Firing Our Pistols In The Air: A poem and reflections on the early days of FāVS
A poem honoring Tracy Simmons and FāVS, recalling its early community of writers, Coffee Talks and the loss of open dialogue amid polarization.
Guest Column by Eric Blauer | Pastor at Jacob’s Well
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News.
I wrote this poem in honor of Tracy Simmons, the founder of FāVS, along with everyone who was there in those early days and to anyone who has helped FāVS become what it is today.
“Firing Our Pistols In The Air”
You were dangerous,
I imagine the coals
on your head still smolder,
with your red hair
all aflame.
We were breathing
falcon air,
gripping tightly
life and madness,
out of oxygen,
gasping for heights
undiscovered
and unbelieved.
Another lost generation,
Spokane in a feverish Paris dream ,
channeling Hemingway and Stein,
Joyce and Toklas,
sipping dark roasts
and firing our pistols in the air.
Writers drunk on the marrow,
readers feasting on the hard bones,
welcoming strangers
and entertaining Angels
unawares.
Reflection:
Over 15 years ago I jumped into a mosh pit called Spokane Faith & Values — a small startup community news outlet that focused on regional and national issues and events around religion and culture.
It was led by Tracy Simmons who had enough literary fire under her tongue to draw me into the cohort of guinea pigs … I mean volunteer writers.
Soon every month was sparking off with articles, news reports, events and a particularly wild idea called “Coffee Talks.”
These were gatherings where a topic of importance was picked, and the writers offered up their articles to the public on the online Faith & Values website. Then the community was invited to come talk about it with a panel of the writers and facilitator.
It was fun, intellectually stimulating and tough, but like a Swedish massage. There was talk, but not like the “talk-radio” of today that works to make us enemies. We genuinely tried to understand one another.
Seasons changed
But this was before 2016, when people with different faiths and values could still sit down together over coffee. You could hear ideas that completely contradicted your own and — believe it or not — remain friends afterward.
Crazy, right? About as believable as saying Washington vehicle tabs once cost $30, that Obama brought the nation together or that Trump has made America “great again.”
Those Coffee Talks were highlights of community engagement based on the belief that good intentioned people could wrestle with tough topics, together, face to face.
It worked for years. Then America changed.
Politics became the new red or blue star sewn on everyone’s coat, and the impact has continued to this day. Talking became more and more difficult. The online world was growing uglier and uglier, and anonymity became the new 600–1,200 meters sniper shot. Writing (let alone voting) started feeling relationally dangerous.
A page out of the Book of Judges
It was a new Shibboleth era, repeating story from Judges 12:5-6:
“Jephthah captured the shallow crossings of the Jordan River, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim tried to go back across, the men of Gilead would challenge him. “Are you a member of the tribe of Ephraim?” they would ask. If the man said, “No, I’m not,” they would tell him to say “Shibboleth.” If he was from Ephraim, he would say “Sibboleth,” because people from Ephraim cannot pronounce the word correctly. Then they would take him and kill him at the shallow crossings of the Jordan. In all, 42,000 Ephraimites were killed at that time.”
Many relationships and friendships have been lost in this culture war. Many fled from the rivers crossing. I did. Like Hemingway, I retreated to my own Havana Finca Vigía to write.
Everyone has had to navigate this reality over the last decade or so, but I imagine I am not alone in mourning what has been lost.
Spokane Faith & Values has since updated its name to FāVS News, but its mission remains. It works hard in its vision to tell all kinds of people’s stories. I hope we as readers can cultivate an ear and heart to hear them.
FāVS News uses professional journalists and thoughtful commentary to explore faith, values and ethics. Support journalism like this by making a tax-deductible donation. FāVS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. © FāVS News. All rights reserved. Reproduction permitted only to authorized media partners or with written permission.
