"It's an Adventure Story" (Friends and Neighbors in the News V)

If I could have been a fly on the wall in one place this week, it would not have been in the halls of congress, or at a sporting event (although being in Bud Selig's office when the Jason Grimsley story hit might have been interesting).

No, it would have been wherever the often clueless Karen Nugent interviewed the always entertaining Brad Booth for the following story in Friday's Telegram and Gazette:

Prof writes tale of Moses' time
By Karen Nugent
TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

LANCASTER-- Bradley S. Booth initially thought the main character in his new children's adventure book--the first in a series--could be a time traveler.

But the idea was scratched when he decided it might be a bit too outlandish for his somewhat conservative bosses in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

"Anyway, I wanted to make it believable, and you just can't do that with time travel, at least not yet," said Mr. Booth, a professor and chairman of the education and psychology departments at Atlantic Union College, an Adventist college.

Nope. Not yet. Unless he were to send Marty McFly back in time.

His latest book, "Plagues in the Palace" is a story about a young Israeli boy who watches as plagues destroy the Egyptian kingdom of the pharaohs during the time of Moses. One of those plagues involves frogs--all over the place--causing a lot of trouble for worshippers of a frog-headed goddess, not to mention the pharaoh himself.

"All over the place." As opposed to the vicious "plague of the lone frog." I wonder what inspired Nugent to mention the plague of the all over the place frogs as opposed to any of the other nine plagues.

The next four books in his series, he said, will focus on David, but he will tone down the conclusion, when David slays Goliath by chopping off his head. Mr. Booth said he takes a dim view of graphic sensationalism so prominent these days in books, films and music--even Christian music, he said.

Mr. Booth also sings in the men's a cappella Christian group, One Voice.

"I really don't think there is any value in being so grahpic," he said.

I guess the oddly-placed note about Brad singing in "One Voice" is meant to validate him as an expert on the graphic sensationalism of Christian music...which has absolutely nothing to do with the story of David and Goliath. The fall of Jerhico, maybe...

And how do you tone down the slaying of Goliath? That was the point, after all. Will the toned down version have the Hebrews shipping Goliath off to Guantanamo in lieu of killing him?

The whole thing is an absolute hoot.

Tags: Massachusetts Lancaster Atlantic Union Bradley Booth Adventist Worcester Telegram and Gazette