About The Author

What were some of the challenges or surprises in writing this book?

After I'd written three essays, I sensed something was missing, scrapped them, and started over. Writing is a curious vocation, the basics never change, though they are often forgotten.

What do you consider to be your first piece of writing?

The first essay in my first book—"Growing Roots" in Front Porch Tales.

What is your favorite book of all time?

The Letters of E. B. White. It feels a bit like looking through someone's window, glimpsing their private lives.

What is your favorite memory?

My second favorite memory was meeting my wife. My most favorite memory was our wedding day, which led to my third and fourth favorite memories—the births of our sons.

What do you feel is the most important quality in a person?

Tact.

Many people who live in large cities may not have porches, so how and why do you think this series is relevant to them?

The porch is just an image of community and visitation. But it can happen in coffeehouses, living rooms, churches, any place folks meet and gather.

What or who inspired you to write?

My first church asked me to write an essay for its monthly newsletter. That was in 1990, and I've been writing ever since.

What's one thing that people may not know about you that might surprise them?

Though I'm a minister living in a small, Indiana town, I am an ardent supporter of same-gender marriage.

What would constitute you saying 'Life is good'?

A day spent riding my motorcycle.

What do you wish more people would appreciate about life?

Simple things—less emphasis on stuff and more emphasis on relationships.

What do you want your legacy to be?

I want to be known as a man who worked hard to bring justice for all people, especially for the people our society tends to reject.