Dear friends,

As you know I have recently had the experience of sitting at my mother’s bedside as she died of cancer. It has been a difficult, beautiful, and exhausting time. I have witnessed stubborn strength and heartbreaking generosity these last few weeks. So many of you have left kind notes here on A Pilgrim in Narnia, or on Facebook, Twitter, email, or in person. I know that these sorts of moments can be a challenge in and of themselves, but I have appreciated every one. Thank you.

My blogging this last month has been haphazard and sporadic. Yet it has connected with some people. February had the 1st and 3rd busiest days ever on the blog as my flailing responses to grief and loss were shared to thousands of people. The response has touched me deeply.

I am, though, woefully behind on my connections. I read every comment on this blog (or on social media), and respond to the vast majority of them. I have not been able to respond well this last month, but wanted to acknowledge your creative comments and ideas. I will get to them pretty soon, and didn’t want you to feel like your words went out into air.

That said, between of my work as a blogger and researcher and the half dozen different jobs I do, my email inbox is deluged. Even after flood waters recede, what is left is often encased in mud. If I owe you an email or a phone call, or have a bit of work I was supposed to do for you, please send it again. And if you have a very important blog comment, do re-post it. I would truly appreciate it.

I look forward to blogging over the next few weeks. I am nearly finished reading C.S. Lewis chronologically, and am moving into paper writing mode. I have scheduled an archive trip and am steadily reading through George MacDonald’s work. I hope to be teaching something exciting this spring that you all can connect with, and what doesn’t get into the classroom will find its way here. I’m also reading David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest as part of a kind of “Year of Long Books.” It’s quite disturbing (Infinite Jest, not the project in general), so that might affect my posts a bit!

Until then, thanks for all the great connections, as well as digital and personal support.

Best wishes,
Brenton