Sarah Arthur's Blog

HERE IT IS, FRIENDS! The moment you’ve all been waiting for.

After 22 years in nonfiction, I’m now doing what I love best: writing portal fantasy for geeky 14-year-old me (eep!!). Get ready for ONCE A QUEEN, the first in a YA series, coming summer of 2023 from WaterBrook & Multnomah, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Books #2 and #3 will follow annually thereafter…and who knows after that?

There are so many people to thank for this career shift: My agent, editor, supportive colleagues, friends, church, and family…thank you for encouraging me, challenging me, praying, watching my kids, and sending me to writing conferences and retreats, even when it wasn’t clear whether this fiction dream would ever pay off.

But above all, to my husband Tom Arthur, who never let me give up.

So, everyone, I’m now back to full-time work and writing like a crazy person for the foreseeable future, so thanks for your patience if I don’t respond to messages right away! If you’d like to keep up with my fiction news, be sure to sign up for my occasional newsletters (quarterly, at most) at this link.

See you on the other side of Book #1!

Dear ones,

At long last, my colleague Sophfronia Scott and I are pleased to announce that registration is now open for MADELEINE MORNINGS, three virtual mini writing retreats on select Saturdays in 2021-2022!

Three virtual mini writing retreats in the spirit of Madeleine L’Engle.

Inspired by the late Madeleine L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, these retreats are designed to spark insight, foster connections, deepen your reading, and lend structure to your writing and spiritual life. Facilitated content and group interaction will be interspersed with solo writing time for a rich and generative experience.

We’ll meet via Zoom from 10 AM to 2 PM Eastern on Oct. 16, 2021, Jan. 29, 2022, and May 7, 2022. Each retreat is self-contained but unique so you can attend one or several or all three. If you can’t attend live or wish to watch a given retreat again, registration includes a link to the recording.

The cost is $69 per mini-retreat (nonrefundable), and you can purchase one or several or all three. HERE’S THE FUN PART: The first 50 people to register for all three Madeleine Mornings by Oct 16, 2021 receive 10% off registration for “A Circle of Quiet: The Madeleine L’Engle Writing Retreat” tentatively scheduled for Oct. 7-9, 2022 at Camp Washington, Lakeside CT. Yay!

Want to be among the first to receive this kind of info? Be sure to sign up for our mailing list.

Finally, major thanks to our in-kind sponsor, MadeleineLEngle.com for helping get the word out. We couldn’t do this without your encouragement, wisdom, and support. Any questions, please direct them to [email protected]

Tesser well!

Sarah Arthur

Sarah Arthur — Co-Director of “Walking on Water: The 2019 Madeleine L’Engle Conference” and author of A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle.

Sophfronia Scott — Founding director of the Alma College MFA in Creative Writing and author of The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton.

P.S. Missed the link for more info and registration? It’s here: https://bit.ly/3CJQ45q

#madeleinemornings

The post “Madeleine Mornings” with Sarah Arthur and Sophfronia Scott appeared first on Madeleine L’Engle.

As you can see by my blog posts, I don’t “blog” but I do occasionally post updates here about my books and events. For the past year I’ve had a form of writer’s block known as COVID SCHOOLING WITH YOUNG KIDS, which is apparently in the same class as NEWBORN SLEEP DEPRIVATION and POTTY TRAINING, but which, until recently, had a far more ambiguous end-date. What little focus I’ve had over the past 15 months has been devoted to revising fiction for my eternally patient literary agent. But the results will be good news for you, my faithful readers — so stay tuned!

(I’ve made my peace with Dog Man, by the way. It got my oldest kid reading, and now both boys are hooked on graphic novels of all kinds. Dav Pilkey, wherever you are, thank you. I think.)

#amwriting

Dear friends, fans, & fellow readers,

Math People tell me that 2020 is technically not a new decade, but to me the zero makes it feel like something. A chance to reflect, recalibrate, look back, forecast. So here goes.

First, I’m cancer-free. At least that’s what my oncologist says. Plus I’ve got a headful of ringlets and they’re AWESOME.

I still wrestle at times with extreme anxiety post-cancer, so I’m learning to lean on my therapist/ meds/ gym/ church/ husband/ gratitude journal. I’m grateful for big and small mercies every day. But I often wonder, “Was that…did that…what just happened to me?”

My husband Tom continues to thrive as lead pastor of Sycamore Creek Church here in Lansing, where I volunteer as the Junior High Small Group leader. Over the past 2-3 years we’ve gotten more involved in racial reconciliation among churches here, which has led to some wonderful friendships. Meanwhile our denomination is bracing for a split over LGBTQ inclusion, so prayers are appreciated.

Our two little boys–Micah (9) and Sam (6)–aren’t little anymore. Tom and I do not cry over this. The boys are thriving in school, running in packs with neighborhood children, ridiculously good at math (their mother is not), freakishly creative (their mother is), and generally the light of our lives–when they’re not in a timeout for sending each other to Urgent Care.

In December my parents, Bob & Peg Faulman, celebrated their 50th anniversary with family (that’s my mom in her wedding dress!). My sister Abigail Deloria and brother-in-law Phil continue to run Fiddlehead Farm in Northern Michigan (look for them at the Harbor Springs Farmer’s Market), where Abbie creates her phenomenal wearable fiber art.

A year ago this month my article “Madeleine & Me” appeared in Guideposts about how my 2018 breast cancer diagnosis interfaced with the publication of A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle, Author of A Wrinkle in Time (Zondervan). The subsequent response from readers around the world was stunning, a reminder that cancer initiates us into a harrowing fraternity/sorority of millions–and that we’re not alone.

Yeah, that’s Lauren Daigle on the front cover.
You know, me and Lauren.

In April, after attending as a guest at their annual retreat, I was honored by an invitation to join an august writers guild known as the Chrysostom Society, whose members over the years have included Eugene Peterson, Madeleine L’Engle, Calvin Miller, Richard Foster, Luci Shaw, Stephen Lawhead, Philip Yancey, and many more. This freaked me out in all the best ways. I said yes (duh).

At the 2019 Chrysostom Society retreat, Laity Lodge TX.

2019 saw lots of other L’Engle pizzaz, including co-directing “Walking on Water,” the first-ever Madeleine L’Engle Conference in November, alongside Brian Allain of Writing For Your Life and Madeleine’s youngest granddaughter Charlotte Jones Voiklis. YOU GUYS: I GOT TO INTRODUCE KATHERINE PATERSON!! Listen to her keynote & my somewhat giddy intro here.

The stellar team from We Need Diverse Books at the Madeleine L’Engle Conference, with myself and L’Engle’s granddaughter Charlotte. Photo by Lisa Beth Anderson, courtesy of Crosswicks, Ltd.



Photo credit Nathaniel Lee.
Yes, those are floral Doc Martens, which I found at a garage sale.

I spoke about my cancer journey in a homily at the conference’s host venue, All Angels’ Church in Manhattan, that same weekend. You can listen to the audio here.

So what’s happening in 2020?

Recently I had the honor of writing the foreword for the newly released, updated edition of L’Engle’s collected poems, The Ordering of Love (I also wrote the foreword for the new edition of Madeleine L’Engle Herself: Reflections on a Writing Life in 2018). I’m a contributor for the forthcoming collection Faithful Daughter: True, Inspiring Stories Celebrating a Mother’s Love (Dayspring, ed. by Ami McConnell Abston)–available in time for Mother’s Day, of course!

As for my own books, this is the year of fiction (crowd cheers!). My goal is nailing down an agent & publisher for my novels, which means pulling back from other commitments (crowd groans). In the meantime you can find me at the Festival of Faith & Writing at Calvin University in Grand Rapids April 16-18 as well as the C. S. Lewis Festival in Northern Michigan Sept 18-19.

Speaking of Northern Michigan, if you’re looking for signed editions of my books, look no further than McLean & Eakin Booksellers in my hometown of Petoskey. They’re happy to ship most anywhere, so be sure to check out my Shop page for links to McL&E’s current titles–and support a real, brick-and-mortar bookstore. (I no longer ship books myself other than my out-of-print titles.)

Last but not least, together with my colleagues Sophfronia Scott (This Child of Faith, Love’s Long Line) and Madeleine’s oldest granddaughter Lena Roy (co-author of Becoming Madeleine) I’ll be co-facilitating “A Circle of Quiet: The Madeleine L’Engle Writing Retreat” at Camp Washington Episcopal Retreat Center near Morris, CT, Nov 13-15, 2020. Stay tuned for registration info coming soon!

Dear friends, fans, & fellow readers,

I’m delighted to announce that I’m serving as co-director of the first ever Madeleine L’Engle Conference “Walking on Water” in NYC this Nov 15-16, 2019! As host of The Madeleine Podcast & author of A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle, I’m pretty sure this is the event I’ve longed for all my life. And from the conference buzz so far, it’s clear I’m not alone!

Host venue and co-sponsor All Angels’ Church, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, was Madeleine’s local congregation in the neighborhood she called home. They can’t wait to welcome you for both the pre-conference retreat on Friday Nov 15 & the daylong conference on Sat Nov 16.

Our headline speaker for the daylong conference is acclaimed children’s author Katherine Paterson (Bridge to Terabithia, The Great Gilly Hopkins), with award-winning singer-songwriter Audrey Assad as Musician-in-Residence. Yes, you read all that correctly (eep!).

Other featured presenters include Newbery-Honor winner Veera Hiranandani (The Night Diary), Sayantani DasGupta (Serpent’s Secret, Game of Stars), film producer Catherine Hand (A Wrinkle in Time), and screenwriter/producer David Paterson (Bridge to Terabithia, The Great Gilly Hopkins), L’Engle biographer Abigail Santamaria (Joy: Poet, Seeker, & the Woman Who Captivated C. S. Lewis), and many more.

They’re joined by an exciting roster of artists, writers, novelists, musicians, biographers, filmmakers, playwrights, several of Madeleine’s former writing students, and a fun team of authors from We Need Diverse Books. Yep, it’s a party! We’ll be rolling out more info about all these talented people, as well as our partner organizations, in the upcoming weeks and months, so stay tuned.

Registration is now open with our co-sponsor Writing For Your Life — and spots are limited, so be sure to secure yours soon.

As Madeleine herself would’ve said, “How marvelous!”

 

Sarah Arthur

Co-Director, The Madeleine L’Engle Conference

conference (at) madeleinelengle.com

This post first appeared at www.madeleinelengle.com.

Dear friends, fans, & fellow readers,

Let’s just say it’s been a year. 2018 was full of highs and lows in the Arthur household, and we’re grateful for the prayers and support from so many of you around the country (and the world). Some key events:

Tom and his dad, 1975

We lost my husband’s stepmom Marta Arthur to ovarian cancer in January and his father John Arthur to Lewy Body Dementia in September. With this came logistical and financial responsibilities for Tom, plus deep sadness.
Since May I’ve had a mastectomy, four rounds of chemo, and an upcoming oophorectomy thanks to Stage 1 (but very aggressive) breast cancer. Even though this fell during Tom’s long-planned 4-month sabbatical–which didn’t go as planned, obviously–we would’ve floundered without our family, neighbors, and the tremendous congregation of Sycamore Creek Church.

Amtrak trip from Chicago to San Francisco through the Rockies!

Between surgeries and chemo, we squeezed in a 4-day trip on Amtrak from Chicago to San Francisco with the boys (Sam, age 5, & Micah, age 7), plus an extra week in SF staying with friends at Church of the Sojourners. Magical!
My latest book, A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle, Author of A Wrinkle in Time, released in August right before my first chemo treatment. It’s already garnered some fun attention & won a Top Shelf design award from the ECPA. Check out this online Q&A at Guideposts, and stay tuned for yours truly on NPR’s “InterFaith Voices” and in the Feb 2019 print issue of Guideposts, among other buzz.

My new spiritual biography of Madeleine L’Engle.

On November 29, 2018 Madeleine L’Engle would’ve turned 100. She LOVED birthdays and parties, so be sure to join me for some of these fun shindigs online and in person!

It’s a podcast party! The Madeleine Podcast features my interviews with a number of MLE’s friends, family, and fans, including writer Philip Yancey, poet Luci Shaw, and more. Listen and download from Podbean, iTunes, or Google Play Music.
Friday Nov 30, 7:30 p.m.“Madeleine L’Engle at 100” in Gezon Auditorium in the Spoelhof Center, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI. Enjoy an evening dedicated to commemorating the literary, creative, and spiritual legacy of Madeleine L’Engle and her work. Featuring myself, Wrinkle in Time film producer Catherine Hand, and MLE’s youngest granddaughter Charlotte Jones Voiklis. We’ll end with book signing and birthday cake.
Saturday, Dec 1: Happy Birthday to Madeleine! 11:00 a.m. at Schuler Books & Music on 28th Street, Grand Rapids, MI. It’s free, but rsvp to Schuler’s here. Kids of all ages and their families are invited to tesser on over and talk about Madeleine L’Engle and her writing with myself and Charlotte. We’ll chat a little about our own L’Engle biographies (Charlotte and her sister, Lena Roy, wrote Becoming Madeleine) and answer all your questions. And of course, there’ll be more birthday treats!
Saturday, Dec 1: Free showing of A Wrinkle in Time, 2:00 p.m. at Celebration! Woodland, Grand Rapids, MI. Reserve your free ticket here. Followed by a talkback with producer Catherine Hand, myself, and Charlotte.

Looking ahead to 2019:  being faithful in the small things.

With the holidays upon us, think of me as your one-stop bookstore for all things literary-devotional. Seasonal favorites: The One Year Coffee With God:365 Devotions to Perk Up Your Day, and Light Upon Light: A Literary Guide to Prayer for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. The new year is also is a great time to dive into The Year of Small Things: Radical Faith for the Rest of Us, coauthored by myself and Erin Wasinger.

Even though 2018 has been The Year of Many Big Things, we are grateful for the small mercies that keep us afloat. “Possible things are easy to believe,” wrote Madeleine L’Engle. “The Glorious Impossibles are what bring joy to our hearts, hope to our lives, songs to our lips.” 

Hoping with you,

Sarah Arthur. Photo credit: M-Buck Studios

Dear friends, fans, & fellow readers,

Let’s just say it’s been a year. 2018 has been full of highs and lows in the Arthur household, and we’re grateful for the prayers and support from so many of you around the country (and the world). Some key events:

Tom and his dad, 1975

We lost my husband’s stepmom Marta Arthur to ovarian cancer in January and his father John Arthur to Lewy Body Dementia in September. With this came logistical and financial responsibilities for Tom, plus deep sadness.
Since May I’ve had a mastectomy, four rounds of chemo, and an upcoming oophorectomy thanks to Stage 1 (but very aggressive) breast cancer. Even though this fell during Tom’s long-planned 4-month sabbatical–which didn’t go as planned, obviously–we would’ve floundered without our family, neighbors, and the tremendous congregation of Sycamore Creek Church.

Amtrak trip from Chicago to San Francisco through the Rockies!

Between surgeries and chemo, we squeezed in a 4-day trip on Amtrak from Chicago to San Francisco with the boys (Sam, age 5, & Micah, age 7), plus an extra week in SF staying with friends at Church of the Sojourners. Magical!
My latest book, A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle, Author of A Wrinkle in Time, released in August right before my first chemo treatment. It’s already garnered some fun attention & won a Top Shelf design award from the ECPA. Check out this online Q&A at Guideposts, and stay tuned for yours truly on NPR’s “InterFaith Voices” and in the Feb 2019 print issue of Guideposts, among other buzz.

My new spiritual biography of Madeleine L’Engle.

This November 29, Madeleine L’Engle would’ve turned 100. She LOVED birthdays and parties, so be sure to join me for some of these fun shindigs online and in person!

It’s a podcast party! The Madeleine Podcast features my interviews with a number of MLE’s friends, family, and fans, including writer Philip Yancey, poet Luci Shaw, and more. Listen and download from Podbean, iTunes, or Google Play Music.
Friday Nov 30, 7:30 p.m.“Madeleine L’Engle at 100” in Gezon Auditorium in the Spoelhof Center, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI. Enjoy an evening dedicated to commemorating the literary, creative, and spiritual legacy of Madeleine L’Engle and her work. Featuring myself, Wrinkle in Time film producer Catherine Hand, and MLE’s youngest granddaughter Charlotte Jones Voiklis. We’ll end with book signing and birthday cake.
Saturday, Dec 1: Happy Birthday to Madeleine! 11:00 a.m. at Schuler Books & Music on 28th Street, Grand Rapids, MI. It’s free, but rsvp to Schuler’s here. Kids of all ages and their families are invited to tesser on over and talk about Madeleine L’Engle and her writing with myself and Charlotte. We’ll chat a little about our own L’Engle biographies (Charlotte and her sister, Lena Roy, wrote Becoming Madeleine) and answer all your questions. And of course, there’ll be more birthday treats!
Saturday, Dec 1: Free showing of A Wrinkle in Time, 2:00 p.m. at Celebration! Woodland, Grand Rapids, MI. Reserve your free ticket here. Followed by a talkback with producer Catherine Hand, myself, and Charlotte.

Looking ahead to 2019:  being faithful in the small things.

With the holidays upon us, think of me as your one-stop bookstore for all things literary-devotional. Seasonal favorites: The One Year Coffee With God:365 Devotions to Perk Up Your Day, and Light Upon Light: A Literary Guide to Prayer for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. The new year is also is a great time to dive into The Year of Small Things: Radical Faith for the Rest of Us, coauthored by myself and Erin Wasinger.

Even though 2018 has been The Year of Many Big Things, we are grateful for the small mercies that keep us afloat. “Possible things are easy to believe,” wrote Madeleine L’Engle. “The Glorious Impossibles are what bring joy to our hearts, hope to our lives, songs to our lips.” 

Hoping with you,

Sarah Arthur. Photo credit: M-Buck Studios

Hey friends, fans, & fellow readers,

I’m thrilled to announce my forthcoming book, A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, which releases from Zondervan/HarperCollins on August 7, 2018. November 29 would’ve been Madeleine’s 100th birthday, so let’s get this (literary) party started!

Coming Aug 7, 2018!

This project traces not only Madeleine’s own spiritual journey but her impact on generations of seekers trying to navigate the complex and often polarizing paradoxes of secular and sacred, science and faith, art and religion, truth and story. I believe that her ability to straddle those worlds offers a hopeful vision in our own fractured time.

I had the tremendous privilege of interviewing some of her friends and colleagues, including Philip Yancey, Luci Shaw, Madeleine’s granddaughter Charlotte Jones, Voiklis, and A Wrinkle in Time film producer Catherine Hand–as well as other influencers who have been inspired by her work: Makoto Fujimura, Sarah Bessey, Nikki Grimes, Sara Zarr, Jeffrey Overstreet, Jana Riess, D. L. Mayfield, and more. When I say party, I mean PARTY, amiright?!?

There are lots of ways to help spread the word, whether on campuses, in congregations, through arts communities, and elsewhere. Posting a review, contacting your favorite media outlets, alerting your local bookstores, and communicating via social media are all appreciated. For more information, including sample chapters, be sure to check out www.alightsolovely.com.

Go team!

Gratefully,

Storm Reid as Meg Murry in Ava DuVernay’s adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time (photo credit: me, from the 8th row of the movie theater, while the credits were rolling.)

Last night my husband and I joined some friends to watch the new Disney blockbuster adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. It was a much-anticipated moment, not only because of my forthcoming book (A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle, August 2018), but because I’ve been asked by everyone from Christianity Today to the Washington Post to public radio to weight in on how I think Disney might handle the book’s spiritual themes.

Well, I found out last night. And, to be honest, there were no surprises on that score. Anything I’d want to say was said already–brilliantly, I think–by Tara Isabella Burton over at Vox.

But there was a lot more to the film’s changes than mere abandonment of its source material’s Christian spirituality. A little bit of Oprah goes a long way, and this was a LOT of Oprah (rumors of giants in the land are true, all true). And the strange dialogue changes (Mrs. Whatsit is now the skeptic as to Meg’s powers, rather than Mrs. Who; Calvin comments randomly on Meg’s hair–not once, but twice; and so forth). And the constant bumping our heads against the ceiling of Ava’s interplanetary imagination, as if the genre of sci-fi was an amusement park she regretted being invited to and from which she left early.

And yet, as I’ve given it time to settle, I’ve finally distilled my thoughts down to this:

Ava DuVernay did not make this movie  for you.

She didn’t make it for me, nor for L’Engle junkies, nor even for all the millions of Wrinkle fans that already exist.

Unless you are a girl of color, age 7-14, she did not make it for you.

That cuts out a lot of people. Disney may lose money. But she doesn’t care. Instead, she set out to leverage that budget, that buzz, that opportunity, to give girls of color a female teen protagonist who looks like them.

And she was right. 

If much about the movie may have failed, Storm Reid as Meg did not fail. In fact, Meg became more, not less, than she is in the book–a remarkable achievement, given how beloved a literary heroine she has been for over 50 years. With black Meg as the key, every other change to the story, every seeming non sequitur, every over-the-top Oprah moment, all the costuming and glam, the unconcern with fidelity to the original plot, all of that makes complete sense. This is a celebration, as my friends of color say, of “black girl magic.” Party till the credits, then keep partying. And if people feel left out, they weren’t invited anyway.

So if I find myself feeling proprietary about the original story, or about Madeleine herself, or (especially) Madeleine’s Christian faith, I need to think about who I’m trying to keep it all from. Disney? No. That’s not who “owns” this film. If I must give it up, then by all means let me give it gladly, joyfully, eagerly to all the little girls of color who now see themselves in a story that finally belongs to them, too.

____________________________________________________________

Sarah Arthur is the author of a dozen books on the intersection of faith and literature, including the forthcoming A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time (Zondervan, August 2018). www.saraharthur.com

The spiritual legacy of the author of A Wrinkle in Time (Aug ’18)

Finally, finally, my big announcement! Coming this August (2018) from Zondervan/HarperCollins, it’s the GREAT BIG LITERARY PARTY that is A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time.

(YOU GUYS. That gorgeous cover. I mean, just look at it! Many thanks to Madeleine’s family for permission to use that vintage photo.)

This fall would’ve been Madeleine L’Engle’s 100th birthday, and I can think of no better way to celebrate than to get a bunch of people together to talk about the woman who gave us, to quote author & film critic Jeffrey Overstreet, “the passport” to our creative callings. Not to mention, the woman who helped so many struggling young Christians articulate a grammar of wonder regarding faith and science. Oh, and who insisted upon story as a vehicle of truth. And who asserted that God is at work in the sacred and the secular. Because, well, Jesus.

The best part for me–in addition to reading more L’Engle in six months than seems humanly possible–has been interviewing a stellar roster of artists, writers, & culture-makers who either knew her (Philip Yancey! Luci Shaw!) and/or whose faith & vocation were influenced by her writings (Sarah Bessey, Makoto Fujimura, Nikki Grimes, Sara Zarr, Jeffrey Overstreet, D. L. Mayfield, Lisa Ann Cockrel, Jana Reiss…the list goes on). Along the way I’ve gotten to know Madeleine’s granddaughter Charlotte Jones Voiklis, whose insights have been indispensable, PLUS I had the chance to interview Catherine Hand, co-producer of the Disney blockbuster.

So, yeah, a pretty fantabulous couple of months.

Here’s the official press announcement. Keep your eyes peeled for more! Meanwhile, have you gotten your movie tickets for A Wrinkle in Time yet? Can’t wait to hear what y’all think of it!

As Madeleine said, “We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”

Shine on!