16 TRUE STORIES, WELL TOLD.
hear the word, of course. I go to
Mass some Sundays, listen to Al Green’s Greatest Gospel Hits,
and have lived in or near the Bible Belt for the better part of
the past decade. Even still, the word God has never quite fitted
itself to my ears. And when I’m called upon to say it, I get
shifty-eyed and spastic. I smile hard and mutter other words—
spirit or goodness—anything but the word God, which sits like a
fistful of rubber bands in my mouth.
God bless you, people say, and unless I’ve sneezed, I’m at a loss.
I visited my friend Mary this summer. A ninety-six-year-old
church lady adorned with more medals of the saints than I can
count, Mary’s been an ardent and unlikely guide as I’ve made
my way back to Catholicism. She’d just moved into a nursingBETWEEN THE LINES
SONJA LIVINGSTON is the author of
several books of literary nonfiction,
including the memoir Ghostbread,
which won the 2008 AWP Prize for
nonfiction. She’s currently at work on
a series of essays about her return
to the Catholic Church. She teaches
in the MFA Program at Virginia
Commonwealth University.Absolute Mystery
Is it possible to write about faith without using the
word God? SONJA LIVINGSTON explores
her options.