FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Poetry is defined as “Writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm.”[1]

Sometimes, poetry comes from a well of unusual sources and experiences, other times it finds its origin in everyday life.

Mitchell W. Smith, whose background is in construction and who defines himself as a seeker, writes poetry and prose for fellow seekers and wanderers. In A Litany of Praise: Encountering God in the Everyday (Redemption Press) Smith reflects on his experiences in the outdoors, people he’s met, and his encounters in nature through prose and poetry.

His poems on faith and the glories of God’s creation are introduced by relevant vignettes on down-to-earth topics such as growing up in the inland Northwest, ranch families, fellow workers, open-hearted rural churches, elk hunting, log cabin building, huckleberry picking and bears, rural characters, justice, and steps of faith taken.

These delightful, often humorous meditations are paired with poems on finding God in the everyday and give us a taste of the outdoors, the wonder of creation, and the majesty of God, in fresh, compelling language.

[1] Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11^th ed. (Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2003).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mitchell Smith is a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He grew up in rural Spokane county in the “anything goes” 1960s and 1970s. His career in construction trades gave him the opportunity and experience of nationwide travel. In over fifty years of additional learning, he has attended trade school and ongoing college classes. He has earned a certificate of ministry at Whitworth University and spent twenty-seven years volunteering in ministries with students and children.

For interviews, contact Mitchell Smith at patience5907@hotmail.com.

SUGGESTED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Your prose and poetry come from your background, work, and lifestyle. Can you tell us about how you first began writing poetry?
2. You say you write for fellow seekers and wanderers. What does being a seeker mean to you?
3. You’re obviously an outdoorsman. Do you find your background, work, and experience incongruous with being known as a poet?
4. Your book is called A Litany of Praise: Encountering God in the Every Day. A litany is a form of prayer. In what way do you see your poetry as a form of prayer or worship?
5. Do you have plans you can share with us for future writing projects?