THE TITLE IS THE MESSAGE [Su 2-8-26]

CHRIST IN WINTER: The Irrelevant Reminiscences of An Old Word Smith--THE TITLE IS THE MESSAGE [Su 2-8-26]

 

DISCLAIMER: Remember, this column no longer makes any pretense of providing inspiration for life. It contains only the musings of an old man…

The two most important books of my childhood were Tramp, the Sheep Dog, by Don Lang, and Mother Makes Christmas by Cornelia Meigs.

Those are good titles. They introduce you to the main character, and they give you the context of the story. Also, they are simple and memorable.

When I was about nine, I overheard my parents talk about a current book, My Sister Was an Only Child. That was simple and memorable, but it didn’t make sense. I was intrigued. I got a different feel for what a title could do.

As a person’s name is the short form of their story, so a title is the short form of a sermon or book or film or song. A name needs to fit the person, which is why someone like Archie Leech changes to Cary Grant. A title needs to fit the book, which is why The Return of the Shadow was changed to The Lord of the Rings.

The Wonder Years is a good title, but it is not precise. Any years can be the wonder years. I think the wonder years are right now. “I wonder about the here-after. I walk into a room and wonder… what am I here after?” [I wonder from whom I first heard that line, so I can give credit.]

I enjoyed titling my sermons. I wanted something clever, that would catch the attention of someone waiting for the worship service to start, or someone picking up a church periodical, but it was not good if it were only clever. It also needed to help a person get started thinking about the subject of the sermon. Like…

Overhairing the Gospel. {Yes, that spelling is correct.} Odd Times, Strange Places. Stealing Donkeys and Other Ways of Following the Master. In the Second Row, All by Yourself. The Love Stone. The Touching Time. God Uses Broken Things…

Even now, I title my emails carefully, so the receiver will know right away what’s in it, and may be at least slightly entertained. Yes, I love clever titles, but in an email subject line, simple is best. Not simple in a general way, like Just saying hi. More specific, like Are you going to the game? Did I leave my glasses at your house? Fred is in the hospital. Etc… Of course, you can get the idea across, and still be a little entertaining: You should see Fred in a hospital gown.

Unfortunately, not everyone appreciates a clever title. Professors often complained about the titles of my essays. Why? I mean, “The Man, The Mess, and The Message” is a perfect title for a paper on The Synod of Dort.

Editors always changed the titles of my articles. That was especially irritating, because they said that I was word perfect otherwise. They loved my stuff, because they did not have to edit. Every word was already in the right place, doing the right task, they said. I guess they figured they had to do something to earn their way, and since there was no reason to change any of the text, they changed the title.

Actually, I did have a line editor of a couple of times. Matt Lombardi for my cancer book. He couldn’t really find anything wrong, though, so we had a good time arguing about whether tetherball should be one word or two. He did save me from an anachronism, though. I can’t remember the exact context, but I had placed the word “gunsel” before its time.

The most egregious title change was when the editors of “The Christian Century” changed Stealing Donkeys for Jesus to Neither a Lender Nor a Borrower Be. I mean, yes, Shakespeare has more of a reputation that I do, but which is more intriguing in the Palm Sunday week edition?

But I need to be appreciative of editors, too. I titled my cancer book, Now That I Have Cancer, because that is the way I started every sentence after Feb. 5, 1990. But Donna Martin, of AndrewsMcMeel, said, “What you’re really saying is, Now That I Have Cancer I am Whole." She was right.

 

John Robert McFarland