thinking for a long time about humor writers such as Barbara Johnson! You are a god among men (so to speak)! You are my hero! May I touch the hem of your garment, er, kilt?

As someone who came to Christianity AND The Wittenburg Door in my teens, I've been dismayed since then to find that humor among Christians is silly or just plain embarrassing. I write humor--FUNNY humor--but have nowhere to put it. I will say, I'm proud to be a member of a very small, conservative denomination that sings only the psalms in worship ... but that also has pastors who've been known to secretly set those same psalm lyrics to the tune of the "Gilligan's Island" theme song.

So, I suppose there's hope.

[Linda M Au]

P.S. That denomination is also Scottish. You know, just sayin'....

[Katy McKenna]

Chip, I heartily concur with your humor recs! I am just now reading all of Becky Freeman Johnson, many years late to the party. But I'm represented by WordServe and I finally figured out Becky Johnson is THAT Becky!!! She and I are Twitter buds and finally got to meet at an agency dinner during ACFW. What a joy-filled and truly funny lady. Thank you for giving her a mention here.

[Becky Johnson]

Thanks for the plug, Chip!!

[Maggie Woychik]

You may also like to grab a copy of Rob Suggs' two hilarious books, It Came From Beneath the Pew, and Preacher From the Black Lagoon. Funny stuff!

Also, as an editor at the new small indie press, Port Yonder Press, we've pulled up to dock for another week or two while submissions pour in, and something comedic would be a welcome change of pace!

[Susan Meissner]

Ah, The Wittenburg Door!! Somewhere in our garage are all our copies from the 1980s. They moved with us to Europe and back, languished in a musty Minnesota basement for thirteen years and are now tucked away somewhere in our SoCal garage, hopefully drying out. Now I want to go find the buggers . . .

Oh, and Chip, I never filled out the Google paperwork. I know you told us we should, and I've been loathe to tell you I didn't, but now. . . well, here's to the art of procrastination.

Sooz

[chip responds]

The Door... good memories, Sooz. And if you like your humor over-the-top, check out www.landoverbaptist.com -- a hilarious sendup of conservative church websites (that at times may offend the more conservative among us).

Also should have mentioned the humor in novels like Rob Stennett's THE END IS NOW, which is a total hoot. There are also several women novelists who have a nice sense of humor in their mystery or romance works. For example, I represent Dana Mentink, who is very, very funny. -chip

[chip responds]

And Angie, thanks for the reminder about Lark News. They're a hoot. Sort of a deadpan comic view of the church. They have a regular missions column ("The Missionary Position") that is very funny, and they use Christianese very deftly. They even sell cool t-shirts ("I want to be a pastor's wife" is one, "Heard you got into that Christian college...bummer" is another). If you have the ability to laugh at yourself and the church, it's a great site. If you see this stuff as another sign of the apocalypse... well, you shouldn't be reading this blog, of course.

[Susan Meissner]

Eureka. I just found a dozen Doors. Top of the pack is the Feb/March 1984 issue on The New Racism. The cover and inside pages are a flimsy 25lb bond with this red stamped message: "Due to a shortage of printed issues we have sent this photo copy of the rough layouts to you and others like you." Brilliant. Bottom of the stack: Mike Yaconelli on the cover. What a clever mind. Hope he's enjoying heaven, miss him here.

[Sandra Bishop]

I gotta say I thoroughly enjoy Jenny B. Jones' blog. And I'm about twenty pages into JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME and have snorted at least half that number of times. Thanks Jenny. (Hey...have we met?)

[chip responds]

Ack! How could i forget Jenny B Jones?! Egad. Her blog (just her name) is one of the few places on the planet you can go and regularly laugh out loud. (Sorry, Jenny B.)

[Cindy Thomson]

The article on the goofy Dan Brown sentences missed pointing out a few things IMHO. Like: Angels and Demons, opening sentence: Physicist Leonardo Vetra smelled burning flesh, and he knew it was his own.

Smelling it was his FIRST clue? Ouch!

[Linda M Au]

I seem to have started a tidal wave of gushing over The Door. (Glad I could help!) You'll all be happy to see that it has a bunch of online articles, although the print version is currently suspended: http://www.wittenburgdoor.com/

And now, I'm off to dig up my stacks of old MAD magazines...

[Jenny B. Jones]

Aw, y'all are too nice, Chip and...wait, what's your name? Oh, yeah. Sandra. I have trouble remembering it because we haven't met yet..

[emily jackson]

I'm also a fan of Rob Suggs, but I've recently stumbled upon a relative newcomer to the CBA and been pleasantly surprised. Sandra D. Bricker (she wrote one of the first Love Finds You books for Summerside Press) is funny and smart in a way that doesn't talk down to the reader. She exhibits something we haven't seen for a long time.

[Shannon]

Matthew Paul Turner, whose next book is endorsed by Jon Acuff, is one of the funniest, sharpest writers published by a Christian house.