Letters from Samaria: The Prose and Poetry of Louie Clay, 1974-2014

"Letters from Samaria" gathers together much of Louie Crew's best and most influential prose and poetry, written from 1974 until the present day, including an essay that will be composed especially for the volume. Much of the material has not appeared since its original publication in newsletters and other ephemeral sources. It is crisply written, and often surprising for its bravery, matter-of-fact self-disclosure, insight, and love. Louie played a pivotal role in transforming the Episcopal Church — and, indeed, Christianity — over the past forty years. Within living memory, the Church operated as a primary motivator of the spiritual, psychological, and physical violence that plagued lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. This collection provides a window into Louie Crew's unlikely and at times shocking ministry throughout the years, not retrospectively, but as history was unfolding. Foreword / Phyllis Tickle Introduction: Joy anyway!. 1 Charmed: Louie Clay, a.k.a. Louis Crew, a.k.a. Quean Lutibelle, a.k.a.Li Min Hua : Charmed Growing up gay in Dixie For 35 cents Two grooms Poem Lutibelle's lover left on their answering machine at 3:30 a.m. No wafer Living in sin Lutibelle curses Thriving as an outsider, even as an outcast, in small-town America Lutibelle records his own eulogy Access. 2 One fold and one shepherd: a call to church and community : Gays are joint heirs with Christ! Shibboleth An open letter to our church Fine, upstanding citizens One fold and one shepherd When you can't do your algebra, or message that anonymous left on my answering machine Inherit the Earth A gay psalm from Fort Valley There is crying Early reactions to Integrity Gay Episcopal Forum Candor Extension of the gospel to lesbians and gays poetry with a Small p Barry and me, and the angels On being alive Nothing is wasted Be still Welcome to Samaria Riding with the spongs in new York City's Pride Parade The venite. 3 Our power is in our weakness: justice for all : God, bless those who are afraid Pabulum is pabulum is pabulum The day the war begins Our power is in our weakness Lord, last spring! Stomp embarrassing me, honey! or fooled for Christ's sake On these two hang Chen Yuk Che Martin Luther King, Jr.: a white southerner's perspective The good ole days Abusing literacy to colonize minds: eight scenes from a travesty Letter to Hong Kong form my 8th grade Latin teacher Scapegoats, for Christ's sake! Nuclear waste. 4 Classified: transforming the Church : Classified Evangelism: how to do it, how to stifle it THe peace of Christ is not for gays Alone in a hot Diocesan office Lutibelle imitates a straight male prayer The Church and the gays If it is winter Loving lesbians and gays as you love yourselves Making history, twice, at Grace Cathedral Real live monkeys, queers, and angels A new paradigm for ministry That the next generation might know Collect for parental guidance in an x-rated world. Afterword / The Right Reverend Mary Douglas Glaspool Works included Notes. "Letters from Samaria gathers together much of Louie (Crew) Clay's best and most influential prose and poetry, written from 1974 until the present day, including an essay composed especially for the volume. Much of the material has not appeared since its original publication in newsletters and other ephemeral sources. It is crisply written and often surprising for its bravery, matter--of-fact self-disclosure, insight, and love. Louie played a pivotal role in transforming The Episcopal Church - and, indeed, Christianity - over the past forty years. This collection provides a window into Louie Clay's unlikely and at times shocking ministry throughout the years as history was unfolding. For LGBTQ Christians and their allies across denominations, those interested in the history of acceptance, fans of Louie Clay's writing"--Publisher The definitive collection from one of the the leading voices on LGBTQ issues in the Episcopal Church. Letters from Samaria gathers together much of Louie (Crew) Clay's best and most influential prose and poetry, written from 1974 until the present day, including an essay composed especially for the volume. Much of the material has not appeared since its original publication in newsletters and other ephemeral sources. It is crisply written, and often surprising for its bravery, matter-of-fact self-disclosure, insight, and love. Louie played a pivotal role in transforming The Episcopal Church – and, indeed, Christianity – over the past 40 years. This collection provides a window into Louie Clay's unlikely and at times shocking ministry throughout the years as history was unfolding.