Coming next week, and interview with Susan E. Isaacs, author of "Angry Conversations with God."
Books
Funny Conversations with God
By Greg Wilson
Anne Lamott, once wrote that laughter is "the carbonated form of the Holy Spirit." If that is true then Susan Isaac's new book pops like bottle of Perrier dropped off the Empire State Building.
"Angry Conversations with God; a Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir," blazes its own trail by taking an approach often missing in similar autobiographical works. Turning an unflinching eye on her own life, Isaacs manages to maintain a level of honesty which drives her story straight to the heart.
Once a member of the Los Angeles improvisational group the Groundlings, Isaac's comic timing shines across her sometime dark story. But it takes on laugh-out-loud status when she visits churches in her native Southern California in an attempt to find some anchor as her career and personal life unraveled. After dozens of guest spots on such television shows as "Seinfeld" and "My Name is Earl" her career as an actress tanked and her personal life was even more bleak.
During this time, Isaacs was told that God was the lover of her soul, and that she needed to embrace the concept of this "romance of faith." She concluded instead that if her relationship with God was like a marriage, then she was in a bad marriage, one that needed counseling. So she set out to find a counselor willing to provide marriage counseling between herself and God.
The book grew out of what started as an idea for one-woman show Isaacs put together in a writing class. Encouraged by the other students in the class and the woman who led the class, Isaacs worked out her spiritual journey publicly and honestly.
The result is a genuinely funny book which also dares to discuss issues rarely touched on in a Christian autobiography, including sexuality and single Christians.
One note: While I enjoyed the book, the audio performance of this book, available at Amazon (see link below), iTunes and audible.com, is even more engaging, highlighting Isaacs' riptide wit and laser timing.
Click to View on Amazon