Noel Paul Stookey and I are pleased to announce that we’ve started a Substack newsletter called Strings about the process of writing our book (working title For the Love of It All: Music, Justice, and Faith Beyond Labels.) , which is posted on the Monday of each week.

On Strings you can read about our books’ beginnings, our process, adventures in doing the research, and stories and research that don’t appear in the book. Strings is the place where we’ll share video clips from our Zoom interviews and snippets from transcripts and emails.    And since we are still working on the first draft, we’ll be asking you questions that will help shape the ending and our coming revisions when we start working with editors.  

Like the strings of Noel’s guitar, this newsletter offers a place of connection, vibration, resonance, and creation. It will connect  with other musicians like those who are a part of Music to Life, the nonprofit co-founded by Noel and his daughter Liz to encourage and equip artists who are working for social change.  It is a place to discover resonance between Noel’s music and some leading voices in progressive Christianity today like Brian McLaren,  Norman Wirzba, Diana Butler Bass, Richard Rohr, Tripp Fuller, Otis Moss III, Elizabeth Schrader, Jemar Tisby, and Walter Brueggemann.

Noel likes to quote his friend, folk singer Tom Paxton, who says,  “It’s okay  to look at the past as long as you don’t get caught staring at it.” Strings refers to the past but keeps a steady focus on the present and future social and political concerns. As the host and principal writer, I welcome you with an invitation to join us in the conversation.