Author Archives: Kim Bontrager

About Kim Bontrager

Kim developed serious reading and writing habits as a girl and has not been able to shake either one, except for a brief period when life seemed to be dominated by college assignments. She has a thing for snappy dialogue and creative word-smithing and finds beautifully written books, music, and movies to be food for the soul. She also has a weakness for kids' books of all kinds and biographies with courageous stories to tell. She is gifted in the art of sarcasm, but tries to use this power for good, not evil. Kim and her husband Neil currently live in Wichita, KS and have two soccer-playing children. Kim has been the director of worship arts at her church for eleven years.

A favorite author: Anne Lamott

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I waddled down to the beach. I was not wearing a cover-up, not even a T-shirt. I had decided I was going to take my thighs and butt with me proudly wherever I went. I decided to treat them as if they were beloved elderly aunties, who did embarrassing things like roll their stockings into tubes around their ankles at the beach, but who I was proud of because they were so great in every important way… I could feel the aunties beaming. They had been in the dark too long. It did not trouble me that parts of my body–the auntie parts–kept moving even after I had come to a full halt. Who cares? People just need to be soft and clean.

Anne Lamott

This idea of the beaming “aunties” came to mind on my recent vacation, spent with my family at a cabin on a lake with dear friends. A cocoon of friendship and love… leisure and camaraderie… punctuated by the laughter of splashing kids, this vacation allowed us all to unabashedly be ourselves, free of self-consciousness. So I walked to the beach thinking of Anne Lamott and her “aunties.”

I don’t remember when I first heard of Anne Lamott, but I do remember that when I first read one of her books, I felt as though she pulled a cord on a particular lightbulb in my head for the first time. That lightbulb meant things like this: it is possible to stand in awe of a well-observed moment. It is possible to acknowledge one’s own neurosis and show compassion for that which mars the perfection of others. It is possible to show compassion to yourself. It is possible to find delight in thoughts that come from a yet-untraveled path on the ideological spectrum. It is possible to hold faith and irreverence together in one hand.

It was a growing-up point for me, possibly, this reading of an Anne Lamott book.

Lamott is a writer of novels and essays. She writes of real life, family, transformation, faith, and humanness with an air of sharp honesty and humor that absolutely captivates. I am a fan of her essay-memoir-non-fiction books (this is a category, yes?), which drift effortlessly between the mundane and profound, much like everyday life, but with greater depth and greater freedom than most of us allow ourselves to have. She writes from a perspective of Christian faith, but not the flavor of faith one might expect. There are more questions than answers, and faith is simply faith. It is not a brand.

Lamott has lived most of her life in the San Francisco area, thus the ocean and the beach are characters present in all her books. This backdrop, and the essay format, make her writing perfect for the hit-and-miss summer reader who might enjoy being inspired to laugh, cry, wonder, and delight in the beauty and truth found in all parts of life. Even… the “aunties.”

My recommendations:
Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith
Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith
Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith
Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life  (specifically about the art and act of writing)

         

The Strength of True Stories

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I’m a little surprised at the recent developments in my own reading habits: I’m starting to read non-fiction. Specifically (deep breath) I’m reading biographies and auto-biographies. Maybe it’s age? Maybe it’s weather? Who can say. A friend makes a recommendation… someone hands me a free book… suddenly my nightstand is a pile of true stories.

The key to non-fiction that captivates a reader is, of course, the story. This isn’t news; it’s clear that our best works of fiction are strong stories wrapped in beautiful language. Add to that the element of truth plus acts of great courage, resilience, ingenuity, or perseverance and I’m riveted.

Father’s Day is just a few days away. With that in mind, I offer these three titles… all telling the stories of men who displayed some of the greatest of human character qualities:

Unbroken: a World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Laura Hillenbrand

I never would have guessed a book like this would captivate me so completely. “Unbroken” is a masterpiece by Laura Hillenbrand (author of “Seabiscuit”) that tells the true story of a man who lived through an unbelievable set of catastrophes, somehow managing to emerge with his sense of identity and humanity intact. This is the story of Louis Zamperini, a juvenile delinquent, Olympic runner, prisoner of war, and Army hero. The story is riveting in itself, but is made even more so by Hillenbrand’s meticulously researched details which bring color to even the smaller stories within the whole. I am not a history buff; Army planes? World War II? I know nothing. But the detail, the humor, the poignancy, the imperfections of the ‘hero’, and the crushing weight of his plight captivated me and made me want to know more.  After finishing the book, I did a little extra credit work researching both Zamperini and Hillenbrand, discovering that Laura Hillenbrand’s own story is filled with heavy doses of heroic perseverance as well. This book stands out as a historical work and a powerful journey of the human spirit toward redemption.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time
Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

This book tells the story of how Greg Mortenson’s failed attempt to climb K2 led him to a small, impoverished Pakistani village, and eventually resulted in him building more than 50 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. While we were hearing news reports about the turbulent political climate of these nations, Mortenson implanted himself in their towns, meeting all kinds of people, facing impossible odds, but persevering to fight poverty and offer access to education, especially for girls. An intriguing look into the adventure, conflict, and hostilities faced by one man trying to do good in the most volatile parts of our post-911 world.

Unshaken: Rising from the Ruins of Haiti’s Hotel Montana
Dan Woolley, with Jennifer Schuchman

Dan Woolley travelled often as a part of his job with Compassion International. “Unshaken” tells his story of being trapped inside the rubble of a Haitian hotel for 65 hours following the devastating earthquake of January 2010. Woolley recounts with humility his three day struggle to survive injury, dehydration, anger, and despair. He emerges with stronger faith and a clearer picture of how he will focus on relationships with his wife and kids, living the rest of his life with a greater sense of purpose and gratitude.

 

‘I Remember Nothing’ by Nora Ephron

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Nora Ephron is one of my favorite writers.

I knew this a long time ago, before I knew her name and before I read anything she had written.

I knew this because of the movies.

For a very long time I never really paid attention to who wrote movies, or how movies were created at all. But then DVD’s happened, with their special features and commentaries, and I started paying attention. I learned, for example, who was dreaming up that snappy dialogue I loved so much. I learned the names of the writers and directors who created those great moments for, say, Meg Ryan on screen.  Yes… I learned who Nora Ephron is through the special features reel of You’ve Got Mail.  Read a book by the writer of  When Harry Met Sally…, Sleepless in Seattle, and  Julie & Julia? Why, yes, thank you, I believe I will.

‘I Remember Nothing… and Other Reflections’ is a collection of essays through which Ephron voices her opinions and convictions about politics, religion, the internet, and food with equal irony. Every topic … pie… New York… her early career in the 1960’s journalism world… each, Ephron treats with trademark humor and shades of poignancy. Think Tom Hanks’ monologue on complicated coffee orders in You’ve Got Mail, but applied to dinner parties and writers and online Scrabble. But the thread running through the entire collection is a slightly wistful commentary on the reality of growing older. Ephron skillfully weaves stories of landmark life experiences (like meeting Eleanor Roosevelt) alongside the admission of having forgotten the details of those experiences, all of which elicits chuckles and grins, never tears.

Throughout each piece, the combination of Ephron’s style and the content she chooses is simply compelling. This is a quick read, perfect for summer. And if you happen to be an audiobook fan, Ephron herself reads ‘I Remember Nothing’, which is altogether wry and delightful. I highly recommend.