Strange Books

Yesterday I was talking about the book, Charlatan, with some in the church office. They seemed confused by my reading selection about medical quacks, goat testicles, and mass media frenzy. "Why do you read strange books?" was the question.

Here's my answer.

I love to read works that are "out there" and tell stories of the oddities among us. We live in a big land, and Americans have always been known as a big people. It only stands to reason that our country would also produce some of the biggest nut cases in history, and the book on J.R. Brinkley is no exception.

I also believe there are some big religious nuts on the loose in America right now, and the book on J.R. Brinkley is a testament to the American penchant for buying into people who speak over the airwaves, who seem to live large, who seem to have some religious insight (or medical insight, etc.) that others don't possess. Americans (despite the fact that most don't "practice" their faith in a traditional sense) are still insanely religious, and many are willing to follow the first nut case who comes along and says what they want to hear.

I see this reality every day. It's why I read strange books. It's why I watch religious programming on television (where many nuts broadcast their views) and why I continue to write for The Wittenburg Door. As long as the nuts are out there, there's plenty of fodder for my pen.