Number 2 Winner for 2011--Bret Lott

You think that you know something about books and authors and then you get surprised.  While I have been laboring away through the years reading, teaching, and buying books, I discover that I have overlooked an author.  In this case, a contemporary.  Amazingly, successful and thoroughly Christian in his life and worldview.  And a novelist.  And if not a Southerner completely, one who has resided in the South. 

Second place for best books and authors for 2011 goes to Bret Lott.

Author Bret Lott.  Does he look like any you know?

The book that propelled Bret Lott into the finals was A Song I Knew By Heart.  This book is a re-telling of the Book of Ruth from the Bible.  Lott is well equipped to write such a story since he believes the Bible and recognizes that stories keep on repeating themselves in all kinds of ways.  I almost could not get into this book.  It was a sad story that I was reading at a sad time in my life and the life of my church family.  But Ruth chapter 1 is a sad chapter.  And yet, the Book of Ruth is a comedy, not meaning that Ruth is hilariously funny, but that in a literary form, it begins in sadness or chaos and ends in happiness and marriage.  (I preached through Ruth as an Advent series that past December and January.  Parts of it are actually quite humorous.)



The Story of Ruth retold.

Lott dealt with the topic of forgiveness in A Song I Knew By Heart.  He also dealt with that theme in the first of his books that I read:  Ancient Highway.  (See my previous blog post on Ancient Highway: http://benhouseblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/ancient-highway-by-bret-lott.html.)  By using the outline and characters from Ruth, Lott was able to set the story in modern America and show how God's grace is always sufficient, whether one strays away to Moab or falls short in our own times. 

  

This discovery of Bret Lott's writings has led to a frantic work of catching up on him.  Currently, I am reading his book on writing, titled Before We Get Started: A Practical Memoir of the Writer's Life.  Also I just recently finished his novel The Man Who Owned Vermont and a collection of short stories titled The Difference Between Men and Women.  I just keep reading and promoting Lott's work, but as it has happened, I have never purchased a new book by him.  All the books I have were either found on the bargain table at our local BAM or purchased used (and cheap) or received as gifts.  I hope a reader's gratitude is better than royalties.

I will soon be reading what may be his most well known novel, Jewell.  And I ordered several more of his books just this week.  One of the best ways to be introduced to Lott, however, is in a collection of Christian short stories, titled The Best Christian Short Stories.  Lott's testimony of his faith is given in the introduction where he says, "My name is Bret Lott, and I believe..."  That statement is followed by the Apostles' Creed.  Not much getting around that statement. 

One of my best vicarious experiences this past year was when Nick, my son at Wheaton College, got to hear Bret Lott speak.  Nick had previously mentioned to me that Lott and I resembled each other somewhat. After seeing and hearing him, Nick said, "He's a lot bigger than you are."  At six foot, four inches, with an impressive array of books, Bret Lott surely is lots bigger.