When God Writes Your Love Story, by Eric & Leslie Ludy

When God Writes Your Love Story is a book in the same vein as Boy Meets Girl, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, and Christian Courtship in an Oversexed World. As these others do, authors Eric and Leslie Ludy present the case for abstinence, prayerful marriage preparation, and deliberate, caring, dating. One aspect of this book, however, sets it apart from the rest -- it is the inclusion of the idea that young people ought to prepare for married life by living with one's family as one would with one's spouse. The authors offer helpful, specific suggestions on how to practice being selfless now so that one will be well-versed in selflessness once married -- they encourage women to respect and care for their fathers and brothers as they would their husbands, and they propose that men care for and learn about their sisters and mothers as if they were their wives.

Unfortunately, When God Writes Your Love Story shares an oversight with most other books in this genre: it is that they overlook ambitious young people and those who are happy with their temporary singlehood. This book & company always include a chapter telling the single person to keep his chin up, someone will come along soon -- but they never address one's love life in relation to a career, which gives the impression that these books are written only for those with no drive or clear path in life.

Though the authors' arguments are strong if not original, this book's real weakness lies in its writing. The Ludys are overly self-deprecating in their attempts at humor and humility. This becomes grating, as well as the fact that the authors lean too much on stereotypes to amuse the readers: their efforts are mostly based on the Mars-Venus assumption that while women are sensitive and angelic, their husbands are clueless, unhygienic brutes. Additionally, it's hard to take the book seriously because the writing itself is immature. It's far too excitable -- something that one could expect in a personal email, a blog post, or in a note taped to the refrigerator -- but hopefully not a published book.

Fall Forward, MSJC Faculty Dance Concert 2010

December introduced the San Jacinto Valley to MSJC's biennual faculty dance concert; the pieces featured MSJC students, but were choreographed by the modern, tap, ballet, hip hop, and jazz teachers. Though there were one or two outstanding numbers that showcased both originality and genuine talent, most were mediocre and familiar.

The sole hip hop piece, Her Side His Side, played it too safe. The dancers danced to two songs, "Bust Your Windows" and "She Bust My Windows," and while the choreography was athletic, it wasn't big or violent enough. Because of the theme, the audience expects something energetic and shocking, but the dance is largely unexplored: several girls carry crowbars on stage and then practically ignore their existence. This dance was a disappointment after the hip hop pieces of previous years that were choreographed by Selvana, a student.

Knock Boots, a funny number performed to several different songs about boots, worked surprising well with its inexperienced dancers. Two sections consisted of a lot of strutting and confrontational, sexualized moves: it was cliché and felt inconsistent. Then, there were moments of befuddlement when, rather than walking during the chorus of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walking,” the women posed, swinging their legs over chairs. The piece's middle section, however, was very entertaining; several dancers performed short solos across the stage in different kinds of boots. In between each solo, three other dancers leapt across the stage with signs, while the chorus sung “B-O-O-T-S!” The men in this dance were large -- they could have been football players pressed into service. Their size and stage presence gave this piece a specific, original atmosphere, especially at the end when they flexed their biceps and strode about the stage in heavy boots, sunglasses, and tutus.

The best piece of the show -- Julie Freeman’s To Have and To Hold -- was clever, playful, and surprising. It began with dancers in white and lace shyly peeking from behind three motionless men in coattails. Later the dance grew and modernized as more performers ran out from the wings. Halfway through, one dancer answered his ringing phone while on stage and began talking to a friend. "Oh, I'm not doing anything, really," he said. "Can you hold on a second?" he asked, laying the phone on the floor so he could reach across the floor with both arms. Then he picked up the phone again and continued dancing and talking. Next, the rest of the performers fanned out, also talking on cell phones while changing their costumes and undershirts onstage. The use of cell phones was both satirical and as unexpected as each performer’s sudden, innocent strip show. If none of the other teachers show solid work, attending MSJC’s shows at least exposes people to the inspiring, delightful mind of Ms. Freeman.