Shared Experience
by Meagan Frank
Kathy Brandt processes the world through writing, while her son Max Maddox processes the world through art. Coming together to write the story of their experience with Max’s bipolar disorder challenged and changed both of them. Their willingness to expose their pain has started a necessary conversation in the mental health community and provided comfort for families experiencing similar challenges. “I want the book to be a sign of hope…” says Max. “I want to save a life or two.” […]
Shared Experience
by Mary Hertz Scarbrough
Bethel Lutheran’s Tuesday morning book club may at first seem like any other book club. The group has read several dozen books and enjoyed virtual and in-person chats with a diverse group of authors. What sets it apart? Its participants are Madison, Wisconsin’s homeless population. The club began when a homeless man named Eric Manley died on the steps of Bethel Lutheran on a bleak winter night in 2009. Eric’s friend Mark Wilson, manager at a nearby Taco Bell, wanted to make a difference. […]
Shared Experience
by Naomi Krueger
What brings a centuries-old character to life in a way that resonates with twenty-first century men and women? How is it that an author whose name never appeared in print before her death continues to inspire discussion, laughter, and scholarship more than 200 years later? For Jane Austen fans, the answer is simple: Austen’s brilliance, humor, and critical eye not only invite readers into a bygone era but continue to speak truth today. […]
