Frequently Asked Questions about Singing from Silence Click here for FAQ about Rich Mullins
I'm answering questions on Goodreads here
Q: Why is the the material on this website different than what is found in other sources on the internet about Rich Mullins?
A: As someone who knew Richard and his story personally, I find there are gaps in what is generally known about him. My writing is designed to offer valid material that is not found elsewhere for those who are seeking answers to questions not otherwise addressed.
Students of history are not surprised to find that there are differing accounts of Richard's life. Singing from Silence, written by someone who knew Richard personally, is considered a primary source. The following are instructions offered to students of history when looking at primary sources:
'How does this source compare to other primary sources? Have you read other sources like this one? What did they say? Does the account in this source seem to mesh with those, or does it depart dramatically? Remember that if your source doesn't say exactly what the other sources say, it may still be entirely truthful. It could be that the other sources were wrong. It could also be that all of the authors of your sources told the truth as they saw it, but that their own individual perspectives gave them different views and therefore different accounts. It may also be that the author of your source had a unique experience that wasn't like most people's experiences, but it happened that way just the same. For example, some people remained very wealthy during the Great Depression--they were not in the majority, to be sure, but their stories are still true and can offer valuable insights into the diversity of experiences during that era in American history. Consider all of the possible reasons why this source may differ from other primary sources before you decide to reject any of your sources as "untrue" or "useless."'
Q: What is the connection between Singing from Silence and the Ragamuffin film?
A. They're both about Rich Mullins. I've spent a great deal of time in prayer for the Ragamuffin film, ever since I learned about it about halfway through writing Singing. My hope is that it will permit Richard's music to reach a wider audience. I was not a writer on the staff of Ragamuffin, and Singing was published before the Ragamuffin script was completed. Apart from being about the same historical person, Singing from Silence consists of different material, written from a different perspective. It makes no attempt to follow or confirm the plot of Ragamuffin.
Q: Are you the "Jessica" character in the Ragamuffin film?
A: No, there is no resemblance between my life and that of "Jessica."
A: As someone who knew Richard and his story personally, I find there are gaps in what is generally known about him. My writing is designed to offer valid material that is not found elsewhere for those who are seeking answers to questions not otherwise addressed.
Students of history are not surprised to find that there are differing accounts of Richard's life. Singing from Silence, written by someone who knew Richard personally, is considered a primary source. The following are instructions offered to students of history when looking at primary sources:
'How does this source compare to other primary sources? Have you read other sources like this one? What did they say? Does the account in this source seem to mesh with those, or does it depart dramatically? Remember that if your source doesn't say exactly what the other sources say, it may still be entirely truthful. It could be that the other sources were wrong. It could also be that all of the authors of your sources told the truth as they saw it, but that their own individual perspectives gave them different views and therefore different accounts. It may also be that the author of your source had a unique experience that wasn't like most people's experiences, but it happened that way just the same. For example, some people remained very wealthy during the Great Depression--they were not in the majority, to be sure, but their stories are still true and can offer valuable insights into the diversity of experiences during that era in American history. Consider all of the possible reasons why this source may differ from other primary sources before you decide to reject any of your sources as "untrue" or "useless."'
Q: What is the connection between Singing from Silence and the Ragamuffin film?
A. They're both about Rich Mullins. I've spent a great deal of time in prayer for the Ragamuffin film, ever since I learned about it about halfway through writing Singing. My hope is that it will permit Richard's music to reach a wider audience. I was not a writer on the staff of Ragamuffin, and Singing was published before the Ragamuffin script was completed. Apart from being about the same historical person, Singing from Silence consists of different material, written from a different perspective. It makes no attempt to follow or confirm the plot of Ragamuffin.
Q: Are you the "Jessica" character in the Ragamuffin film?
A: No, there is no resemblance between my life and that of "Jessica."
Q: Will Singing from Silence be made into a docudrama?
A: It will not, for these and other reasons:
Both the genres of memoir and "based on the life of" film making, or docudrama have legal limitations. Typically, the author of a memoir works around them by focusing on a single perspective--his or her own--and leaving out some material that may be of interest to the audience, but which belongs to another living person's story. I am comfortable, and in compliance with this way of telling a true story.
To me, the main difference between memoir and film making is that to fulfill legal limitations, memoir may subtract, but the genre of docudrama--film making "based on the life of"--routinely adds invented events, dialogues, and fictional or composite characters. This means docudrama writers are often forced to rely as much on invention as historical fact, leaving the audience unable to discern which events are historical and and which are fictional.
A: It will not, for these and other reasons:
Both the genres of memoir and "based on the life of" film making, or docudrama have legal limitations. Typically, the author of a memoir works around them by focusing on a single perspective--his or her own--and leaving out some material that may be of interest to the audience, but which belongs to another living person's story. I am comfortable, and in compliance with this way of telling a true story.
To me, the main difference between memoir and film making is that to fulfill legal limitations, memoir may subtract, but the genre of docudrama--film making "based on the life of"--routinely adds invented events, dialogues, and fictional or composite characters. This means docudrama writers are often forced to rely as much on invention as historical fact, leaving the audience unable to discern which events are historical and and which are fictional.
Q: Is Singing from Silence a tragedy?
A: Singing is only one book in a world where the making of books will never end. But God has created a universe full of paths that lead to his Good News. The secret I have discovered along the way is that there are many causes for sadness in life, but the irreparable tragedies of life are only two: the refusal of unconditional love, and the failure to pass it on.
A: Singing is only one book in a world where the making of books will never end. But God has created a universe full of paths that lead to his Good News. The secret I have discovered along the way is that there are many causes for sadness in life, but the irreparable tragedies of life are only two: the refusal of unconditional love, and the failure to pass it on.
- Q: What is a "composite character?"
- A: Here's an example:
Q: Does "Singing from Silence" use composite characters?
A: No. Every person you will meet in the book has a unique, actual real-life counterpart. Even the literary allusions are confined to legendary characters who some claim actually lived long ago.
Some writers will tell you that in art, "truth-like" is good enough because art tells a higher truth than historical fact. Singing from Silence was written to a higher standard than "artistic truth." In its soul-searching, it is meant to reach even beyond "journalistic truth." Perhaps I was a bit nervous because some speak of Richard as a saint, but I admit I wrote the book as though the Pope were standing over one shoulder and Jesus and
Richard were standing over the other. Not being Catholic, I respectfully have no interest in whether or not Richard is canonized, but now you know why Singing from Silence was written to a standard that might be described as "Truth before God." This level of veracity marks the book as a personal testimony.
Richard lived a full life, and there are many stories to tell about him. This is the story God told through Richard's and my friendship. As close friends, we spent much of our time together alone. With all respect, the only person who remains to share the truth of this particular story is me. If my honesty makes the book less appealing to readers, so be it. Truth-telling imparts a peace this world just cannot claim, and transparency is good for the soul.
A: No. Every person you will meet in the book has a unique, actual real-life counterpart. Even the literary allusions are confined to legendary characters who some claim actually lived long ago.
Some writers will tell you that in art, "truth-like" is good enough because art tells a higher truth than historical fact. Singing from Silence was written to a higher standard than "artistic truth." In its soul-searching, it is meant to reach even beyond "journalistic truth." Perhaps I was a bit nervous because some speak of Richard as a saint, but I admit I wrote the book as though the Pope were standing over one shoulder and Jesus and
Richard were standing over the other. Not being Catholic, I respectfully have no interest in whether or not Richard is canonized, but now you know why Singing from Silence was written to a standard that might be described as "Truth before God." This level of veracity marks the book as a personal testimony.
Richard lived a full life, and there are many stories to tell about him. This is the story God told through Richard's and my friendship. As close friends, we spent much of our time together alone. With all respect, the only person who remains to share the truth of this particular story is me. If my honesty makes the book less appealing to readers, so be it. Truth-telling imparts a peace this world just cannot claim, and transparency is good for the soul.
Q: Where can I find all the rumors that have been repeated about Rich Mullins?
A: Not here. I knew Rich Mullins as a friend and a songwriter, an artist whose working materials consisted of his own life experiences and the
love of God. The tools of his trade were honesty, brokenness, beauty, light and dark.
Like all performers and through no fault of his own, Richard had a public side and a private side. I understand that human nature makes the
rest of us curious about the quirks and flaws of our celebrities and heroes, but I do not intend to seek the lowest common denominator by filling pages with questionable content. Richard is the one who taught me about sharing the truth of our lives through art. In gratitude for
our friendship, Singing from Silence is in no part based on careless speculation or third-hand intrusions on the life stories of others.
The content of Singing from Silence is pared down to my own memories: the only ones I'm capable of writing with truth. It tells the story of two
human beings striving to show one another the love of God in a fallen world.
Forgiveness and grace are repeatedly required and repeatedly given.
A: Not here. I knew Rich Mullins as a friend and a songwriter, an artist whose working materials consisted of his own life experiences and the
love of God. The tools of his trade were honesty, brokenness, beauty, light and dark.
Like all performers and through no fault of his own, Richard had a public side and a private side. I understand that human nature makes the
rest of us curious about the quirks and flaws of our celebrities and heroes, but I do not intend to seek the lowest common denominator by filling pages with questionable content. Richard is the one who taught me about sharing the truth of our lives through art. In gratitude for
our friendship, Singing from Silence is in no part based on careless speculation or third-hand intrusions on the life stories of others.
The content of Singing from Silence is pared down to my own memories: the only ones I'm capable of writing with truth. It tells the story of two
human beings striving to show one another the love of God in a fallen world.
Forgiveness and grace are repeatedly required and repeatedly given.
Q: Does the book do justice to Rich Mullins' memory?
A: That question is very subjective. If you want a book which stresses his successful musical career and his large base of fans, you might prefer to
read An Arrow Pointing to Heaven by James Bryan Smith or perhaps the novel The Wind in the Wheat by Reed Arvin, which is about the experience of a young man raised in a rural setting embarking on a career in Contemporary Christian Music in the Nashville of the eighties.
From my point of view, the whole idea of Singing from Silence is to be fair to Richard's memory. Like many creative geniuises, Richard admitted
to a dual nature. To my way of thinking, when we overlook his life in favor of his art, his sorrow in favor of his laughter, his introspection in favor of his prophetic stance, we have lost half of what made him a human being. My best memories are of Richard as a man who struggled as we all do to allow himself to be transformed in the hands of the Great Artist.
I believe Richard wanted to be remembered as someone we can all relate to, because his art touches us the most when we remember him that way. I feel it may have been for this reason I was called to share the story of Singing from Silence.
Q: Why is the book called Singing from Silence?
A: I can think of two--more, maybe five reasons I chose that title.
1) Richard's spiritual background was Quaker, a group that practices silence in worship. Yet he was a musical genius, a brilliant performer who used song to touch his audiences.
2) His creative process during the years I knew him involved a lapse of communication--just a few days, sometimes less--while he'd be working out a new song.
3) People know Rich Mullins and his work very well, but I published this book as an unknown, private person, not a celebrity. So I'm singing from
silence, too.
4) Among several themes of the book, one is the song Richard sang for the meek, referencing domestic abuse and the silence it causes, even between old friends.
A: I can think of two--more, maybe five reasons I chose that title.
1) Richard's spiritual background was Quaker, a group that practices silence in worship. Yet he was a musical genius, a brilliant performer who used song to touch his audiences.
2) His creative process during the years I knew him involved a lapse of communication--just a few days, sometimes less--while he'd be working out a new song.
3) People know Rich Mullins and his work very well, but I published this book as an unknown, private person, not a celebrity. So I'm singing from
silence, too.
4) Among several themes of the book, one is the song Richard sang for the meek, referencing domestic abuse and the silence it causes, even between old friends.
Q: How did you happen to write Singing from Silence?
A: For over ten years after Richard's death, I worked very hard on forgetting him--blocking him out of my conscious memory.
I wasn't ready to grieve. I didn't follow any of his work, listen to his music, or read anything about him on the internet during this time. It took a lot more energy than you might imagine to keep the memories away, because he had been an important part of my life when we were in contact.
I didn't have my meltdown until after my children were raised and my parents, who I had cared for in their final years, had both died.
In 2008, I was given a copy of an amazing book, Musicophilia, by Oliver Sacks. Sacks is one of my favorite authors, a neurologist who is,
unlike many doctors, a true human being. His book described the powerful impact of music on memory.
His descriptions of music and its effect brought my friend Richard to mind.
Cautiously, I began to listen to some of Richard's music again. Instantly, I was flooded with memories. I'd been present when the seeds for many of those songs had been planted; they recalled memories to me so powerfully I was compelled either to put them on paper--or spend the rest of my life re-living them in my mind and heart. I chose to write them all down. The memories that have to do with our friendship appear in Singing from Silence. Other memories, on themes of healing and creativity, will make up parts of Walk Through the Valley and Let the Mountains Sing.
A: For over ten years after Richard's death, I worked very hard on forgetting him--blocking him out of my conscious memory.
I wasn't ready to grieve. I didn't follow any of his work, listen to his music, or read anything about him on the internet during this time. It took a lot more energy than you might imagine to keep the memories away, because he had been an important part of my life when we were in contact.
I didn't have my meltdown until after my children were raised and my parents, who I had cared for in their final years, had both died.
In 2008, I was given a copy of an amazing book, Musicophilia, by Oliver Sacks. Sacks is one of my favorite authors, a neurologist who is,
unlike many doctors, a true human being. His book described the powerful impact of music on memory.
His descriptions of music and its effect brought my friend Richard to mind.
Cautiously, I began to listen to some of Richard's music again. Instantly, I was flooded with memories. I'd been present when the seeds for many of those songs had been planted; they recalled memories to me so powerfully I was compelled either to put them on paper--or spend the rest of my life re-living them in my mind and heart. I chose to write them all down. The memories that have to do with our friendship appear in Singing from Silence. Other memories, on themes of healing and creativity, will make up parts of Walk Through the Valley and Let the Mountains Sing.
Q: Is Singing from Silence a biography?
A: No, it's a memoir.
A: No, it's a memoir.
Q: What is the difference between a biography and a memoir?
A: A biography tells a person's life story chronologically from beginning to end. A biography would be full of sequential facts about where a person went when, where they lived, and a description of events that took place there. Unless written by someone who knew the subject personally, a biography would be based entirely on second- or third-hand reports. We might also read something about the author's interpretation of the subject's motives, values, intentions and personal growth in a biography.
A memoir, on the other hand, is a form of autobiography limited to the point of view of the author. The author, called a memoirist, tells history from the point of view of an eyewitness. The memoir may consist of memories of the author's interactions with the book's subject, as well as memories of personal reactions to these events. Similar to journalistic publications, memoirs are true stories--classified as non-fiction. As a matter of style, these stories may be told in a compelling manner, more like a novel than a a biography. Still the facts remain true to the best of the memoirist's memory and interpretation of events.
The author may be expected to select which memories to include in the book to draw focus to an appropriate theme.
A: A biography tells a person's life story chronologically from beginning to end. A biography would be full of sequential facts about where a person went when, where they lived, and a description of events that took place there. Unless written by someone who knew the subject personally, a biography would be based entirely on second- or third-hand reports. We might also read something about the author's interpretation of the subject's motives, values, intentions and personal growth in a biography.
A memoir, on the other hand, is a form of autobiography limited to the point of view of the author. The author, called a memoirist, tells history from the point of view of an eyewitness. The memoir may consist of memories of the author's interactions with the book's subject, as well as memories of personal reactions to these events. Similar to journalistic publications, memoirs are true stories--classified as non-fiction. As a matter of style, these stories may be told in a compelling manner, more like a novel than a a biography. Still the facts remain true to the best of the memoirist's memory and interpretation of events.
The author may be expected to select which memories to include in the book to draw focus to an appropriate theme.
Q: What is the main theme of Singing from Silence?
A: Primarily, I consider the book to be about the mistake of living by law as opposed to the gift of living by grace.
A: Primarily, I consider the book to be about the mistake of living by law as opposed to the gift of living by grace.
Q: Where can I find a conventional biography of Rich Mullins?
A: Someone out there has yet to write it. If you find it, please let me know!
James Bryan Smith describes An Arrow Pointing to Heaven as a devotional biography. I respect it for what it is, and I loved reading it of course, but it makes no claim to be comprehensive.
A: Someone out there has yet to write it. If you find it, please let me know!
James Bryan Smith describes An Arrow Pointing to Heaven as a devotional biography. I respect it for what it is, and I loved reading it of course, but it makes no claim to be comprehensive.
Q: Can I find songs and music in this book?
A: No, Singing from Silence is not a music book. It does contain the back stories behind some of Richard's well-known songs, with footnotes indicating on which albums these songs are published.
Q: Where can I purchase the book?
A: Singing from Silence is currently available on Amazon, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Nook, and here on this
website.
A: Singing from Silence is currently available on Amazon, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Nook, and here on this
website.