About the Author

David Brown Howell is a consultant for Luther Seminary. He is a retired pastor in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a Licensed Professional Counselor (VA), and a fellow in the American Association of Professional Counselors. He is the founder, publisher, and editor of Lectionary Homiletics and GoodPreacher.com and the founder of the Festival of Homiletics. He divides his time now between the Chesapeake Bay and the Virginia mountains, volunteering as a Virginia Master Naturalist.

Reviews

"This is an engaging story about the wounds--even from childhood, and even from the church--that can be used to form gravitas in a pastor's soul."

--M. Craig Barnes, Princeton Theological Seminary



"David Howell is a great storyteller, and his story will intersect in one way or another with every reader I can imagine."

--Brian McLaren, author of We Make the Road by Walking



"I love it! . . . such a fine way of storytelling . . ."

--Thomas G. Long, Candler School of Theology



". . . clear, persuasive, and so well written . . ."

--Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Seminary



". . . a lovely, readable style . . ."

--Barbara Brown Taylor, New York Times bestselling author



"I am greatly enjoying 'poop in the boots, ' 'all about the Murdocks, ' 'Elvis at the Nu Wray Inn.'"

--Donald Davis, Featured Storyteller, National Storytelling Festival



"Christian preaching is the act of proclaiming how the story of Jesus Christ rewrites our own stories. David Howell's memoir narrates just how it is that God makes a preacher."

--Rolf Jacobson, author of Crazy Talk: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms



"Sitting upon the porch of David Howell's imagination we are given the gift of listening to a Southern storyteller, preacher, prophet, and stirrer of holy mischief. This spiritual memoir offers the reader a window into rugged, pragmatic, and complex theological thought peppered with a heavy dose of compassion."

--Otis Moss III, Senior Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago



"This remarkable book seems to provide evidence that once the world was denser with stories. Funny ones, scary ones, poignant ones--an accumulation of stories that make a life and a community."

--Bill McKibben, author of Wandering Home



"David Howell's telling of his coming of age in the provincial Appalachian town of Boonford, North Carolina enthralled me from the start. From a gasp of horror to an all-out belly laugh, it brought a much-needed lightning flash of delight to my reading queue. Tethered to an Appalachian Curse delivers story after amazing story of hilarity, tragedy, sex, lyin' and cheatin', drunkenness, heartbreak, and grace-filled redemption of Old Testament proportions as they unfold among the citizens of this tiny North Carolina town. In his whimsical, down-to-earth way, Howell reminds us of our own journeys to find purpose, and our life-long attempts to prove we belong in the very arms of love that have claimed us all along."

--Peter Mayer, Lead Vocalist and Guitarist, the Peter Mayer Group



"David Howell possesses the two indispensable ingredients of all gifted writers. He is a consummate storyteller, and he has an incredible story to tell. Across the pages of this book, the grace of God is neither an abstract concept nor a pious sentiment, but rather it shows up in the nitty-gritty and sometimes painful details of our lives to guide, encourage, and ennoble. You will be drawn into Howell's superbly written and breathtakingly honest story from the very first page, and you will be blessed by reading it."

--David J. Lose, author of Preaching at the Crossroads



"Howell's tales will engage you, amuse you, provoke you, and keep you turning the pages to read more. For all those blessed with an open mind, who refuse to settle for false platitudes and condemnations, who hunger for real substance . . . there is much here to feast upon."

--Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church and author of Love is the Way



"What a tale David Howell has to tell, and how well he tells it. Rarely has the plight of poor, Southern mountain people been told so well (or so honestly). Almost never have we had a more inspiring story of a person's journey from dire, difficult childhood into ministerial service. The creator of the wildly successful Festival of Homiletics gives us a front-row seat whereby we can see the tug of God on a life, the adventure and mystery of Christian vocation."

--Will Willimon, Duke Divinity School





"Sometimes we think of our vocational paths in terms of straight lines: a single course that is ours to discern, set, and follow in one direction. But David Howell reminds us that vocation can also be a journey of discovery with many joyful twists and turns if we let the forks in the road and unexpected side trips lead us into new adventures--not just once, but again and again! Howell's stories of what he has seen and learned along the way will inspire you to take a few more leaps of faith yourself. Here is a book to encourage, embolden, and enjoy."

--Anna Carter Florence, Columbia Seminary



"Life stories can be dull, or predictable, or pedestrian. Not David Howell's. A rollicking ride through unfamiliar turf that reveals something at the core of every one of us. Highly recommended!"

--James Howell, Senior Pastor, Myers Park United Methodist Church



"I was tethered to David Howell's memoir of childhood, sin, redemption, revelation, and honest searching from the first page. His loving and compassionate portrayal of his rearing is a powerful antidote to the usual pap about rural Appalachian life. A longtime resident and lover of small-town Southern life, I laughed, cried, nodded, and reveled in the intimate telling of his evolution from a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher's curse to a wise and inspiring purveyor of open-hearted Christianity. And it goes without saying that my mouth watered repeatedly at the glorious description of wonderful food. Cornbread smoothie? Indeed! The whole book is like a good bowl of soup beans . . . nutritious and satisfying."

--John McCutcheon, Singer, Songwriter, Storyteller



"I really, really enjoyed David's memoir. As I read the book, the voice of a storyteller emerged. I could hear his words as they moved into images, and then the characters, communities, and worlds were conjured--what a ride . . . it is a true gift. Even a flatlander from the North can identify with David's people. I know these folks, those succeeding despite themselves--a world where profound beauty is often wrapped in desperate times, humor arrives at the most unlikely moment, and to be human is on full display. Like all good guides, David is on the journey with us and proves time and again that people everywhere love, hate, and desire as much as any king or queen that ever lived."

--Kevin Kling, Storyteller



"I am a city girl through and through, raised in a vibrant postwar Philadelphia neighborhood of row houses, concrete sidewalks, and asphalt streets. But from David's opening description of 'Reverend Leroy, ' the 'Born Again Church, ' the miners, and the 'baccer' farmers of the Appalachian community of his childhood, I settled with ease into the front-porch view his writing offers the reader. This wonderfully written memoir is a touchstone, a journey through and reminder of the multilayered complexities of immigrant origins, family history, community beliefs and dynamics, and the distinctive, colorful inhabitants and interrelationships that shape our identities and the paths we choose to take. This book, with David's effective storytelling style, is recommended reading for anyone who may be giving thought to writing their own memoir."

--Charlotte Blake Alston, Storyteller, Narrator, Librettist



"David Howell writes about growing up in a region in Appalachia buried in poverty, infected with racism, and terrorized by a local preacher who is certain that David is destined to end up in hell. Through a combination of divine interventions and perseverance, he moves from the hills of Appalachia to the halls of Union Theological Seminary in New York City and beyond, eventually establishing the Festival of Homiletics. This is a story of God's amazing grace!"

--Marvin A. McMickle, Ashland Theological Seminary



"More than being tethered to an Appalachian curse, David Howell's life story reveals how he's been tethered to the Spirit of surprise callings. The details of his journey may be particular, but what is universal is the underlying hopeful message that an unsolicited curse can become an unforeseen blessing."

--Luke A. Powery, Duke Divinity School