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A World of Ideas
Explore a world of ideas through insightful articles, engaging interviews, and thought-provoking reflections. We dive into the power of story, the impact of faith on creativity, and the many ways literature shapes our understanding of the world. Join the conversation!
Recent Releases by Festival Authors
One of the joys of the Festival of Faith & Writing is the community of writers and readers who continue to shape our conversations long after the Festival ends. We’re always glad to hear what our past speakers are writing, and we’re excited to share their latest books with you. Join us in celebrating these authors and their new work. Happy reading!
Too Busy to Read
What happens when life gets too busy for the things that once fed our souls? CCFW Student Fellow Erin Hasler reflects on how reading shapes our hearts, why rest matters, and what we lose when we leave very little room for stillness. A reminder to slow down, open a book, and make space for things that help us grow.
The Experience of the Reader
What makes a good reading experience? CCFW Student Fellow, Eleanor Engel, reflects on returning to a beloved young adult mystery series and discovering that her relationship with the books—and their characters—has changed. Along the way, she considers how anticipation, memory, friendship, and personal growth shape the way we read, and why a book doesn’t have to be “good” by every measure to still be worth reading.
From the Director’s Desk • October 2026
What does it mean to keep choosing stories in an age of skimming and scrolling? CCFW Director Jennifer Holberg considers the enduring power of reading, writing, and storytelling, and why nurturing these practices still matters. As we begin planning for another Festival of Faith & Writing, she reflects on the work of sustaining a community centered on faith, story, and thoughtful engagement.
What are you going to do with an English major?
What can an English major actually prepare you for? In this reflection, CCFW Student Fellow Natasha Jayaputra explores the uncertainty of choosing a field of study without knowing exactly where it will lead. Through experiences in journalism, podcasting, content creation, and her work with the CCFW, she discovers than an English major is less about preparing for one particular career and more about developing the tools to explore many possibilities.
From the Director’s Desk • September 2026
What can Mary Oliver, Wendell Berry, and Dolly Parton teach us about living faithfully? In this month’s reflection, CCFW Director Jennifer Holberg considers Oliver’s call to “pay attention,” Berry’s vision of faithful work and gracious rest, and Parton’s songs of freedom, restoration, and hope. Their words and witness remind us to notice the world around us, embrace the work we’re called to do, and trust that light and joy can emerge even after the darkest nights.
Learning from a Weasel
What can a weasel teach us about AI, communication, and being human? In a thoughtful new essay, CCFW Faculty Fellow Craig Mattson reflects on Annie Dillard, chatbots, and the strange creatures we share the world with—asking how AI might sharpen our attention to the wildness, nuance, and mystery of human community.
The Festival of Faith & Writing: A Recap
This week on the blog, CCFW Director Jennifer Holberg looks back on the 2026 Festival of Faith & Writing—and the conversations still unfolding. She reflects on welcoming 2,000+ attendees from around the world and the power of gathering in person to explore faith, story, and the creative life together. Holberg also shares a collection of Festival responses from the CCFW community, allowing us to linger a little longer on what made this gathering so meaningful.
Dialogue Then and Now: Continuing the Conversation
April at Calvin marks a creative crescendo. CCFW Student Fellow Erin Hasler reflects on Festival energy and the legacy of Dialogue, the student-run arts journal. As past and present voices connect, she highlights the importance of creative community—and the spaces where imagination and knowledge meet.
From the Director’s Desk • April 2026
With just days to go until the 2026 Festival of Faith & Writing, CCFW Director Jennifer Holberg reflects on the joy of gathering, the beauty of preparing to welcome guests, and why being together—in the same rooms, sharing stories and ideas—still matters so deeply.
We can’t wait to welcome you. Read Jennifer’s full message and get ready for what’s ahead.
Grief and Festival
In this reflective preview of the Festival of Faith & Writing, a CCFW Student Fellow Chantale Van Tassel explores the power of words to name the unnamable, drawing on the voices of J.S. Park and Amanda Held Opelt. From page to practice, this piece invites us to see grief not as interruption, but as a form of worship—one best carried in community. As Festival approaches, come ready to embrace it all: joy, sorrow, and the healing language in between.
A Postcard from Baltimore
Fresh from the AWP conference in Baltimore, CCFW Faculty Jane Zwart reflects on the joy of gathering with writers—and the even deeper sense of belonging she finds at the Festival of Faith & Writing.
Book Review: Following Jesus in a Warming World
How can Christian faith shape climate action? In this review, CCFW Student Fellow Eleanor Engel explores Kyle Meyaard-Schaap’s Following Jesus in a Warming World, highlighting the power of storytelling, Scripture, and steps that invite believers to pursue climate justice with hope.
From the Director’s Desk • March 2026
The countdown to the 2026 Festival of Faith & Writing is on! In this post, CCFW Director Jennifer Holberg shares her recent radio conversation with Shelley Irwin of WGVU. Listen in and join the anticipation as April draws near.
What is a Heffalump?
How do stories shape the way we communicate at work? Drawing on the whimsical “heffalump” from Winnie-the-Pooh, CCFW Faculty Fellow Craig Mattson explores how emotional responses influence workplace communication. With humor and practical insight, he shows how storytelling can help leaders build trust, navigate change, and connect with the people they serve.
The Dark is Not Evil—A Review of Learning to Walk in the Dark
CCFW Student Fellow Natasha Jayaputra reflects on Barbara Brown Taylor’s Learning to Walk in the Dark, inviting readers to reconsider fear and rediscover darkness as sacred space. Her meditation explores how darkness fosters spiritual growth, deeper awareness, and balance between light and shadow.
Festival Preparations
Director Jennifer Holberg reflects on the devotion, collaboration, and community that have sustained the Festival of Faith & Writing for more than thirty-five years, celebrating the many hands behind its legacy while looking ahead to this year’s gathering and future generations of faithful storytelling.
Manderley Angel Cake from Rebecca
CCFW Student Fellow Chantale Van Tassel, a lifelong lover of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, chases one of the novel’s most tantalizing details: Manderley’s angel cake. Blending Gothic atmosphere, readerly devotion, and practical baking tips, Van Tassel goes in search of the perfect “melt-in-the-mouth” angel cake—light, dreamy, and worthy of the de Winter tea table.
Hamnet: Quiet Grief, Sentimental Speculation
CCFW Faculty Fellow Debra Rienstra explores Chloé Zhao’s film adaptation, Hamnet, weighing its beauty and emotional power against the myths we continue to tell about Shakespeare and creative genius.
Book Review: Sarah Carey’s The Grief Committee Minutes
In her thoughtful review of The Grief Committee Minutes, CCFW Student Fellow Chantale Van Tassel reflects on Sarah Carey’s poetry as a guide through loss, memory, and the fragile space between earth and sky.