Jamie Janosz

I can't believe I missed this book when it was first published! Adventures in Churchland tells the story of rockabilly drummer Dan Kimball and his search for Jesus through the harrowing world of the evangelical church. They were not prepared for him with his Doc Martens (and flashy yellow stitching) or his slicked back, 50s-pompadour style hair. He was even less prepared for evangelical worship songs that sound like Celine Dion and Christmas pageants where men wore bed sheets as costumes. I found myself chuckling and nodding out loud - and wincing more than once - as I read his account of an "outsider" approaching the church with honest questions. Dan has it right. It's not about what we think church "should" look like. It's about Jesus. He finds his way in through an 83-year-old man in London who gives him a cup of Ovaltine and invites him to meet the real Jesus. This is a book about Jesus and church and finding your way home. It is a boo...

I had the privilege of meeting Johnny Cash many years ago. My dad had always been a big fan of the Man in Black. So, when I heard he was in Chicago, signing copies of his book Man in White at the downtown Kroch’s and Brentano’s, I stood in a long line to get his autograph. He seemed bigger and more weathered in person. Johnny was wearing his signature black and signing book after book. When my turn came, I mustered up my courage and asked if he could address it to my dad. “Could you write, ‘To Neil: Another great musician?’” Johnny looked up at me, and he grinned. The second time I saw Johnny was at a concert at Chicago’s Cubby Bear venue. The place was packed with an odd assortment of people: punks, little old ladies, hard-core motorcycle dudes, and assorted country people wearing cowboy hats. Standing room only. My dad pushed to the front of the stage to see the man he so admired. I stood a bit back with my mom where it was less claustrophobic. The crowd began t...