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Haunting the Graveyard

$38.00

 

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Inconspicuously tucked away north of Loop 410 and in the shadow of Wurzbach Parkway in San Antonio, the Coker Cemetery contains the graves of more than 600 people. Several Texas Ranger and Texas Historical Markers serve as obvious signs this turf is fertile with stories. Beginning with the arrival of Americans on the eve of the Texas Revolution, Haunting the Graveyard: Unearthing the Story of the Coker Settlement offers a regional perspective of a century of Texas history.

While a schoolhouse and Methodist church served as anchors for the Coker Settlement, men who went off to fight in bloody battles of the Civil War, spent months pursuing Indians and herded cattle and horses northward, found settling back into everyday farm chores difficult. Struggling to survive, families battled rattlesnakes, endured extended droughts and suffered through the Great Depression.

Many overcame these obstacles, only to find their rural lifestyle vanquished by San Antonio itself. As the city grew, increased demands for housing convinced some to sell. Roads to reach new homes chopped up dairy farms with wider and wider ribbons of asphalt, and airport runways buried fields.

The headstones in Coker Cemetery are almost the only evidence of the former farming community, but the tales of its residents are rich. Expect to encounter some heart-breaking tragedies, a bit of mayhem and even an unsolved murder as their lives unfold on these pages.

Kindle Version – Ebook Version

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Haunting the Graveyard EPUB Version

$12.95

*Preorder your copy now! Expected to ship in September

*This is special pricing for the pre-order. 

Inconspicuously tucked away north of Loop 410 and in the shadow of Wurzbach Parkway in San Antonio, the Coker Cemetery contains the graves of more than 600 people. Several Texas Ranger and Texas Historical Markers serve as obvious signs this turf is fertile with stories. Beginning with the arrival of Americans on the eve of the Texas Revolution, Haunting the Graveyard: Unearthing the Story of the Coker Settlement offers a regional perspective of a century of Texas history.

 

While a schoolhouse and Methodist church served as anchors for the Coker Settlement, men who went off to fight in bloody battles of the Civil War, spent months pursuing Indians and herded cattle and horses northward, found settling back into everyday farm chores difficult. Struggling to survive, families battled rattlesnakes, endured extended droughts and suffered through the Great Depression.

 

Many overcame these obstacles, only to find their rural lifestyle vanquished by San Antonio itself. As the city grew, increased demands for housing convinced some to sell. Roads to reach new homes chopped up dairy farms with wider and wider ribbons of asphalt, and airport runways buried fields.

 

The headstones in Coker Cemetery are almost the only evidence of the former farming community, but the tales of its residents are rich. Expect to encounter some heart-breaking tragedies, a bit of mayhem and even an unsolved murder as their lives unfold on these pages.

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Haunting the Graveyard Kindle Version

$12.95

*Preorder your copy now! Expected to ship in September

*This is special pricing for the pre-order. 

Inconspicuously tucked away north of Loop 410 and in the shadow of Wurzbach Parkway in San Antonio, the Coker Cemetery contains the graves of more than 600 people. Several Texas Ranger and Texas Historical Markers serve as obvious signs this turf is fertile with stories. Beginning with the arrival of Americans on the eve of the Texas Revolution, Haunting the Graveyard: Unearthing the Story of the Coker Settlement offers a regional perspective of a century of Texas history.

 

While a schoolhouse and Methodist church served as anchors for the Coker Settlement, men who went off to fight in bloody battles of the Civil War, spent months pursuing Indians and herded cattle and horses northward, found settling back into everyday farm chores difficult. Struggling to survive, families battled rattlesnakes, endured extended droughts and suffered through the Great Depression.

 

Many overcame these obstacles, only to find their rural lifestyle vanquished by San Antonio itself. As the city grew, increased demands for housing convinced some to sell. Roads to reach new homes chopped up dairy farms with wider and wider ribbons of asphalt, and airport runways buried fields.

 

The headstones in Coker Cemetery are almost the only evidence of the former farming community, but the tales of its residents are rich. Expect to encounter some heart-breaking tragedies, a bit of mayhem and even an unsolved murder as their lives unfold on these pages.

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Holy Companions

$16.95

“The Celtic saints lived in times that were uncertain,” Mary Earle and Sylvia Maddox write. Those same saints “offer us a glimpse of lives characterized by a gracious confidence in the living God and a down-to-earth awareness of human need.” So it is no wonder that voices that are centuries old speak to us so freshly today.

 

Journey along with eighteen Celtic saints in Holy Companions, and explore how the lives they lived long ago can shed light on twenty-first-century living. Discover how their spiritual practices, or practices inspired by their writings and teachings, help us become aware of human needs and God’s gracious presence in the face of those needs. These saints of long ago offer us much that is healing and strengthening as we walk with Christ into an unknown future.

 

“Holy Companions stands out as an exceptionally well-written and balanced introduction to the saints of this richly personal and deeply corporate tradition. The book successfully guides us into a way of reflecting and praying with these saints as it introduces the stories and legends associated with them.” – John Philip Newell, author and speaker.

 

Mary C. Earle is an Episcopal priest, poet, author, spiritual director and retreat leader. Until her retirement, she taught classes in spirituality for the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. Mary has authored nine books; the subjects include the spirituality of living with illness, rule of life, Celtic Christian spirituality, the Desert Mothers, and Julian of Norwich. Mary has offered presentations and retreats in a variety of ecumenical settings, including conferences of the Academy for Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Directors International, the International Thomas Merton Society and hospice organizations. She has written articles for a variety of journals, including Presence: the Journal of Spiritual Directors International, Radical Grace, Reflections, and The Lutheran. She was included in the Living Spiritual Teachers project of Spirituality and Practice.

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Intersections of Grace 2nd EDITION

$17.95

Intersections of Grace grew out of a series of devotional talks delivered to Susan’s Bible Study group. After much encouragement from the women in the group , she turned these talks into a collection of written essays and prayers. God’s word, nature, pets, travel, and daily life inspired the writings. Over the years, as a student of the Bible, Susan has witnessed many manifestations of God’s Grace. These essays beautifully express Susan’s belief that if we are only attentive, we may see the intersections of God’s Grace at every step of our journey.

The second edition includes thought provoking study questions that can help facilitate your own awareness of intersections of God’s grace, or make a wonderful tool to be used in a study group.

Susan Kerr is a longtime leader of Women’s Bible Studies. A graduate of the University of Texas, she lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband. Susan is a proud mother of two grown children and two of the furry four-legged variety. Aside from being a dedicated writer, Susan is passionate about photography, particularly landscape and travel photography. For more information visit Susan at http://susanmoormankerr.com.

 

Reviews

“Thank you for sharing your heart and your story with us. The Lord has given you a special appreciation for His truth and has given you a powerful gift for communication.” Rev. Bob Fuller

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Intersections of Grace Study Guide

$16.00

Susan Kerr’s book Intersections of Grace was based on talks given to a Bible study group, the chapters and ideas nurtured and inspired by Scripture and personal experiences. This study guide has been designed to encourage a personal relationship to those insights and observations. Whether in a small group or on one’s own, the lessons aid in evaluating one’s faithfulness to the disciplines of prayer, service, and the study of God’s word. Spiral bound to be able to easily jot notes or observations, each section has Bible passages to take the material more to heart.

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Intersections of Grace Study Guide and Book BUNDLE

$30.00

*This listing is for a bundle of both the book and study guide. Please contact info@materialmedia.com to inquire about wholesale pricing for your Bible Study group.

 

Susan Kerr’s book Intersections of Grace was based on talks given to a Bible study group, the chapters and ideas nurtured and inspired by Scripture and personal experiences. This study guide has been designed to encourage a personal relationship to those insights and observations. Whether in a small group or on one’s own, the lessons aid in evaluating one’s faithfulness to the disciplines of prayer, service, and the study of God’s word. Spiral bound to be able to easily jot notes or observations, each section has Bible passages to take the material more to heart. Comes with the 2nd edition printing of the book, Intersections of Grace: Reflections on a Life of Faith.

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Julian of Norwich

$16.99

Many people are familiar with the phrase “All shall be well” but do not know much, if anything, about Julian of Norwich, the fourteenth-century English mystic who wrote those words. Thomas Merton declared her to be “without a doubt one of the most wonderful of all Christian voices,” and former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams says that her writings “may well be the most important work of Christian reflection in the English language.”

 

This accessible introduction to Julian’s Revelations of Divine Love, an extended reflection on a series of her mystical visions, includes an informative introduction that addresses the historical, cultural and sociological context of Julian’s life and writings. Mary Earle’s facing-page commentary focuses on Julian’s profoundly hopeful vision of humanity and God, her creative imagery and her rigorous honesty about the spiritual life. Drawing directly from Julian’s text, Earle addresses a variety of topics essential to understanding Julian’s mysticism, including the infinite nature of God, the life of prayer, God’s suffering with us, the eternal and undying life of the should, the motherhood of Jesus and the motherhood of God, “all shall be well” and more.

 

Mary C. Earle is an Episcopal priest, poet, author, spiritual director and retreat leader. Until her retirement, she taught classes in spirituality for the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. Mary has authored nine books; the subjects include the spirituality of living with illness, rule of life, Celtic Christian spirituality, the Desert Mothers, and Julian of Norwich. Mary has offered presentations and retreats in a variety of ecumenical settings, including conferences of the Academy for Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Directors International, the International Thomas Merton Society and hospice organizations. She has written articles for a variety of journals, including Presence: the Journal of Spiritual Directors International, Radical Grace, Reflections, and The Lutheran. She was included in the Living Spiritual Teachers project of Spirituality and Practice.

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Just As We Were

$19.95

When a Texas debutante bows her forehead to the floor in the famous “Texas dip,” society columnists all across the country speculate interminably over what it is that sets Texas women apart. But really, how could they know? Even women born and bred in Texas can’t always answer that question.

Prudence Mackintosh comes very close to an answer, though, in this endlessly entertaining book. Writing with both a wry sense of humor and an insider’s compassion, she offers us a fascinating look into the world of privileged, educated, well-married, well-connected, and mostly wealthy white Texas women.

What really sets these women apart, Ms. Mackintosh tells us, is the comfortable yet demanding path they follow from their idyllic girlhoods to prominent positions in society. In thirteen essays, some of which originally appeared in Texas Monthly magazine, she charts the way stations that mark this path: summer camps in the Texas Hill Country, exclusive private schools like Dallas’ Hockaday, sorority membership, and acceptance into the Junior League.

Prudence Mackintosh has been both an outsider and an insider in this privileged world, and her observations are shot through with wit and real insight. Just As We Were may not be the final word on elite Texas women, but no other book has described their world with greater irony or accuracy.

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Laying on of Song

$12.99

This unique release is inspired by the “laying on of song” practice where neighbors used to comfort each other by singing the traditional hymns.

King, who’s received praise from U.S.A. Today and National Public Radio for his approach to “gospel guitar,” presents all of the favorite hymns in a distinctive, old-timey, guitar style. Songs include: “In The Sweet By and By,” “Blessed Assurance,” and “Softly & Tenderly.” $12.99

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Light to the Darkness

$18.00

These are stories of human beings who lived in “the temporal element,” but who understood something of the divine drama, of the eternal — people like Abraham and Isaiah, like Elizabeth and Mary of Nazareth, who were all convinced that God was a personal God. These are stories that matter to people like us… This is another way to look at the same stories and hear anew the carols that serve as the eternal Yes to the truth that the stories reveal to us. – From Light to the Darkness

 

Of all the ancient traditions that surround Advent — as Christians joyfully wait for the birth of Christ — perhaps none is so well loved as the service of Lessons and Carols. In scripture and song, believers gather together to tell the story of who they are and what their faith calls them to be.

In this fresh new interpretation of lessons and carols, Katerina Whitley retells the stories in the form of dramatic monologue and dialogue, helping listeners to hear them as if for the very first time. With music suggestions that range from the traditional to the unexpected, Light to the Darkness is a resource for churches planning meaningful Advent services — and for individuals seeking a new way to mark the days of this holy season.

 

Katerina Katsarka was born in Thessaloniki, Greece. “I long for what is good and whole in humanity, even though I am quite aware of the darkness. Jesus expects us to be the light of the world and I try to remember this always. Writing, for me, is a response to the Light.”

The same is true with teaching, Katerina says. She has taught children and adults of all ages, but her favorite groups are the college students she has been teaching at Appalachian State University as a communication adjunct since 2001.

She is the author of several books, including Speaking for Ourselves: Voices of Biblical Women and Walking the Way of Sorrows: Stations of the Cross.

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Listening Devices

$33.00
This collection of poetry explores the nature of language, love and loss, our history, and the simple joy of being alive. It is organized into four sections, or quartets, each of which is based upon a piece of music that sets the mood for the poems in that section. Texas poet laureate Carol Coffee Reposa says of Listening Devices: “a near Renaissance breadth of vision…Dennis is a poetic wizard.”
 James R. Dennis is a poet, a novelist, and a Dominican friar. He also writes and teaches on spiritual matters. He lives in San Antonio with two ill-behaved dogs.
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Love is the Way

$27.00

As the descendant of slaves and the son of a civil rights activist, Bishop Michael Curry’s life illustrates massive changes in our times. Much of the world met Bishop Curry when he delivered his sermon on the redemptive power of love at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle. Here, he expands on his message of hope in an inspirational road map for living the way of love, illuminated with moving lessons from his own life. Through the prism of his faith, ancestry, and personal journey, Love Is the Way shows us how America came this far and, more important, how to go a whole lot further.

The way of love is essential for addressing the seemingly insurmountable challenges facing the world today: poverty, racism, selfishness, deep ideological divisions, competing claims to speak for God. This book will lead readers to discover the gifts they need in order to live the way of love: deep reservoirs of hope and resilience, simple wisdom, the discipline of nonviolence, and unshakable regard for human dignity.

 

The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry is the presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church. Elected in 2015, he is the first African-American to lead the denomination. He was previously bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. A noted advocate for human rights and author of several books, Bishop Curry is recognized as one of the most popular preachers in the English language. He and his wife Sharon Curry have two daughters, Rachel and Elizabeth. They live in North Carolina.

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Manhattan Beach Memoir: Artist Gary Sweeney Says Goodbye to His Childhood Home

$35.00

 

In 2016, Gary Sweeney created a site-specific installation, A Manhattan Beach Memoir: 1945-2015. This book documents the installation at 320 35th Street, made as a tribute to his family, the Manhattan Beach of his youth, and the Southern California house that his family owned for over 70 years. A house is like a pictorial frame delimiting the lives lived within it; Sweeney’s memoir is an homage to this frame, this sheltered space, made resonant by the role it played in his family’s life.

 

Sweeney’s art is a celebration not just of a bygone era and a particular family’s life, but of a specific landscape and a use of photography that is also disappearing into the past. As his humble beach cottage gets replaced by townhouse, and the city succumbs to an ever-growing homogenous suburbia, Sweeney’s art is both an endearing tribute and a wry social commentary.

 

Writers Wendy Weil Atwell and Neil Fauerso discuss the social and economic factor that shaped Sweeney’s childhood, the astronomical increase in real estate values, the meaning of home, photography’s role in society, and the Southern California art movements that inspired and influenced Sweeney’s art.

 

Gary Sweeney is a contemporary artist who lives with his wife, Janet, in San Antonio, Texas. Born in 1952, Sweeney was raised in Southern California during the euphoric post-World War II atmosphere. His house in Manhattan Beach was just a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean, where Sweeney surfed and soaked in the California sun before graduating in 1975 with a Degree in Fine Arts from UC Irvine. Influenced by both Pop art and California artists such as John Baldessari, Sweeney’s art ranges from neon signs, billboards, and murals to rug making, book art, and video. To support his artistic career, Sweeney worked as an airline baggage handler for 35 years.

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Marvelously Made

$16.95

 

Each chapter in Marvelously Made focuses on a vital part of the body, the heart, the lungs, the brain, the joints. For each section, Mary provides reader-friendly information about the wonders of the organ or body part, and offers a prayer and a set of gratitude practices in the form of a physical and spiritual meditation exercise to deepen your appreciation of the body.

 

“A beautiful resource for those of us who want to enter more deeply into a prayerful experience of the body. Through a series of thoughtful contemplative practices that bring us to a deepened sense of our own grace, Earle leads the reader gently to a renewed sense of wonder, amazement, and profound gratitude for the gift of being in a body. Highly recommended.” – Christine Valters Paintner, author of The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom

 

“Mary Earle helps us see that our bodies are marvelously made, a ‘sacred space,’ where God’s wondrous and mysterious ways can be appreciated contemplatively, with gratitude. But she also takes gratitude to its next step, in suggesting ways of serving others’ bodily needs with compassion and conviction.” – Brian C. Taylor, author of Becoming Christ: Transformation Through Contemplation

 

Mary C. Earle is an Episcopal priest, poet, author, spiritual director and retreat leader. Until her retirement, she taught classes in spirituality for the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. Mary has authored nine books; the subjects include the spirituality of living with illness, rule of life, Celtic Christian spirituality, the Desert Mothers, and Julian of Norwich. Mary has offered presentations and retreats in a variety of ecumenical settings, including conferences of the Academy for Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Directors International, the International Thomas Merton Society and hospice organizations. She has written articles for a variety of journals, including Presence: the Journal of Spiritual Directors International, Radical Grace, Reflections, and The Lutheran. She was included in the Living Spiritual Teachers project of Spirituality and Practice.

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Miriam Talks Back

$12.95

Miriam Talks Back: And Other Voices from the Hebrew Scriptures.

This is a deeply perceptive and powerful work. Lyons eloquently provides believable voices for myriad women—“good” and “bad,” Hebrew and non-Hebrew–in the Hebrew scriptures. In her poems these often silent and even unnamed females tell their own life stories as they see them and speak as real, complex women. God kills Job’s children as a test of his faith, but how would Job’s wife respond to these deaths? Lyons’s poems are an invitation into the world of the feminine and offer fascinating, new insights into the Hebrew scriptures.

Bonnie Lyons is the author of four books of poetry, including In Other Words, (Pecan Grove, 2004) where most of the poems recorded in this CD were published. Her other books of poetry are Hineni(Finishing Line Press, 2003), Meanwhile (Finishing Line Press, 2005) and Bedrock (Pecan Grove, 2011). In addition to poetry, she has also published Henry Roth: The Man and His Work and co-authored Passion and Craft: Interviews with Fiction Writers. A long-time, award-winning professor of English at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Bonnie Lyons has also taught and lectured in Greece, Italy, Spain, England, and Israel.

LYONS — September 2011
Spirituality/ Poetry / Audiobook / CD / 1 disc/ 5.6 x4.9. x 0.9 / running time approx 1.2 hours
ISBN 978-0-9798958-2-1 $12.95

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