Remembering Isaac

A book review by Keith Fisher

I sat in the conference room with my fingers crossed. Sure enough, after several tries at choosing a winner, I received an autographed copy of Remembering Isaac The Wise and Joyful Potter of Niederbipp.

I’d been listening to Ben Behunin, a successful potter, speak about his experiences with self-publishing during a League of Utah Writers workshop. Something told me I needed to read the book, but I was short on cash. How nice it was, to finally win something.

Remembering Isaac is a special book. It has a series of thumbnail pictures on the inside edge of the columns, so when you fan the pages, you get to see Ben throw a pot on the wheel. The old animation trick also gives you an indication of your reading progress. The sketches and interesting graphics strung throughout, provides the reader with a sense of perusing a potter’s sketchbook.

In the workshop, Ben spoke about his desire to produce the book he wanted, and its selling well because of a successful word of mouth campaign. Readers have flocked to Costco in order to meet Ben, and purchase the second book in the series. I wonder how it would’ve turned out, if a publisher had seen it.

I’ve got to say at the outset, this book could’ve used an editor. There are style issues and point of view slips throughout, but I didn’t care. I read through the story with a sense of purpose. I needed to find out how the story unfolded, and I gleaned words of wisdom along the way. Beyond the obvious, I found a renewed desire to follow my dreams. I want to open a shop in a small town, write, and be a friend to man.

Ben Behunin, drew the character, Isaac, who embodies a poem I’ve quoted on this blog before, but here it is again:

House by the Side of the Road
By Sam Walter Foss

There are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the place of their self-content;
There are souls like stars, that dwell apart,
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze the paths
Where highways never ran-
But let me live by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

Let me live in a house by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by-
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner's seat
Nor hurl the cynic's ban-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

I see from my house by the side of the road
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with the strife,
But I turn not away from their smiles and tears,
Both parts of an infinite plan-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead,
And mountains of wearisome height;
That the road passes on through the long afternoon
And stretches away to the night.
And still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice
And weep with the strangers that moan,
Nor live in my house by the side of the road
Like a man who dwells alone.

Let me live in my house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by-
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish - so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner's seat,
Or hurl the cynic's ban?
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

I hope you read this book, if for no other reason, it will help you find courage to follow your dream. Now, I need to acquire a copy of the second book, Discovering Isaac.

You can find a copy of both here.