The site
I make the Church of the Dancing Calf easy to use. Well, easy for me to use. That’s my confirmation bias kicking in. Anything I publish on the site gets a place in the library, in order of publication. In most cases, essays are posted on their category page, too, to make them easier to find. If you’re really lost, use the search button. It looks like a magnifying glass.
On Writing
I write lots. And break a lot of rules. Sometimes this hurts me, like when every bit of blogging advice I’ve ever read tells me to laser in on a topic and, instead, I write about whatever I feel like that day. I call it the Da Vinci Disease: it’s when you’re so interested in almost everything that, well…in real life, it’s called being a jack of all trades and a master at none.
On Christianity
I’m most interested in Christian things. In one sense, it’s all theology and philosophy, but what I’m most interested in is discovering how to live a transcendent life with the transcendent G of the universe. Along with faith, I’m interested in books and writing and in making things. And in science. I’m a molecular biologist by training and have been fascinated with evolution since I was about six. My juxtaposition of science and faith sets some people off, but I live and study and think about things based on the dictum that all truth is G’s truth.
This photo above strikes me as a picture of real Christianity. We’ve – even Christians – come to fight about everything. We’ve come to separate because of who we want to lead us. “I’m for Peter,” some say. “And I’m for Paul.” Insert whomever you want here. If Jesus still weeps, he does so because his brothers and sisters hate each other and fight over the silliest of things. For that, we – the same Christians – should ask for forgiveness every day.
On Money
I charge for books on Amazon, and I have an Amazon Affiliate membership, too. This means that when you read a book review on my site, or whatever, and click on the See More at Amazon icon, the Intenet magically whisks you to Amazon, and, if you purchase said book, I receive a token kickback from Jeff Bezos. Do this ten times, and maybe I get enough for a cuppa old coffee at the local diner.
Nothing on the site costs, and their are no membership tiers. Everything here is free though I will try to wrangle your email address out of you. I do send manuscripts out for publication, and theses kind folks often send me a few bucks.
If you honor me with the email address I’ll let you know when I publish something and will send you an occasional newsletter. Every now and then, I give away free books, too.
Finally, I would love your support. If you are so inclined, you can donate to me in the right hand sidebar where it says Donate. Weird how it works that way. If you don’t donate, I still like you and will still be nice to you. You can still have access to everything, and the site will work for you just like it does for other people.
Monthly giveaway
Once a month, I give away a book. These are books I’ve read that will likely have notes in the margins and underlined sentences. I have boxes of these things and fill a cubby on a bookshelf with them. Around the first of each month, I ask the girls to get a book off the shelf and mail it to a randomly selected follower. It might be about woodwork or a writer’s biography, or it might be a piece of classic or new literature. Maybe you’ll love it, or maybe you’ll use it the shore up your office garbage can. It will probably have the prettiest spine and cover of my books at the time of choosing.
I do charge for this benevolence. The cost is your email address. You’re savvy enough to know that this allows me to send you a monthly newsletter, and you’ll be eligible for other fun stuff and emails. Go here to leave me your email address. Of course, you can quit at any time you like.
Go here to sign up if you haven’t already done so. Thanks and good luck!
Write to me anytime at writer@churchofthedancingcalf.com. I might take a while to get back.
Some more things you might be interested in:
Here are the rules. They’re easy. Don’t be an ass and you’ll be fine…
A list of general questions I’m often asked.
Huh? Why a dancing calf?
What to get in touch? Email me at writer@churchofthedanvingcalf.com.
