Back from Laity Lodge

Laity Lodge is just as remote and beautiful as I was told. Anne and I enjoyed an inspiring weekend of food, conversation, reading, and movies with dear old friends and inspiring new friends. I spoke about that turbulent territory where faith and filmmaking intersect, and then I shared two films that inspired good conversations: The Station Agent, and Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control. Anne gave a poetry reading, just one of several delightful readings by the guests.

(Hey Martin, I got to know Matthew Dickerson, author of Following Gandalf, From Homer to Harry Potter, and Ents, Elves and Eriador: The Environmental Vision of J.R.R. Tolkien. And your former bandmate!)

The Lodge was also out of wireless range — to find this place, you have to go off the highway, down to a shallow, winding river, and then drive up the river!! — so I was cut off from the Internet, telephones, news, and traffic for a few days. I recommend everybody try that once in a while. It’s wonderful. We had a difficult time leaving.

Now, I have two weeks of heavy editing work ahead, fine-tuning Cyndere’s Midnight. In a few hours, after I crawl out from under this jackhammer headache, I’ll go back to see what’s waiting on my desk at SPU. Tonight, I’m also recording the next Kindlings Muse movie discussion with Dick Staub, Jennie Spohr, and Greg Wright. And tomorrow, there’s a screening of Run, Fat Boy, Run, starring Simon Pegg.

Anyway, I’m back in business posting your comments. I found some interesting remarks on the last few posts when I got back, and I’ve already posted them.