b'Faculty 5THE GARGOYLE SPEAKSProfessor Carson BrissonWhere the Words Live in the Wild: The Storyteller SpeaksAsk Dr. Carson Brisson about how he began writing The Gargoyle Speakswith those jagged edges and hopeful about the indomitable intentionality and, unsurprisingly, the well-practiced and highly regarded storyteller spinsand ability of God, who is making all things new, to take those jagged a warm and colorful tale. edges, with the reality of their loss, and not be thwarted by thatto say, ForBrisson,itallbeganin2002withalunchinvitationfromThis, too, can be made new.Dr. W. Sibley Towner, the late Union Presbyterian Seminary professorBrisson speaks humbly of the positive responses to his stories over emeritus of Biblical interpretation whom Carson affectionately remembersthe years. He recalls how one Gargoyle story, titled One Table, so as gentle, kind, and brilliant. They shared lunch and fellowship at a Middlemoved a student of his that she called it beautiful. For Brisson, it was an Eastern restaurant on Richmonds Patterson Avenue and sat outside on whatextraordinary moment. That is a word I look for, he says. If he had to was a perfect-weather day. Brisson remembers that it was a lovely lunch,choose a favorite story from among all those he has written, One Table though he playfully confides that his wife, Lou Ann, makes better baklava.would rise to the top.WithProfessorTownersretirementapproaching,hewasseekingBehind every story is Brissons sincere aspiration to make a difference. someone to take over responsibility for The Gargoyle Speaks, a columnIhopeTheGargwill,inadditiontoaddressingdifficult,even he had been writing for UPSem for about a decade. Brisson recalls thattragic,circumstances and the encounter of transcendent grace within Dr. Towner knew of his reputation for thoughtfully answering questionsthem, also recognize with an almost breathless awe the miracle of the with stories in the classroom. It was a purposeful practice that, as aendless forms of faith, hope, and love coursing through our lives and our professor of the complexities of Hebrew and Greek, Brisson used to bringworldthat is, the overflowing beauty that seeks us and all creation.words to life so that his students could see the beauty and meaning behindBrisson ends each story with the phrase Laus Deo. It is his fervent the languagewhat he explains as understanding where the words liveand heartfelt hope that the last Gargoyle Speaks story in the wild. ever written will be closed with a word that, in This practice, combined with what Brisson describes as his passionits most literal translation, means All praise and imperfect conviction that words address issues of hope and life, givingGodHallelujah.us the chance to try to struggle with those issues, led Dr. Towner toForthosetouchedbyhiswords,and believe Brisson was the right choice for the next voice of the column.for others he hopes may also discover and The offer was mindfully made and humbly accepted, and, 22 years later,thoughtfully engage with them, Brisson, who Brisson still aspires to engage readers to discover truth and hope in theretired from UPSem in 2024 following 33 years stories he shares. ofjoyfulservice,iscurrentlyworkingon Brissons Gargoyle stories are not only grounded in purpose; theydeveloping a published collection of The are also real-life situations experienced by real-life people. Although heGargoyle Speaks. You can also find more sometimes obscures the details to respectfully preserve anonymity, thereof his stories in The Christian Century, is no fiction in what he shares, and that is likely part of its power.for which he is a contributing writer.I aspire to create an encounter with that which is transcendent, with the jagged edges of human experience, says Brisson. I am trying to be honest Lets Get Social!Heres a quick primer on how to like, follow, and share about UPSem on social media so you can stay in the know about all the good things going on and help UPSem reach a larger audience. Social media is a bit like a popularity contest: When you like or comment on a post, the site will rank that post as more important than othersand share it with even more people. 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