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I just finished Missionaries by . @PhilKlay .
Here's a quick thread of appreciation for the author and the book.
Here's a quick thread of appreciation for the author and the book.
First, two caveats.
1. Phil is a friend of mine.
2. Not only is he a friend, but we belong to that intellectual community I hold most dear: disciples of the great John Connelly of Regis High school.
1. Phil is a friend of mine.
2. Not only is he a friend, but we belong to that intellectual community I hold most dear: disciples of the great John Connelly of Regis High school.
I've read everything that I could get my hands on that Phil has written, including his National Book Award winning collection of short stories, _Redeployment_, his many and various op-ed pieces, and a truly astounding piece on martyrdom that was in the American Scholar (I think)
All of his work -- fiction and nonfiction -- is marked by a deep concern for and exploration of responsibility and redemption.
This makes Phil one of the most important American voices today. He expands our moral imagination.
Missionaries is no different.
This makes Phil one of the most important American voices today. He expands our moral imagination.
Missionaries is no different.
In Missionaries, Phil's character portraits remind us that we're all responsible -- even if we're not soldiers or guerrillas or journalists or students or parents.
And we're all responsible because we're all connected.
And we're all responsible because we're all connected.
He shows us this not only in those character portraits but also in how he weaves the narrative. We move from Afghanistan to Colombia to Yemen to Brooklyn to Pennsylvania. We trace the threads the narrative weaves, and we find ourselves caught in the net.
Redemption here as in his other work is barely possible. It's a gift that can only be received through the barely possible work of care and attention.
That's another way of saying that Phil's work is deeply Catholic, although I'm loathe to pigeonhole him as a "Catholic" author or a "veteran" author or a "millennial" author or whatever.
Missionaries helped me recognize my own complicity and gave me hope that other vistas are open to us. (Remember my point about moral imagination.)
This is the best debut novel I've read since In the Light of What We Know by . @ziahaiderrahman
I can think of no higher praise than that John Connelly would be even prouder of this book than I am.
Thank you, Phil.
Thank you, Phil.
