Yes, today is the FIRST Anniversary of our Blog, Happy Anniversary to EVERYONE!!
To celebrate, we thought we'd play a game, as Chesterton was quite fond of games; and like Chesterton, we've completely made it up our of our heads.
Here's how you play. You answer the following questions on your own blog (if you've got one--if not, answer in the combox). Then you send me the link, and after we get all the players' answers, I'll make a big post with all the links. I'm pretty sure this is an original idea. ;-)
So, get out your thinking caps, and answer the following:
1. When did you first read a Chesterton book, story, or poem, and which was it?
2. What was the most recent of GKC's writings you read?
3. Which is your favorite book, poem - or quote?
4. Which would you recommend to a beginner?
5. What is the most unusual fact or quirky detail you know about G.K.Chesterton?
In addition to playing our game, you are required, yes- required, to celebrate in one of the following ways: have a party on the roof, eat a meal on the floor, go outside your house and knock on the front door, entering it as if you've never been there before, play a long round of gype, go out your front door, traipse around to the back door, and knock. See who answers and ask if you may come in. Have them serve you cake and ice cream. (For all Catholics-FYI-, the usual Friday abstinences are waived in lieu of the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception--so eat hearty). In honor of the GKC BLog, have a nice glass of claret, a tall glass of beer, a nice side of beef, a big plate of sausages, and *clink* toast in honor of our biggest friend, Gilbert, without whom we wouldn't be here together.
Send me your answers, then, after you've had your parties.
Posts
Ah A Game !
ReplyDelete1. When did you first read a Chesterton book, story, or poem, and which was it?
1998 - Audiobook of St. Thomas Aquainas The Dumb Ox
2. What was the most recent of GKC's writings you read?
The Thing,
3. Which is your favorite book, poem - or quote?
... my birth (as I have said)
is an incident which I accept, like some poor ignorant peasant,
only because it has been handed down to me by oral tradition.
...
Some of the sceptical methods applied to the world's origin might be applied to my origin, and a grave and earnest enquirer come to the conclusion that I was never born at all. Autobigraphy
4. Which would you recommend to a beginner?
Depends who it is.
but in General ---
St. Francis of Assisi
5. What is the most unusual fact or quirky detail you know about G.K.Chesterton?
He was in a short film as a cowboy.
TJP
Shouldnt #2 be the same for everybody? The most recent of Chesterton's writings would be the last thing he wrote? The Autobiography?
ReplyDelete:-)
Kryo: Good one.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I meant!
I see Mr. Lance-berger skewering the questions!
ReplyDeleteSorry, I did not see this until today. We may get our Christmas tree today -- a very Chestertonian thing to do, especially since we go to a family farm and cut it down ourselves -- and once its up I'll toast him heartily.
Here is my entry.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.splendoroftruth.com/curtjester/archives/007537.php
1. When did you first read a Chesterton book, story, or poem, and which was it?
ReplyDelete2000- I read an online essay by Ralph McInerny quoting Chesterton. (Was actually in Bosnia, we had a primitive internet connection and I was supposed to be doing my job, looking for open source intelligence from Euro news sites, etc........., and I found GKC.) Bought Orthodoxy upon return to states.
2. What was the most recent of GKC's writings you read?
Ballad of the White Horse
3. Which is your favorite book, poem - or quote?
That one about Heresy being one idea taken out of context of all others. Cant remember the quote, but use the concept every day.
4. Which would you recommend to a beginner?
Orthodoxy or St. Thomas Aquinas
5. What is the most unusual fact or quirky detail you know about G.K.Chesterton?
He is the favorite writer of this hippie Tai Chi guy......http://www.amazon.com/Martial-Musings-Portrayal-Arts-Century/dp/1893765008/sr=1-1/qid=1165690380/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-8151290-8469201?ie=UTF8&s=books
Includes a couple pages on GKC
Okay... here's my blog post link: Trubador's Answers (such as they are)
ReplyDeleteI'm new to Chesterton and new to the ACS (which I will join as soon as I verify that no one has bestowed upon me a membership for Christmas), but I thought I'd join in the game!
ReplyDelete1. When did you first read a Chesterton book, story, or poem, and which was it?
2006, specifically November 2006. The book was Orthodoxy.
2. What was the most recent of GKC's writings you read?
I'm in Chapter 17 of Heretics. The last book I completed was a collection entitled, Brave New Family.
3. Which is your favorite book, poem - or quote?
I'll chime in with Trubador here and confess that I do not think I've read enough to give the definitive answer, but the last paragraph of Orthodoxy is so alive and ringing and glad and true, that I'll choose it for now (beginning: "Joy, which was the small publicity of the pagan, is the gigantic secret of the Christian." . . . ending: "There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth.").
4. Which would you recommend to a beginner?
For a beginner who is a Christian, I would certainly think that Orthodoxy could not fail to delight and surprise and haunt. Perhaps, for a non-believer, something else would capture the attention better? Again, I have only read 2 2/3 books -- so much more to explore!
5. What is the most unusual fact or quirky detail you know about G.K.Chesterton?
The stories I've read of his absent-mindedness endearing. Can anyone recommend a good biography of GKC?
Merry Christmas to all! Thanks for the lovely sites chock full of information you've created to honor the inimitable GKC. I wish I'd known about Chesterton 15 years ago. What a blessing to "discover" him now, though!
Justine, welcome and well me!
ReplyDeleteThe Maisie Ward biography is the definitive one, but it is out of print. I recommend Wisdom and Innocence by Joseph Pearce, available from Ignatius Press.
For your next GKC book, try one of his novels. I HIGHLY recommend the brand new edition of The Ball and the Cross from Barnes & Noble. See this link: http://americanchestertonsociety.blogspot.com/2006/12/new-edition-of-chestertons-book.html
Ok, here goes...
ReplyDelete1. When did you first read a Chesterton book, story, or poem, and which was it?
Dale Ahlquist first turned me on to Chesterton when he gave a talk in my hometown, Springfield, Ill., in 1997. Soon after that, I read The Everlasting Man. Unlike Dale Ahlquist, I did not take it on my honeymoon, being already married.
. What was the most recent of GKC's writings you read?
I am just finishing his Autobiography. Brilliant.
3. Which is your favorite book, poem - or quote?
It is impossible to select a favorite book, as all are brilliant, but probably The Man Who was Thursday and The Thing have been most influential on me. My favorite poem is, of course, Lepanto. I wept when Dale recited part of it at the closing banquet of the 2004 Chesterton Conference. Quote? “The hands that made the sun and the stars were too small to reach the huge heads of the cattle.” From “The God in the Cave” in The Everlasting Man.
4. Which would you recommend to a beginner?
Any of his novels. Many of my friends are ardent secularists who would immediately be turned off by Chesterton’s overt apologetics. However, everyone to whom I’ve recommended a Chesterton novel has loved it.
5. What is the most unusual fact or quirky detail you know about G.K. Chesterton?
I love that he carried a swordstick and a revolver. Everyone should carry some sort of small weapon, if even only a pocket knife or a lighter. For the occasion of going to a nearby farm to cut down our family Christmas tree last weekend, I wore a Leatherman’s tool (comes with a knife blade and a saw blade) in a sheath on my belt all weekend, and felt very Chestertonian.
Thanks for the recommendation of the Maisie Ward biography. I've requested it from inter-library loan.
ReplyDeleteThis is a bit off-topic, but I hope you'll forgive me:
Would any of you recommend the annotated editions of Orthodoxy and Heretics, edited by Craig Kibler? I find myself repeatedly wishing for illumination, since Chesterton refers so often to his contemporary events and persons. Do you know if these two were well-done?
P.S. I just got the double-edition of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Francis of Assisi biographies and The Man Who was Thursday with a birthday gift card. Kudos to B&N for having them in stock. Hurrah!
1. From the opening lyrics to the Iron Maiden song "Revelations" they sing a GK hymn (Oh God of Earth and Altar...) I heard it when I was 12 in 1986. Never forgot it either :)
ReplyDelete2. Reread "Thursday" in prep for conference
3. favorite book: Manalive (a text book on how to live)
4. Which would you recommend to a beginner? Tales of the Longbow
5. most unusual fact: GK wasn't actually fat when compared to Dale Alquist (this is what I learned at the conference)