Life Seems Simple: on the Surface

Short Stories with moral lessons: some humorous, others serious; all with supporting scriptures.

There are times when words make us feel, peaceful, like we're home again. We sit back and the words radiate through us like a warm sun rising through a screen porch lulling us to be still and witness God's creations. At other times words cause us to bear witness to the fact that things are also chaotic, unknowable, anxiety producing. Being still-in the midst of this chaos, finding the beauty in God's creation-can be a Herculean effort. It takes humility, knowing that we don't always have the answers, knowing that only divine guidance lead us back home. Life Seems Simple on the Surface illustrates this beautifully. Joyce Basso takes us on a journey: her voice, soft or raised, happy or cantankerous, is always seeking out that space of tranquility, the peace of God's grace that one can only find when pretenses fall away and like an onion, layers of truth are angrily exposed forcing us to be still and bare witness. Basso wants to quickly make three things very clear: She is devoted to God, always seeking to be led by Him; she is fallible, daily she seeks grace; and she spends a lot fabricating conversations for animals. If you're having a bad day, or are in need of a quick change of perspective, pick up Life Seems Simple on the Surface and allow Basso to take you back home.

- Gary Matthews

Assistant Professor, English, Tougaloo