Looking Back at 2008: What Were Your Year’s Highlights?

Last updated on: March 27, 2013 at 3:54 pm by Jeffrey Overstreet

Looking Back at 2008: What Were Your Year’s Highlights? 2013-03-27T15:54:28-06:00 Jeffrey Overstreet

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWiXy55OHyY

When you look back at 2008, what are four or five things you’ll always remember?

They can be personal or headline news. They can be events in your family, or events in your work, or things you read or heard…

Give me a list: What were your unforgettable experiences in 2008?

Me, let’s see, for starters (and in no particular order):

Saying farewell to my friend Danny, as he left Seattle and moved to Los Angeles to pursue God’s will for him there.
Speaking twice at the Calvin Festival of Faith and Writing, to the most incredible audiences I’ve experienced.
Anne being nominated for a Pushcart Prize for her poem “Dog Night.”
Saying farewell to Anne’s cat Sophie… 20 years old.
The completion and publication of Cyndere’s Midnight.
A particularly rough landing at Denver airport. (I’ll tell you about it if I see you. I’d rather not write about it.)
Over the Rhine’s 20th Anniversary weekend concert marathon in Cincinnati.
Having lunch with Sam Phillips, and a two-hour interview about her life and favorite writers for Image’s 20th Anniversary Issue.
My father delivering homemade bookshelves that fill up a wall of my study, and several more for a wall in Anne’s.
Saying farewell to my 94-year-old great aunt Laverne, who told me that when I was five years old that she was going to save all of my letters and cards because someday I’d be a famous writer. Well, I may not be famous, but I’m glad she lived long enough to hold my first published books.
The privilege of introducing Bret Lott at the Glen Workshop in Santa Fe.
My friend Sara Zarr being nominated for a National Book Award for her first novel.
The arrival of Henry Samual McKay Poundstone, the second child of my dear friends Ben and Jessica Poundstone.
Dave Von Bieker’s redesign of this website.
My friend Adrienne cooking up the the foods she read about in Auralia’s Colors and Cyndere’s Midnight. Nectarbread! Yawney’s Stew!
Speaking and making new friends at Northwestern College.
Snowpocalypse 2008: Longest, wildest, whitest winter storm of my life.
Getting a ride home from the airport during the Snowpocalypse… courtesy of Claire Wilson, my snow-driving hero!
Writing about movies for Image twice a month: An unexpected pleasure, and the most fun I’ve had writing for the web since the glory days of Film Forum.
An invitation of membership from the Chrysostom Society for Anne and me, and getting to know some of the writers there who have had a great influence on us.
Being pleasantly surprised that the reviews of Cyndere’s Midnight are generally more enthusiastic than those for Auralia’s Colors.
Writing for Response magazine.
Living to see an African American man become president of the United States (even if I find some of his policies and opinions disgusting).
Michael Phelps.
The sad, sad sight of Mike Holmgren, one of the greatest coaches in any sport I’ve ever seen, end his career with the Seahawks during a year of humiliating performances. He should have had a Super Bowl somewhere along the way. But Seattle teams are spectacularly mismanaged… not by their coaches, mind you.
A waiter making fresh guacamole RIGHT AT MY TABLE just outside of Santa Fe. Best taste explosion ever.
Facebook: This was the year my social life doubled in size and excitement, due to meeting friends new and old — mostly folks who’ve been reading the books and LookingCloser.org — on Facebook.

A few moments from the movies:

WALL-E dancing alone in his home, then waking up and clumsily trying to put on his treads.
An unexpected sight in the sky during the film Syndromes and a Century.
Batman’s cool way of doing a 180 on his Dark Knight cycle; and Joker having trouble with a detonator.
U2 3D.
Talking on the phone with Andrew Stanton; learning that he’d already read Through a Screen Darkly.
The dismay of seeing the ongoing corruption of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series on the big screen.
Man! On! Wire!!!!

Journal

The Year in Review

Previous Post

January 1, 2009

Image Posts My Favorite Films of 2008

Next Post

January 3, 2009 Eleventy-six!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Blog Bloggers on "Through a Screen Darkly" Browser Coming Soon Endorsements Fiction Books Film Forum Film Reviews Inspirations Interviews Journal Kindlings Muse Movie buzz Music Reviews Non-Fiction Books radio Reviewers on "Through a Screen Darkly" The Auralia Thread Through a Screen Darkly Through a Screen Darkly - Bonus Materials Top 10 (or 20 or 100) lists Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 July 2003 May 2003 March 2003 September 1999

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Old Testament book is composed mostly of love poems?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ecclesiastes Ruth Song of Solomon Proverbs