Dr. Kevin Brown, professor of English at Lee University, recently published “They Love to Tell the Story: Five Contemporary Novelists Take on the Gospels” with Kennesaw State University Press.

Brown’s book examines how authors Anthony Burgess, Nikos Kazantzakis, Norman Mailer, Nino Ricci, and José Saramago portray major figures from gospel stories against the framework of biblical literature and lore.

Brown said, “One of the main reasons I wanted to pursue this project was because it combined my faith and my literary interests. I have long been intrigued with portrayals of biblical characters in film and literature, especially the changes authors and directors make and why they make those changes.”

James B.M. Schick, Editor-in-Chief of the Midwest Quarterly said, “Readers will find new sources of inspiration in these works and a trustworthy companion in the author. Brown’s examination is equally revelatory of our times and our concerns.”

By retelling stories people think they know, readers are challenged to confront the assumptions and encourage all of us to ask ourselves why we believe or don’t believe what we might well have long held to be true.

In addition, Brown recently authored a memoir entitled, “Another Way: Finding Faith Then Finding it Again,” which describes his spiritual journey, and was recently published by Wipf and Stock Publishers.

When asked about the memoir’s inception, Brown said, “I started writing the book based on some conversations I was having with students. They were asking questions about their faith, and I was looking for a book to suggest that they read. I couldn’t find any that dealt with their particular journey, but I realized that my path was very similar to theirs. I sent one a brief article I had written, and she found it helpful, so I decided to flesh it out much more and turn it into a memoir.”

Brown’s first full length collection of poetry, Exit Lines, was published in 2009 by Plain View Press, and achapbook, Abecedarium, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2011.
 
His poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in The New York Quarterly, REAL: Regarding Arts and Letters, Folio, Connecticut Review, South Carolina Review, Stickman Review, Atlanta Review, and Palimpsest, among other journals. His essays on teaching and education have appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Academe, InsideHigherEd.com, and The Teaching Professor, among others. He has also published scholarly articles in PLL: Papers on Language and Literature, South Central Review, and Midwest Quarterly.

Brown received his PhD in English from the University of Mississippi with a dissertation on Mark Twain’s influence on Kurt Vonnegut. He also has a master’s degree in English from East Tennessee State University, a master’s in library science from the University of Alabama, and a bachelor’s degree from Milligan College. He is currently working on a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Murray State University.

“They Love to Tell the Story: Five Contemporary Novelists Take on the Gospels” can be purchased by visiting Kennesaw Press.