Special Meeting Of The JA.O Literary Club Tomorrow

Just an announcement that we will be having a special meeting of the JimmyAkin.Org Literary Club tomorrow.

This will be our first meeting, and I’m pleased to say that I have secured the Internet reprint rights to a short story by the renowned Catholic fantasy author Tim Powers.

The story is titled "Through and Through," and it is heavily Catholic-themed. (You’ll be surprised at how much!)

I read the story and thought it would make an excellent text for the JA.OLC, and Mr. Powers was kind enough to allow me to reprint it so we can all read it.

Here’s how it’ll work: Tomorrow at a bit after midnight (Pacific Time), I’ll put up the story, but it’ll have the combox turned off so that folks can just read the story. Then, at about nine a.m. (again Pacific), I’ll put up my review of the story with the combox turned on so that folks can add their own reviews, thoughts, discussions.

Hope y’all enjoy the story, and I hope to see you at the first-ever meeting of the JA.O Literary Club!

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

25 thoughts on “Special Meeting Of The JA.O Literary Club Tomorrow”

  3. cool idea. Just to be clear on the logistics, is this tomorrow as in very early on Friday morning, or tomorrow midnight as in very early Saturday morning?
    If #2 I’ll participate threaded through breaks in the ewtn25 event in st. louis (evdo is great!).

  4. Very cool! Any one want to join me in virtual (or not) beer while we read?
    Take care and God bless,
    Inocencio
    J+M+J

  5. How fun!
    Speaking of literary, I am considering adding Balzac to my reading list… any recommendations, warnings, or comments?

  6. Okay, Inocencio… I’ll join you, but ONLY because I hate to see anyone drink alone.
    Heh.
    We actually have what they call Theology On Tap here at a local restaurant, where some parishoners get together and talk about the faith over brewskis.
    But this is better, because no one has to be the Designated Driver.

  7. This sounds awesome! Will the JA.O Literary club eventually start accepting works from non-published writers?

  8. Well, I guess we’d need Jimmy to first establish that this is in fact an on-going thing, and secondly what the submission/solicitation process would look like?
    (Somehow I doubt Jimmy is up to dealing with unsolicited MSS on top of everything else he does.)
    Regardless, I’m looking forward to the weekend!

  9. Oh, this is such a cool story!
    For those who will decide they want a hard copy on their bookshelves, “Through and Through” can be found in Tim Power’s short story collection, _Strange Itineraries_. It’s well worth getting a copy because then you’ll also get to read “The Way Down the Hill,” a creepy story that — well, I don’t know as that you would necessarily call it Catholic-themed, but it certainly has Catholic underpinnings.

  10. I’ve been looking for Declare around where I live (& a lot of bookstores where I don’t) & nobody has it! Really chaps me! I’m itchin’ to read me some Powers so it looks as if I get to start tonight! (See, I have this thing about not paying full price for books, especially paperbacks, unless they’re of the apologetic kind & I can order them directly from the author or something. So I keep neglecting to order Declare from Amazon ‘cos they very rarely discount mass market PPBs there. But Borders just started this “rewards” program that lets you get 20-30% off on any book & it’s been working pretty well. But no Declare in any of the Borders I’ve been to within a couple hundred miles! I travel on most weekends, so I know. Bums me out.)
    Yea! This is so cool! Great idea, Jimmy. I hope it goes really well.

  11. Our local library has 9 of Tim Powers books but not Strange Itineraries. Oh well, have to wait until midnight. Did anyone confirm tonight or tomorrow night? I am guessing Friday night/Saturday morning.
    Tim J.,
    Glad to have the company!
    Take care and God bless,
    Inocencio
    J+M+J

  12. It’ll be up early Friday morning (hence: “Special Meeting of the JA.O Literary Club *Tomorrow*”) rather than Saturday.
    I wouldn’t tantalize people that far in advance and then make ’em wait an extra day (and a weekend one at that since some folks wouldn’t be able to read it until Monday).

  14. Ok then at 12:01 a.m. everyone who would like raise a glass and toast the inauguration of the JA.O Literary (Pub) Club. Hope to see you there!
    Take care and God bless,
    Inocencio
    J+M+J

  16. That would be right, but the way TypePad updates things, if I put in 12:01 a.m. (or any other time), it can update as late as 17 minutes later.
    (I’m not happy about that, but that’s the way it is.)
    So if it’s not up spot on at 12:01 a.m., wait a few minutes and it should be.

  17. Do we get to wear cowboy hats?
    No special permission is needed to wear cowboy hats.
    Wear them all the time if you want!
    I do.

  20. Aw, nuts!
    Inocencio, I assumed that you meant having a beer during the discussion/review of the story today.
    Sorry!
    Midnight Pacific time is 2:00 am here, and I was snoozing by then.
    I will have one (or two!) as I join everyone this morning.
    Again, sorry!

  21. Tim J.,
    No problem. Hopefully the JA.O Literary (Pub) Club will give us plenty of chances to share a beer and discuss stories.
    Beer for Breakfast sounds good but I have to wait until later.
    Take care and God bless,
    Inocencio
    J+M+J

  22. Cowboy hats?….Beer and Rice Krispies? ood Grief..Has the blog has gone nuts !!!!..I think JA has finally lost it

  23. Inocencio,
    Actually, it will be closer to lunchtime, here, when Jimmy’s review gets posted and the discussion really gets going.
    I haven’t had beer for breakfast since college.
    That’s one drawback of life on the internet – time lag.
    Oh, well… “Time is an illusion. Lunchtime, doubly so.”.

  24. Beer is made out of cereal. It’s a sort of grain soup plus fermentation, really. Very much a breakfast food.
    At least, compared to the Japanese eating pickles and rice for breakfast.

Comments are closed.