Monday, July 09, 2007

Hi from the International Christian Retail Show, Atlanta

After a horribly long travel day with all sorts of delays and frustrations, I'm in Atlanta now for the International Christian Retail Show, where Christian retailers, book publishers, music labels, gift companies and the like gather to buy, sell, order and promote new Christian stuff. Every year visitors and observers try to identify the most outrageous Jesus junk to ridicule, whether it's Jesus bobbleheads with glow-in-the-dark miracle healing hands or whatever. It's always interesting to browse and see what new books are being released. Here are a few random things that caught my eye today:

An Emergent Manifesto of Hope, edited by Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt, which came out a few months ago. Chatted with both of them briefly here and lamented with Tony that his paper won't be included in IVP's Wheaton Theology Conference compendium.

Jerusha Clark's Inside a Cutter's Mind: Understanding and Helping Those Who Self-Injure. I had e-mailed and talked with Jerusha in the past, but it was nice to connect in person.

Chatted with Lori Smith, author of The Single Truth, which quotes my book Singles at the Crossroads. She told me that she was one of my fans, and I said, "I have fans?" Lori is also the author of the forthcoming A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love, and Faith. She told me that to research the book, she traveled to visit key locations in Jane Austen's life and saw her birthplace, house and gravesite. Sounds fascinating.

A few months back, during the whole Youth Specialties/Skit Guys controversy, I interacted online with Christian Asian American chick lit author Camy Tang. Her new book Sushi for One? just debuted here at the show. At her signing, her publisher handed out chopsticks as well as fortune cookies that said inside, 'You will receive a fortune (cookie)."

The Giant Leaf by Davy Liu, a Taiwanese American illustrator and animator who has worked on classic Disney films like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and Mulan. This children's book is a fresh retelling of a familiar story, and it has fantastic art. Check it out.

The floor just closed, so I'll wrap up. More later.

3 comments:

Dtbubba said...

Hey Al,

Robert here. Have fun in Atlanta. Jenny and I miss the opportunity to be on the show floor but understand the change. Thanks for the insight and goings on. I almost feel like I'm there with you.

Peace be with you.

Anonymous said...

Wow, Al, working at the Press sounds so interesting! What did you think of the sushi for one book?

It's a small world - I went to college with Jerusha... maybe someday I'll get to catch up and write a book, haha.

Camy Tang said...

Hi Al! It was great talking with you and your wife today! You gave me a lot to think (and write) about. I hope you like Sushi for One!
Camy