Ed Bacon

The Reverend Ed Bacon is the author of Habits of Love (Grand Central Publishing, May, 2012). He is the rector of All Saints Church in Pasadena, California—a 3,500 member multi-ethnic urban Episcopal parish, known for its energetic worship and bold social action. “Rev. Ed” has appeared on Oprah and hosted the Soul Series on Oprah Radio. CAUTION: exposure to Ed Bacon can be marked by: oxygen, security, and adventure.

The Sixty Second Interview with… Ed Bacon

1. How do you take your coffee? I know this is a question to see if we’re buds…you’re in my heart, bro! I love you!

2. Of all the metaphors by which writing has been portrayed, which is your favorite (i.e. bricklaying, marathon running, etc.)? Well, being a both/and guy, it’s a tie. Weaving, as in creating a rich tapestry of scenes and series with the help of The Book Architecture Method, and sculpting, because right now I am in the very important enterprise of taking away.

3. What are your three favorite words? “Detritus,” as in, the things you and I cut from the manuscript and allow to drift to the floor. “Center,” as in, the organizing center of all that is. And “Beloved,” as in, most beloved. Can I have four? “Skanky” is another good word, as in, “That’s a skanky piece of theology…”

4. Do you have any writing tics or blind spots that you had to conquer the hard way? Verbosity. But I haven’t conquered it. It’s a journey not an arrival. I’m in recovery. And I could go on and on…

5. Picture the reader who needs your book. What do they look like? Both/And: 1) The person who has a courageous call and needs fortification. 2) The person who is confused and wants to read someone who is working their way out of confusion.

6. You’ve mentioned that when people see you wearing your clerical collar, you become the target for a bunch of their projections. What would you like them to think? Do the right thing.

7. Is there anything you’d like to add? Convey my love and gratitude to Karen Byrne for her brilliant work, will ya?

Our (current) favorite sentences of Ed’s: “Decisions grounded in love are—by definition—pioneering, risk-taking, creative, inclusive, and generative.”