Since retiring in 2015, Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies Gordon S. Jackson has released 12 books, with the latest published this month and another due out in May. Having taught journalism at Whitworth for 32 years, Gordon says writing in retirement has been a natural use of his time, interests and skills. Catch up more with Gordon below!
Q. What is your new book about?
A. My latest book is titled “Always Ready: A Christian Mandate.” Based on the parable of the 10 bridesmaids, it’s a series of reflections on why Christians always need to be primed to do God’s will.
Q. What do you hope readers take away from your books?
A. That varies according to the genre. The most recent ones, all with the same publisher, are devotional books or Bible studies, intended to spur readers’ thinking about their faith and to shape in some way their Christian growth. Others, like the three satirical novels, are more didactic in the sense that I want to make a particular point (about how easily Christians abuse God’s grace, as in “The Church that used to be St. Elmo’s”; how politically correct language is a dangerous and corrosive force on a college campus, as in “Never Say ‘Moist’ at Wyndover College”; and how not to do mission trips, as in “The Mission Trip to San Pedro 2”).
Q. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
A. Have something worth saying; don’t fall in love with what you’ve written; rewrite, rewrite, rewrite; and seek out a few incisive and sympathetic readers to give you feedback.
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