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author interviews

Q&A with Lisa Hendey, author of A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms

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I was so excited to be invited to participate in the blog tour for Lisa Hendey’s new book, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms (and can I say how cute is the cartoon Lisa for the blog tour icon?).  Longtime readers of The Catholic Post Book Group will remember that the second book I reviewed for the Catholic Post was Lisa’s first book, The Handbook for Catholic Moms.  Lisa was also my first author interview, and author interviews have become among my favorite aspects of writing about books.

I will be reviewing A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms for my November column, but in the meantime here is a great short Q&A with Lisa Hendey, a friend to moms everywhere.

A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms is such a great companion and natural “sort-of sequel” to The Handbook for Catholic Moms.  Did you know you wanted to write it when The Handbook for Catholic Moms released?
Thank you for your kindness and welcome Nancy. Honestly, I must give a great deal of the credit for the concept of A Book of Saints for Catholic Momsto my amazing editor at Ave Maria Press, Eileen Ponder.  Only a few weeks after The Handbook for Catholic Moms was released in February 2010, Eileen proposed several ideas for future projects, including the concept of a book devoted to exploring the lives of the saints. Because the Handbook was so fresh on my mind, and because I so enjoyed exploring the themes of that project so much, A Book of Saints for Catholic Momsbecame a natural extension of the work that had begun with my first book.

I appreciate how handsomely the book is designed and “feels.”  I especially loved the illustrations/icons for “heart, mind, body and soul,” (such a great theme in The Handbook for Catholic Moms) and how you assign a different one to each saint.  Tell me more about how you connected those two themes.
I, too, love the design for the book and want to give a great deal of credit to designer Katherine Robinson Coleman of Ave Maria Press, who gave such a beautiful “face” to the ideas I wanted to convey in this book.  The “heart, mind, body and soul” themes were explored in my first book The Handbook for Catholic Moms.  In that book, I encouraged moms to care for themselves in these aspects of their lives so that they would be better equipped to serve their families, our Church and the world around us.

I’ve long had a devotion to the lives of the saints, turning to them as spiritual companions, role models and intercessors. Early in the planning for this project, I decided that I wanted to revisit the four themes, choosing saints in each of those areas and writing about their lives, but also about how the saints exemplified sanctity and excellence in these areas.

There are 52 great saints, some well-known, others not so much.  How did you select the range of saints?
Choosing the 52 saints was one of the most fun, but also the most challenging aspects of the project. I knew immediately that some saints would be included because their importance to mothers and their “fit” for the topics being explored made them immediately come to mind. But I also had a wonderful time pondering my “picks” and reveling in research at our local university library. The formula of 52 saints and four “themes” (heart, mind, body and soul) meant coming up with 13 saints in each of those categories. Honestly, many of the saints I selected could have been introduced in several ways, but conceiving of them in this way and watching the project grow and take flesh really brought them to life in this writer’s heart of mine.

Do you have a favorite saint among the less well-known saints?
I have several! I must admit a tremendously soft spot in my heart for Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux who is one of my personal patrons. It makes sense to me that they would have had a tremendous impact upon her and I’ve fallen in love with Blessed Zelie through reading her personal correspondence. I also have a strong devotion to St. Gianna Beretta Molla, a modern working mother, a physician and a valiant pro-life champion. Finally as an Indiana born daughter of two Hoosier parents educated by the Sisters of Providence, I absolutely love and frequently pray through the intercession of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin who has taught me a great deal about trusting in God’s providence in my life.

You’re such a busy writer and new media specialist.  What’s your next project?
Busy, but very blessed! I have several “next projects” in the work, including an Advent book for Catholic families, several new concepts for CatholicMom.com, an active speaking schedule for the Spring and some “secret projects” that will be unveiled soon.
Is there anything else you would like to add or wish I would have asked?
Nancy, I thank you for your amazing support and I truly encourage your readers to pick up A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms and to share it with their friends and loved ones. The book is designed to be of support for moms, but also to be used with the entire family. It includes daily scriptures and prayers, activities for a mother to enjoy with her children, and a family prayer to be recited together. The saints – these holy men and women – lived their lives in the same challenging circumstances we often face today. It’s such a treasure of our faith that we can turn to them for support and encouragement, in intercessory prayer. I hope families will find a renewed relationship with the communion of saints through this book – both the formally canonized saints, and those we have each known and loved in our own lives. I pray the book will be a blessing to moms in their vocation.

Q&A with Kelly Ann Lynch, author of "He Said Yes: The Story of Father Mychal Judge"

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I’m so grateful to author Kelly Ann Lynch for doing this Q&A with me this month about her book He Said Yes:  The Story of Father Mychal Judge, considering her busy schedule this month marking the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.    Thanks, Kelly!


Father Judge was your family friend for many years.  After his death on 9/11, how did you get the idea to write a book about his life?

One of the first thoughts I had after Father Mychal’s death was that his story needed to be shared, especially with the next generation of children who might otherwise never know of the man who changed the lives of so many.


I was at a weekday Mass when the words, He Said Yes, came to me, and I began picturing Father Mychal’s life and all the ways he said yes … from the time he was a little child in Brooklyn and began shining shoes to help make ends meet for his family; becoming a priest; ministering to the homeless, recovering alcoholics and the dying; becoming the fire chaplain to the New York City Fire Department; befriending NYPD Detective Steven McDonald and his family; blessing my daughter before her surgery; and ultimately saying “yes” on September 11, 2001 when he gave his life.  I believe the inspiration to write this book came directly from the Holy Spirit.  I was “on fire” when I left Mass that day after hearing those words (He Said Yes) and began writing notes immediately.  I could see the story unfolding before my eyes.  I called a friend – an artist who created the first logo for Mychal’s Message – M. Scott Oatman – and I asked him about getting together to create a book.  He said, “yes” and then explained how he had an idea for an illustration, using doves in place of the Twin Towers, to depict that fateful day.  That illustration, the last page in my book, was the first painting completed.  I believe the book was a product of divine inspiration and two friends who said, “yes.”


After showing the book to Franciscan priest, Father Cassian A. Miles, OFM, he said, “this book should be published.”  We contacted Paulist Press, and … well, they said, “yes” too.  The book has sold over 6,000 copies since its release in 2007.

I write in my review that I felt your children’s book was more successful than other bios of Fr. Judge in capturing Father Judge’s essential work and how he “said yes.”    Thoughts on that?  Was it easy or difficult to write?

It was always my desire to share Father Mychal’s story with children.  I believe in children – their prayers, their presence, their witness – they are the next generation.  To teach them about a man who lived simply by loving others (while passing judgment on none) was my way of allowing God to work through me and leave a beautiful legacy for Father Mychal – the man, the friend, the priest who changed the life of my family.  The book is written simply and shares the story of the priest I knew, the stories I knew.  It is written to encourage and inspire children to be the best they can be, to say, “yes” and to allow God to work through them.  I believe it also teaches children that they can become anything they desire when trusting in God’s Will for their lives and that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when following God.

Your website (www.kellyannlynch.blogspot.com) shows a range of activities that you are currently involved in—speaking, presentations, storytelling—to spread the Catholic faith.    Are you planning to write any more books in the future?

I have written another book that is currently in the process of being published (by Paulist Press).  It is a children’s book and encourages children to be who they are.  It is okay to be different because God has a special and unique plan for each of our lives.  It’s a unique book, unlike any others on the market, in that it is a fictional story based loosely on actual accounts in my own life.  This book was also inspired by the Holy Spirit.  Two others that I am also working on are written for children.  I work with children all year in “Armata Bianca” (White Army), a children’s rosary group, where we discuss and learn the beauty of growing up Catholic in today’s world.  I encourage the children to wear a scapular, pray the rosary, and know their saint friends, while teaching them the importance of prayer, penance and the sacraments.  

Tell Catholic Post readers more about Mychal’s Message, a non-profit you started to help the homeless and poor.

Mychal’s Message was founded in 2002 by my daughter, Shannon Hickey.  It is a non-profit organization created to honor the life of Father Mychal F. Judge, O.F.M. (From our website, my words):  During his life, Father Mychal shared his message with the rich and the poor, the healthy and the sick, firefighters, police officers, and friars, and the many men, women and children who called him ‘friend.’ His message was simple, interdenominational, and touched many lives. It is the mission of Mychal’s Message to continue sharing that message with others. It is a grace to walk in his footsteps and encounter the homeless and poor, meeting basic needs, while restoring dignity with love.
Mychal’s Message began in January 2002 as 11-year-old Shannon marked the anniversary of her liver transplant. Every year she celebrated her anniversary with a party, presents and cake. That year, Shannon decided to mark the anniversary in a more meaningful way. In lieu of gifts, she asked for socks for the homeless. “I’ll give them away in memory of Father Mychal,” she told us. Father Mychal, a dear family friend, was an inspiration to Shannon and on her transplant anniversary in 2002, she wanted to celebrate her life by remembering his.
Word spread quickly and before long, Shannon collected 1,500 pair of socks. A printed card with Father Mychal’s prayer was attached to each pair. As those first socks were being distributed to the homeless, we realized that the prayer was as important as the socks. The prayer became Mychal’s message. Father Mychal inspired Shannon, Shannon inspired us, and Mychal’s Message was born.
On the Breadline at St. Francis Church in New York City where those first socks were distributed, a man approached my mother (Shannon’s Nana) and asked her for underwear.  My mom could not forget that man or his request all day.  That night, she told us, “I know what I want for my birthday this year … men’s underwear.”  And “Blessed Bloomers” was born … and we return to the streets of New York City every year on the anniversary of September 11 with new underwear for the homeless.
Mychal’s Message is a family-run ministry.  My dad hand writes a personal thank you note to each person who sends a donation.  My husband sorts and packs the vans each time we travel into the city.  My mom does the shopping and packing.  I write the newsletters and press releases.  My children distribute the items to the homeless.  And there are no salaries paid, no overhead expenses other than printing of prayer cards, newsletters and postage.  

It’s been 10 years since 9/11.  What did you do to mark the anniversary?

We attended the annual Walk of Remembrance in NYC last weekend, and that is always a special day for our family as we remember and honor Father Mychal and all those who gave their lives on September 11.  


On the anniversary of September 11, as a family, were on the Breadline of St. Francis of Assisi Church in NYC to distribute our annual “Blessed Bloomers” to the homeless.  This year, we also distributed a full-size chocolate candy bar to each of the men and women we encounter – something “sweet” on a “bitter” day.  We attended the 11:00 Mass at St. Francis Church (the firefighter’s Mass) with FDNY Chaplain Father Christopher Keenan, OFM.  We  then went to the Firemen’s Museum for the 1:00 dedication of Father Mychal’s helmet and bunker coat (found after 9/11 at Ground Zero, unharmed and intact).  We had hoped to visit Totowa, NJ, just outside NYC, where Father Mychal is buried, but the recent flooding in that area prevented us.

Is there anything else you would like to share with Catholic Post readers, or anything else you wish I would have asked?


It has been a blessing for me and for my family to walk in the footsteps of Father Mychal Judge.  We are always aware that none of this would be possible without the generous donations of people all over the country.  And we are grateful, so grateful, that others allow us to use their donations to help others in Father Mychal’s memory.


I had hoped to share with Catholic Post readers a photo of Father Mychal’s grave, so when Kelly Ann Lynch mentioned she would have liked to have visited his grave on 9/11, I knew this was the right day.   The reason I  have a photo of Father Mychal’s grave (this one from last summer) is that my husband’s grandparents are buried just a few yards away in the same cemetery, and so for years, when we make a visit East to visit family, we visit his grave, as well.  His grave is always decorated.


Q&A with Colleen Swaim, author of Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints

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Following is my interview with Ablaze author Colleen Swaim (you can read my review of Ablaze here).  I was delighted to get the opportunity to find out more about her book and writing, and I sincerely hope to read more books in the future from this engaging young author.  In the meantime, I’ll be keeping her and her husband Matt in prayer as they expect their first child later this year.

First of all, well done on Ablaze. All the readers in our family found this book super engaging. I had trouble getting it back from my 13-year-old so I could write a review of it. Did you plan for it to be so widely enjoyed by a variety of ages, or were you primarily writing for teens?

A. The primary intended audience is indeed teenagers, but I chose the saints with a view toward capturing the sense of adventure that sanctity entails, and I believe that that is something that is appealing to people of all ages who seek Truth. I myself am 29, and I chose saints who first caught my own interest.

Q. What gave you the idea for the book?

A. Liguori Publications approached me with the idea for a book on saints for teenagers, and from there we came up collaboratively with the theme of teenagers who pushed the boundaries and radically lived for Christ, even if their own cultural milieu was working against their best intentions. Liguori and I both were very much looking to incorporate interactive elements that would take print material to the next level, and I believe that was achieved through building in the references to Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as well as applicable prayers and reflection questions

Q. You’re a high school teacher. Other than this book, how do you challenge students immersed in the popular culture to pause and really take a look at these saints and their lives?

A. From my perspective, the most difficult part of that challenge is the call to pause – silence and reflection are difficult to come by for anyone, adults included, so the most impacting thing that I can do is to model deliberate contemplation. Sometimes that is through recalling powerful experiences I’ve had while on silent retreat, while other times it’s discussing slower forms of entertainment, such as book reading, as cogitating a passage or collection of passages can be very difficult if it is broken up by intervals of multi-sensory stimulation, such as video gaming or tweeting. If they can take some quiet time, students will quickly realize that even the most contemplative saints lived very active lives beyond their wildest dreams.

Q. I love the cover design and the design elements throughout the book. Did you have a hand in that?

A. I really cannot take any credit for the illustrations, although I agree that Liguori’s team did an amazing job! It really communicated to me that they are very in touch with the book’s audience, as its graphic appeal is relatable to both male and female adolescents. They even had temporary tattoos made up of the front cover art, which have been a big hit.

Q. How did you discover the saints you write about? Some are relatively well-known, but some are less popular and yet deserve a hearing.

A. Researching for the book was one of the best parts of the experience. My goal throughout the process was to seek out saints of both genders who are representative of the worldwide vitality of Catholic youth lived to incredible heights. With some saints and blesseds, that meant scouring Vatican resources for newly recognized individuals, while others fell into my lap through the recommendation of a friend of a friend. I tried to include both classics and those who I felt Americans need an introduction to, and I believe the book succeeded on those fronts.

Q. Who is your favorite saint from the book, and why?


A. I very much enjoyed learning about the life of Chiara Luce Badano, as she was beatified right in the midst of my writing the book, in September 2010, so I got to watch her beatification live on television and really get a better sense of the excitement felt by those close to her cause. She died in the 1990’s so she really is an individual contemporary teenagers can relate to on a variety of levels.

Q. How did you get the idea for the “saintly challenges,” such as the recipes, prayers and other challenges for readers to implement?


A. Some of the more unique aspects of the book, those came to me as I examined each saint more closely in an attempt to help the readers come to a deeper appreciation of the saint through concrete activities. I wanted to have an answer to the inevitable question of “Now what?” that can crop up after one has heard a particularly powerful story. The challenges are meant to be an answer to that question through encouraging the reader to delve deeper into the saints’ struggles, motivations, and methods of seeking aid.

Q. I wrote in my review of Ablaze that my only critique of the book is that I wish you covered more saints. Were there any saints you wish you could have included, and why?


A. The most difficult aspect of the project was paring down the list of prospective saints and blesseds! It was whittled down by considering which saints’ stories we as a Church know enough about to dedicate a chapter-long section and interactive selections to, as well as American Catholics’ current familiarity with the individual and his or her region of origin.

Q. On the same topic: Do you have plans for Ablaze 2? Any other projects you are working on?


A. I would very much enjoy creating a follow-up to Ablaze that would feature more of the saints I wasn’t able to include in the current edition, because as you pointed out, there are many more stories to tell. My husband and I are currently expecting our first child, so that is the ultimate project which we are looking forward to. That being said, I had an excellent experience working with Liguori Publications on ‘Ablaze’, and so would welcome any future projects with them.

Catholic E-Book Spotlight: The Ironic Catholic

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Do you need a good laugh?  I always do, and that’s why I’m so grateful for the newest book by the ever-humorous Ironic Catholic.


Felow Blames 1970s Church Architecture for Life of Sin is the long-titled but very, very funny new book from The Ironic Catholic.  Longtime Catholic Post Book Group readers may remember my interview with IC, as she is known, last year.

Felon Blames 1970s Church Architecture for Life of Sin (let’s agree that I can shorten it to Felon from here on out) may be slightly awkwardly named, even off-putting to some, but trust me, it is hilarious, faithful Catholic humor.  There’s not a bit stuffy or mean about IC’s humor, which I think is why I enjoy her work so much.

From the description of the book:

In the style of The Onion, Stephen Colbert, and occasionally Jonathan Swift, the writer of “The Ironic Catholic” website offers light satirical takes on the world of Catholic news. The fake news stories (Attendees of Flannery O’Connor Conference Meet Dire End, Tired Mother Announces ‘Come and See’ Weekend, Re-gifting Chia Pets Not Considered Lenten Sacrifice, etc.) both entertain and teach.  


Okay, now for my take.  Many “news” stories in Felon, but in particular”Attendees of Flannery O’Connor Conference Meet Dire End,” had me literally in tears of laughter.  This is because my secret shame, as a Catholic book lover, is how much I detest the writing of the esteeemed O’Connor.  There, I’ve said it, once and for all, so I can be removed from the serious Catholic readers fraternity.  I don’t necessarily believe my distaste comes from O’Connor’s writing–I’m sure it’s wonderful–as much as my trouble with  Southern fiction. As much as I try, and try again, to appreciate Souther fiction, I just keep thinking when I read any of them, okay, here comes the stifling heat, the weird violence and the big ol’ cast of quirky Southern characters.  I’m convinced that my purgatory will be a room full of Southern books–and nothing else–to read.

Every other story is also truly funny, so that you will be laughing out loud and the people around you will be asking, hey, what’s so funny?

Felon is available as a Kindle e-book and a Barnes & Noble Nook book, making it effortless to download and read on a Kindle, Nook or other device.  And the price is right–$2.99 on Amazon, $1.99 on B&N.  I found it super easy to download and read, now that I have the hang of how Kindle works.   The book is also available at Smashwords, and while I had no trouble downloading Dear Communion of Saints from Smashwords last year, when it was only available in that format, I couldn’t easily figure out a way to get it off the computer.  I’m sure it’s quite easy, but now that IC’s books are available as Kindle books, I’m all set.


Have you read any Catholic e-books lately?  I’ve downloaded a few titles recently, as the prices can’t be beat, and it’s handy having them on multiple devices.   In fact, I downloaded a copy of the book I’ll be reviewing in August, since my review copy went missing for several weeks, and I’ve found it really convenient.  I’d love to find out about new titles available for e-readers or your experiences with them.

Interview with Mary Eberstadt, author of "The Loser Letters"

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I had the opportunity to e-interview Mary Eberstadt, the author of The Loser Letters.  I hope you’ll enjoy the conversation as much as I did, and it will inspire you to read the book even more.

Thanks, Mary, for your willingness to take the time and answer my questions.

First of all, well done!  I consider The Loser Letters an instant classic, no easy feat.  How did The Screwtape Letters shape your writing of this book and your idea for it?

Thank you kindly for that! The Screwtape Letters obviously did inspire the book, though only loosely. Like millions of other admirers of C.S. Lewis, I was knocked out by his success in delivering orthodox apologetics under the cloak of humor. In writing The Loser Letters, I was aiming for a similarly unexpected combination of satire and religious seriousness — especially for the newer generations of readers who may not have seen that combination before. That said, the influence ends there; they’re very different books from head to toe.

The humor in The Loser Letters is a key element. What was your goal in using humor the way you did, and was it difficult to get right?

The new atheism itself practically invites satire. After all, this movement has grown fat and happy by painting religious people as grim and humorless and self-righteous — all while exhibiting plenty of humorlessness and self-righteousness itself, as the book’s protagonist A. F. Christian enjoys pointing out.

 
As for the particular humor of A.F., I actually found it pretty easy to enter into her voice. Like many young adults in the electronic age, she bubbles constantly with an indiscriminate brew of the high and the low, the sublime and the ridiculous, the irreverent and the deadly serious — everything from the Bravo Channel to rehab patter to St. Augustine all rolled into one. Once I got used to her particular mix, the story pretty much wrote itself.

Another question regarding humor:   In my review of your book, I write about how my previous reactions to hearing atheists interviewed would go one of two unhelpful ways: either eye-rolling annoyance (not exactly charitable), or a profound sadness for the person and the state of the world.

But after reading The Loser Letters, I now laugh; not in a mocking way, but in a human way, and with a protective kindness that I felt for the fictional Letters protagonist.  I’m so grateful for that, and I also wonder if writing the book changed you.  Did writing the book change your views of those who are influenced by or even lead the atheist charge?

It hasn’t changed my view of the movement’s celebrity leaders, because my main impression of their work remains the same as it was before. It’s a view based not on anything personal, but rather just on close inspection of their books. Those books almost without exception are astonishingly angry, belligerent – and contemptuous of religious believers. Even by the debased standards of publishing today, their genre stands out for those negative characteristics. In quoting so liberally from their work, I’m trying to make readers think along with A.F. about where all that anger comes from and what it says about the new atheist movement.

 
That said, I’m taking aim at those leaders and their arguments – not at ordinary unbelievers or other secular folk. I think our modern world is a rough world for some of them, too, including in ways they don’t always understand. It certainly was hard on A.F. Christian – and of course I adore A.F.!

Have you met or had any response from the atheists you write about?   What would you say to them if you could?

No response as yet from the celebrities – though I did receive a gratifying e-mail, my favorite so far, from a man saying he’s been an atheist all his adult life, and that he’s now re-thinking that because of The Loser Letters. As for the leaders of the atheist movement, I think A.F. Christian has already said plenty to them in her letters! I don’t really have anything more to add.

I read a few of the “letters” online, but I found the physical book a much more satisfying way to read the story.  What are you hearing from readers?  Is there a generational difference?

This seems to be a case where the book form has certain advantages over online installments (before Ignatius Press put them out in printed form, the letters were serialized weekly at National Review Online). The Loser Letters is in part a mystery story – the slowly revealed tale of what happens to a particular girl – and the plot details and clues are definitely easier to follow if you can flip back and forth for them in a book. Also, believe it or not, that book cover Ignatius gave it seems to have acquired a cult following of its own! So while it’s great to have the book out in both forms, I think there was and always will be something special about a book, especially one with a plot.

How do you think The Loser Letters would be helpful for college students or young adults in facing classes or professors or fellow students who are atheists?
I think it will help college students to know that the atheist movement doesn’t have the market cornered on confidence. Believers can be pro-active too, including in ways that are fun, as I hope this book is. Beyond that, I do hope that college students especially will find in this book some useful refutations of certain atheist arguments making the rounds these days, especially on campus. In a way, this book is intended as a gift to those students— some fighting words about religion for the Facebook generation, delivered by a character they can feel for.

I gave the book to one of our teenage babysitters, and she was astounded by how much she “heard” other young people she knows in the narrator’s voice.  How did you accomplish that?
I’m privileged to spend a lot of time around teenagers and young adults, both our own and others. Their cadences, their stories and dramas, and the way they live now are all part of what inspired A. F. Christian.

Do you think The Loser Letters can serve as a platform for dialogue between and atheist and a believer?  How?

Definitely – if you can get any atheists actually to read the book! I can tell by the few atheist reviews I’ve seen that most either aren’t finishing it, or aren’t understanding what they’ve read. Even so, I hope what they do read of it percolates down somewhere.

In recent weeks Christopher Hitchens has been in the news because he announced he is suffering from cancer, and commentators and others are reflecting on his legacy. Do you have any thoughts on this?

I’m a great admirer of Christopher Hitchens’ prose. He’s preternaturally gifted, one of the best essayists in the English language. He’s also inadvertently done religious believers a favor, I think, because his particularly sharp writing has forced many take a closer look at their own arguments. I wish him well.