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Queering My Religion
Queering My Religion by Rev. P. Crim presents a thought-provoking collection of short stories that reimagine biblical narratives through a queer perspective. This collection stands out for its modern twist on familiar tales such as “Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors,” “David and Jonathan,” and “The Centurion and his Servant,” among others. Set against the vibrant era of the 1990s, these stories delve into the intricacies of identity, love, and belonging, offering a unique window into the queer experience within the context of well-known biblical stories.
The book’s strength lies in its ability to breathe new life into these traditional narratives. Each story is carefully crafted to establish a connection with the queer community, challenging readers to embrace ambiguity and celebrate the diversity of human experiences. By urging readers to question their preconceptions, the book facilitates a rediscovery of history through an inclusive and fresh perspective. Drawing inspiration from works like Clarence Jordan’s Cotton Patch Gospels and P.K. McCarey’s Black Bible Chronicles, Queering My Religion adds to the rich tradition of reinterpreting religious texts.
The collection’s standout feature is its bold reinterpretation of biblical stories, providing insight into the lives of characters as they grapple with their identities and relationships. From the journey of self-discovery in “Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors” to the exploration of deep connections in “David and Jonathan,” each narrative resonates with contemporary audiences, bringing a new layer of understanding to these age-old tales. At its core, the collection challenges traditional heteronormative interpretations, highlighting the diverse spectrum of human experiences. Themes of love, acceptance, and resilience are woven throughout, reflecting not just the struggles and triumphs of the 90s but also presenting a timeless message of inclusivity.
Queering My Religion distinguishes itself by sparking discussions about inclusivity, representation, and the transformative power of storytelling. Appealing to fans of biblical narratives, queer literature, or immersive storytelling, this collection invites readers into a world of exploration and reflection, leaving a profound and lasting impact.
Pages: 97 | ASIN : B0CV9K3D61
Conflicting Pull of Our Inner Emotions
The Varieties of Religious Experience follows a crow trying to eat some Vienna sausages who gets his head stuck in the can and hits it on the concrete causing him to realize he has lived before. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
As you can imagine, this one pretty much came from real life. I was sitting in traffic, waiting for the bridge to come down, and saw this crow masterfully opening an aluminum can. Seattle is pretty much ground zero for crow behavior research (U of Wa), so there’s a lot of interest in these birds. As always in fiction, you try to take a situation to its extreme. Who would be most shocked at discovering they were reincarnated? A Catholic priest. Couple that with the never-ending sexual abuse scandal and; Voila.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
No matter which paradigm you use; Old Testament, New Testament, Freud, Jung, and my current jag-Robert Sapolosky, on the neurobiology of behavior; The conflicting pull of our inner emotions (and demons) with our moral compass and our desire to “do the right thing.” The one thing I’ve learned over the years is that it is entirely possible for a human being to believe two entirely opposite things at the same time.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The persistence of deep inner faith is often coupled with ambivalence.
The irremediable power of shame, as opposed to “guilt.”
Does any notion of our after-death make any consistent sense?
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
Satan’s Vermeer. The devil has amassed one of the world’s greatest art collections. All the ‘whereabouts unknown’ are in his private museum. When news of an undiscovered Vermeer looted in WWII reaches him, he sends one of his minions, the reluctant soul of 15th-century artist, Pietro Tocca, to buy it before the Mossad reclaims it for the Jewish family that owned it before the war. Hilarity ensues…
If Varieties generates a fan base I’ll push it though.
Author Links: Amazon
Bring Peace and Love
Make the Dark Night Shine follows a gay Japanese ambassador who has a relationship with another man and a woman he meets in Constantinople, creating a chosen family. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
One of the blessings of writing this novel is that every day it gave me a reason to reflect on my Aunt Nina Friedberg Uchida, who died in 2016. Nina was with me from the moment I was born and there was not a world without her love, her smile, her restless energy, and her optimism that we shall overcome some day. She engaged with everyone wherever they were and sought out those that were alone, needed help, or wanted to change this world. With all our current uncertainty, I feel strengthened by her guidance, commitment to the movement and struggle and her ever ready activism.
Nina never knew her Japanese father, but during a visit when she was 91-years-old, she told me that her children had discovered that in the 1930s her father had traveled from Japan to NY where she had been living with her mother. With a gleam in her eyes, she said, “I know he was looking for me.” Instantly, I had a vision of his story and why despite this journey, he did not find his daughter. I told Nina that I wanted to write this story and she unsurprisingly replied, “Alan, men are always appropriating women’s stories. I have tried to write my own story for many years. But it’s too late now, and I know I will never do it. You are a good writer, and so please do it.”
Little did she or I know the journey this story would take me on. And unfortunately, she died later that year before I had a chance to begin writing. Inspired by the little I or other family members knew about Nina’s parents’ life, I threw myself into research and the history of the times in such disparate places as Constantinople, Paris, Japan, New York, and London (Clapham) between the two world wars.
Kenzo undergoes many changes in the novel, both in his career and in what he values. Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
I think all characters in my novels reflect my experience in some way; certainly, my values are reflected throughout. In terms of Kenzo, I had a career working overseas for the US government, and although I did not become a Zen priest, I have been a Zen student for over a decade now. We often want to believe that spiritual leaders, like Kenzo, live impossibly perfect lives and are other than human. I wanted to show a spiritual character is continually searching, continually confronting the issues that arise for them, and is very human in their suffering, reactions, and trauma. My understanding from my Zen practice is that we all are enlightened but generally are not aware of that. For me, that means the problems of life do not stop, but my response and ability to see clearly through them brings me a peace that I did not have earlier.
The settings of the novel are places that I have visited, including Eiheiji Monastery where I participated in a meditation retreat and got a glimpse of a monk´s life.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The heart of Make the Dark Night Shine is a search for family and connectedness. In my book tour, many people, straight and queer, tell me stories of their families of choice—the people with special bonds that they can count on, with whom they celebrate and grieve. I learned this from Nina, who created her own inter-connected family when she had virtually no blood relatives.
Another important theme is how do we face the ever-present existence of wars and violence in our lives. Despite their persistence, I wanted to explore what each of us can do to bring peace and love into the world. Right now in Ukraine, a Zen priest is planting trees each day, then going back to Odesa, he tends to the direct consequences of the war. He does not know if the trees will live and what the country will be like in the future, only that trees will heal the earth and give comfort to other beings.
A final important theme is queer life that is not encumbered by shame. I want to visualize a world where queer people can live out their lives without questioning their queerness.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next book will be about a gay Ukrainian bootmaker from the last century, with the boots themselves giving voice to their own version of the story.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Returning to the growing militarism in Japan, Kenzo finds an unexpected path in Zen Buddhism. Yet no teachings prepare him for the revelations to come — about his life, his loves, and the events around him. On the eve of WWII, he discovers that he has a daughter living with Elisa in New York. He leaves the monastery on a perilous mission to promote peace with a secret plan to reunite with his daughter Nina.
Cinematic in scope, this novel lyrically captures the world on the brink of war. As Kenzo builds — and fights for — his chosen family, larger forces threaten all. Sweeping, meditative, and achingly beautiful, Make the Dark Night Shine explores the many worlds a life can inhabit, and the hidden worlds we find in ourselves.
LITERARY TITAN 