Intimate Conversation With Joshua McClure
The Sankofa Literary Society had the honor of presenting a "behind the
book" personal conversation with author Joshua McClure. Discussing his
first book, Can These Bones Live? (Tate Publishing) and his soon to be
released book titled, Almost Persuaded, Now to believe, Joshua gives us an
inside look into the life of a new author.
SLS-Tell us your latest news.
JAM-My new book, Almost Persuaded, Now to believe will soon be in the
bookstores. I am really excited about this book. Most of the preliminary
reviews have found it amazing that difficult concepts such as; love, trinity,
creation, the fall, Incarnation, Virgin birth, grace, mercy, the cross, born
again, kingdom of God, new creation, kingdom living, and deeper life, can
now be easily understood by everyone. Truly, this makes it the gospel for
the heart. To me that’s exciting.
When and why did you begin writing?
When I was in grammar school I was so self conscious about my weight and
appearance that I had great difficulty in verbalizing anything, so I resorted to
writing. I guess I just continued the habit when I got older and never gave it
a thought. It is just recently that I discovered how much writing I had done
over the years. In all of the preparation I do for Bible studies, workshops,
teacher training and sermons I write everything out completely.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I never did and still do not consider myself a writer in the true sense.
Since my writing came more out of a need, it seemed a natural way to make
up for my inability to communicate verbally. I made my first speech before a
large group of people in 1972.
What inspired you to pen your first novel?
It was the Holy Spirit. In December of 1976 I had a visible picture of
God’s heart for people displayed on the wall of my living room. Because
of that I closed down my businesses and committed my life totally to being
God’s hands and heart to the poor, hungry, disenfranchised, and people who
have slipped through the cracks. That was when I left Providence and came
to Westerly, Rhode Island where the vision was to unfold.
As God began to perform miracles in the small Westerly church many
people asked me if I was recording the miraculous events happening at
Pleasant Street. I was ignorant of God’s intentions for I felt no need to
record anything. Shortly after I began waking up almost every morning at
4am and began jotting things down on yellow legal pad paper as I heard
them. This went on for approximately two years. Finally I felt the Holy
Spirit’s prodding to take this stack of notes and put them on the computer.
As I recorded the notes I realized this was to be a book inspired by the Holy
Spirit. My contribution was to faithfully record the things God was revealing
to me. The inspiration and the words come from the real author, the Holy
Spirit.
How has your environment /upbringing colored your writing?
In my first book, Can These Bones Live? I tell of the tremendous influence
my parents had on all of our family. My dad modeled for me what it meant
to be a man. My mother’s gift for the family was to verbalize the importance
of knowing self. We were poor and never knew it, for she told us we were
every bit as good as those “Astorbilts.” I will never forget her words,
“It doesn’t matter what people say or think about you. It will not make you
any better or worse than you are.” This was a tremendous asset growing up
as I faced many overt acts of discrimination. Because of my attitude I did
not allow it to diminish my person or deter me from accomplishing what I set
out to do. It also helped me to see beyond the color of a person’s skin and
opened my heart to seeing people as God sees them. My book tells of an
African-American pastor coming to Westerly, Rhode Island, where there
were virtually no faces of color and yet because of faithfully following God’s
vision I watched him transform a church and people in the Westerly and
surrounding community. Because of my environment and upbringing I could
not only tell people of what changes God could make in their lives but I
could show them by experience.
Do you feel that the explosion in African-American writers is a fad or
another renaissance?
I consider it neither. It is certainly not a fad, because their has been
wonderful African-American literature around for centuries. It is not a
renaissance because in my understanding of the word that suggests a rebirth.
I would rather term this explosion a discovery of pearls like no other. It’s
like archaeology, digging for artifacts. It has always been there under the
surface. Now that the dig has begun we are discovering all of the beauty
that was hidden for ages, but now exposed to view. When Christopher
Columbus supposedly discovered a new world, it was only new to him. It
always existed in all of its magnificent splendor. So too African-American
writers.
Do you see writing as a long or short term career?
For me it is my life. It is an additional part of my ministry. It is a way for me
to reach people by using another media along with my ministry at Pleasant
Street and our community outreach ministry. Writing has also given me a
voice with people I have never met. It allows me to share the vision with
both believers and non believers.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything?
I do not believe I would want to change anything except the length of time it
took me to discover Christ for my life. I feel so incredibly blessed by the
experiences I have had in pastoring and serving God’s people both inside
and outside the church. If I had to do it over again I do not know what I
might change that would be more pleasing to my heart and life.
Is there anything additional you would like to share with your
readers?
Yes. I would like to share with you my belief that my latest book, Almost
Persuaded, Now to believe is destined to become one of the most important
books for the church in the next ten years. I say that for several reasons.
First it addresses some of the most pressing questions often asked by
believers. i.e. Why have I not experienced much of what is promised by
God? Why do I keep doing the same things over and over again? Why is
the Christian life so difficult? How can I be drawn closer to Christ? Can I
truly live in God’s presence?
The reason why this book is so important is that it is written to address these
and similar questions, however, it is written specifically for people in the
pews. From cover to cover it is clear, concise, simple and powerful. Most
books on theology are written for pastors, teachers, seminary students, those
studying for ministry. Their purpose is information, knowledge, basically to
engage the mind.
What underlies much of our struggle is a lack of understanding. We know all
the church words and phrases, from the pulpit, from teachers, other
believers, and from reading; however, we have little understanding of what it
all means.
This book gives one an understanding of spiritual issues and their personal
and eternal impact on ones life simply and clearly in a way that touches both
mind and heart. It allows one to walk away saying; “I now understand the
wonderful things God has freely given me.”
The Sankofa Literary Society had the honor of presenting a "behind the
book" personal conversation with author Joshua McClure. Discussing his
first book, Can These Bones Live? (Tate Publishing) and his soon to be
released book titled, Almost Persuaded, Now to believe, Joshua gives us an
inside look into the life of a new author.
SLS-Tell us your latest news.
JAM-My new book, Almost Persuaded, Now to believe will soon be in the
bookstores. I am really excited about this book. Most of the preliminary
reviews have found it amazing that difficult concepts such as; love, trinity,
creation, the fall, Incarnation, Virgin birth, grace, mercy, the cross, born
again, kingdom of God, new creation, kingdom living, and deeper life, can
now be easily understood by everyone. Truly, this makes it the gospel for
the heart. To me that’s exciting.
When and why did you begin writing?
When I was in grammar school I was so self conscious about my weight and
appearance that I had great difficulty in verbalizing anything, so I resorted to
writing. I guess I just continued the habit when I got older and never gave it
a thought. It is just recently that I discovered how much writing I had done
over the years. In all of the preparation I do for Bible studies, workshops,
teacher training and sermons I write everything out completely.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I never did and still do not consider myself a writer in the true sense.
Since my writing came more out of a need, it seemed a natural way to make
up for my inability to communicate verbally. I made my first speech before a
large group of people in 1972.
What inspired you to pen your first novel?
It was the Holy Spirit. In December of 1976 I had a visible picture of
God’s heart for people displayed on the wall of my living room. Because
of that I closed down my businesses and committed my life totally to being
God’s hands and heart to the poor, hungry, disenfranchised, and people who
have slipped through the cracks. That was when I left Providence and came
to Westerly, Rhode Island where the vision was to unfold.
As God began to perform miracles in the small Westerly church many
people asked me if I was recording the miraculous events happening at
Pleasant Street. I was ignorant of God’s intentions for I felt no need to
record anything. Shortly after I began waking up almost every morning at
4am and began jotting things down on yellow legal pad paper as I heard
them. This went on for approximately two years. Finally I felt the Holy
Spirit’s prodding to take this stack of notes and put them on the computer.
As I recorded the notes I realized this was to be a book inspired by the Holy
Spirit. My contribution was to faithfully record the things God was revealing
to me. The inspiration and the words come from the real author, the Holy
Spirit.
How has your environment /upbringing colored your writing?
In my first book, Can These Bones Live? I tell of the tremendous influence
my parents had on all of our family. My dad modeled for me what it meant
to be a man. My mother’s gift for the family was to verbalize the importance
of knowing self. We were poor and never knew it, for she told us we were
every bit as good as those “Astorbilts.” I will never forget her words,
“It doesn’t matter what people say or think about you. It will not make you
any better or worse than you are.” This was a tremendous asset growing up
as I faced many overt acts of discrimination. Because of my attitude I did
not allow it to diminish my person or deter me from accomplishing what I set
out to do. It also helped me to see beyond the color of a person’s skin and
opened my heart to seeing people as God sees them. My book tells of an
African-American pastor coming to Westerly, Rhode Island, where there
were virtually no faces of color and yet because of faithfully following God’s
vision I watched him transform a church and people in the Westerly and
surrounding community. Because of my environment and upbringing I could
not only tell people of what changes God could make in their lives but I
could show them by experience.
Do you feel that the explosion in African-American writers is a fad or
another renaissance?
I consider it neither. It is certainly not a fad, because their has been
wonderful African-American literature around for centuries. It is not a
renaissance because in my understanding of the word that suggests a rebirth.
I would rather term this explosion a discovery of pearls like no other. It’s
like archaeology, digging for artifacts. It has always been there under the
surface. Now that the dig has begun we are discovering all of the beauty
that was hidden for ages, but now exposed to view. When Christopher
Columbus supposedly discovered a new world, it was only new to him. It
always existed in all of its magnificent splendor. So too African-American
writers.
Do you see writing as a long or short term career?
For me it is my life. It is an additional part of my ministry. It is a way for me
to reach people by using another media along with my ministry at Pleasant
Street and our community outreach ministry. Writing has also given me a
voice with people I have never met. It allows me to share the vision with
both believers and non believers.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything?
I do not believe I would want to change anything except the length of time it
took me to discover Christ for my life. I feel so incredibly blessed by the
experiences I have had in pastoring and serving God’s people both inside
and outside the church. If I had to do it over again I do not know what I
might change that would be more pleasing to my heart and life.
Is there anything additional you would like to share with your
readers?
Yes. I would like to share with you my belief that my latest book, Almost
Persuaded, Now to believe is destined to become one of the most important
books for the church in the next ten years. I say that for several reasons.
First it addresses some of the most pressing questions often asked by
believers. i.e. Why have I not experienced much of what is promised by
God? Why do I keep doing the same things over and over again? Why is
the Christian life so difficult? How can I be drawn closer to Christ? Can I
truly live in God’s presence?
The reason why this book is so important is that it is written to address these
and similar questions, however, it is written specifically for people in the
pews. From cover to cover it is clear, concise, simple and powerful. Most
books on theology are written for pastors, teachers, seminary students, those
studying for ministry. Their purpose is information, knowledge, basically to
engage the mind.
What underlies much of our struggle is a lack of understanding. We know all
the church words and phrases, from the pulpit, from teachers, other
believers, and from reading; however, we have little understanding of what it
all means.
This book gives one an understanding of spiritual issues and their personal
and eternal impact on ones life simply and clearly in a way that touches both
mind and heart. It allows one to walk away saying; “I now understand the
wonderful things God has freely given me.”
Copyright © 2007-2012 by Joshua A. McClure. All rights reserved. Website Designed by Ella Curry of EDC Creations Email: joshua@joshuaamcclure.com | Website: www.joshuaamcclure.com | Phone: 401-741-2440 |
| Online Media Kit |
| Book Details Price: $14.95 Hardcover: 250 pages Publisher: Tate Publishing Released: Dec.12, 2006 Language: English ISBN-10: 1598864726 ISBN-13: 978-1598864724 Distributed by: Online Book Sellers Tate Publishing Amazon.com Order Today |
ISBN-13: 978-1604625134 Available as e-book & audio book from Tate Publishing Read Reviews |
| Author | Pastor | Speaker Testimonials Author Biography Joshua's Journey Featured Article Media Recognition Multi-Media Room Peep Inside CTBL Almost Persuaded Reviews Download Hi-Res. Images Joshua's Image Almost Persuaded Cover Can These Bones Live Cover Joshua A. McClure PO Box 103 Westerly, RI 02891 Website www.joshuaamcclure.com Email address joshua@joshuaamcclure.com MySpace: myspace.com/joshua_mcclure_author |
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clubs and readers groups
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SORMAG, RAWSISTAZ,
Sankofa Literary Society,
BlackBook Promo and other
prominent online literary
sources
Mass Outreach
Web Publicity
Virtual Book Tour
Book Signing Events
Electronic Newsletter
National Press Releases
Outreach to Book Clubs
MySpace Email Campaign
Review Copies Distributed
Viral Marketing
Partnerships with online book
clubs and readers groups
Paid Advertisements
Ads placed on Mosiac, APOOO
SORMAG, RAWSISTAZ,
Sankofa Literary Society,
BlackBook Promo and other
prominent online literary
sources