Thursday, September 25, 2008

Kara Powell: Reader Interview

Current position/title: Executive Director, the Fuller Youth Institute

CPYU: Have you always been a reader? If not, how did you become one?

KP: I have loved reading ever since I was a kid.

CPYU: What are your reading habits and practices?

KP: I read everything (other than novels) with a pen in my hand. I mark up books and articles and have my own code for main ideas, interesting ideas, and ideas with which I disagree. If it’s a book I really want to absorb, I often go back through the book a second time and type out important quotes as well as my response to those quotes. I also try to discuss articles or books I’m reading with coworkers or my husband because I find that discussing them helps deepen their impact on my life.

CPYU: Name 3 books that have been very influential in your life and one sentence that explains why.

KP: It’s too tough to think about my whole life so I’ll give 3 books that have influenced my last six months:

The Bible, especially the book of Psalms – meditating on them has helped me integrate more emotion into my faith.

The Shack ­– just read it recently on vacation and it’s very much expanded my view of the Kingdom life that God invites us to experience.

Made to Stick – a great book on communication and how to better explain yourself to any audience, including teenagers.

CPYU: If you could meet any author, living or dead, who would it be and what questions would you ask him or her?

KP: Well, the Apostle Paul is the first to come to mind, and I’d love for him to explain parts of Romans that I don’t fully understand.

CPYU: According to a recent study by the National Endowment of the Arts, very few young people are reading. Do you have any ideas on how to get young people to read?

KP: I think we have to re-think the way we write for students, as well as adults. There’s much more “power browsing” happening these days, so we have to think about how to present the most important ideas in smaller chunks.

Related Links:

The Fuller Youth Institute

Chris Wagner's review of Dr. Powell's book Deep Justice in a Shallow World

You Make the Call What College Freshmen Need to Hear from their Youth Pastors - Article by Kara Powell offering advice on the importance of youth workers staying connecting with students during the fall semester of college.

FYI's College Transition Project

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