An Interview with Author Darrell Rohling

Hello internet-peeps, sorry I’ve been so remiss on blogging, but I’ve been completely obsessed with writing Crucifixion of the Warrior God. On top of that, my blog has been quirky, for reasons I can’t figure out. (So, for example, the FONT and SPACING of this blog may change randomly. Just try to ignore it. It’s probably just computer-demons).

ANYWAY, this post is going to be a bit different from anything I’ve done before. I’m going to share an interview I did with my long-time friend Darrell Rohling regarding his soon-to-be-published novel, Ashes, Ashes. 
Here’s what I wrote as an endorsement of his book.

“Is it possible to find faith when one’s life has become a nightmarish hell? In the tradition of Dostoyevsky, Conrad and Koestler, Rohling’s gritty and compelling debut novel brings readers to that existential point where the line between faith and despair becomes razor thin and one is forced to choose out of the depths of one’s soul. Ashes, Ashes is that rare sort of novel that is at once spiritually disturbing and authentically hopeful. A must read!”

And here’s the interview.

G.B.  Thanks for doing this interview, Darrell. Probably the thing that most grabbed me about your novel was your gutsy depiction of your main character, Rev. Hamilton Ford.  This certainly isn’t one of those nice-and-tidy “faith triumphs over pain” stories.  Can you tell me what drove you, as a Christian, to write a story like Ashes, Ashes?

D. R.  It’s a privilege to do this interview with you, Greg. Many thanks. Well, I guess I was driven to write a story that put a “man of God” —a widely popular megachurch pastor, no less—through an unthinkable horror in order to see whether or not he could keep his faith and emerge on the other side of it. I honestly wasn’t sure when I began this novel that the Reverend’s faith would survive, probably because I’m not sure my own faith would survive what this guy went through.

G. B. What Ford endured was about as bad as anything life could dish out to someone. And I have to say your portrayal of Rev. Ford as a megachurch pastor hit a little close to home.

D. R.  Sorry about that! But there are similar stories found throughout the Bible, as I know you know. Most people are familiar with poor Job, but he’s hardly alone. In fact, many of the “heroes of faith” in Hebrews 11 got a pretty raw deal.

G.B. You’ve got that right! Floggings, starvation, stoning, sawed in two…not the “blessing” most of us would want. One of the things I appreciated the most about your novel was that you didn’t sugar coat anything. You faced the problem of evil head on. What inspired you to deal with this problem so graphically and in a narrative format?

D.R . Well, I’ve always been fascinated with the concept of narrative, with the mysterious power of human language and its transmission into the written form. It’s such a powerful medium. Think about it. This very second we are moving our tongues and mouths, pushing air from our lungs into our voice boxes and then putting little black symbols down on paper.  From a communicative process like this people are informed, encouraged, anguished, moved to faith or doubt, love or war. It’s powerful! It seems to me that, as people of faith, we have a massive responsibility with how we communicate! Novels can be more than entertainment: they can make a significant difference in how people think and live.

G.B  Preach it! So in Ashes, Ashes we have a “man of God” with a wonderful “blessed” life who suddenly finds himself in a virtual hell, right? And the question your novel raises so forcefully is basically — Can a person find faith while going through hell? Is there anything else you’d like to share about Ford’s journey as we bring this interview to a close?

D.R. Well, I think it’s worth noting that a central aspect of Ford’s journey revolves around his conception of God. His nightmarish experience turned his understanding of God on its head. The pastor begins to encounter God as an invading force that he suspects may be as malevolent as he is just. He feels haunted by God, and it drives him to the brink of insanity. But Hamilton Ford also experiences moments of hope, often from very unexpected sources.

G. B. And folks will just have to read Ashes Ashes for themselves to see how things turn out. I want to thank you, Darrell, for writing such an imaginative and provocative work. And thanks for sharing your thoughts today.

D. R.  Always my pleasure Greg. Thank you!

If any of you would like to get a signed copy of Ashes, Ashes, you can request a copy at djrohling@aol.com.

One last thing.  You’re all invited to hang a while with Darrell at a novel-launching & book-signing party on Saturday, June 4th, 7:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m, at Throwback’s Grille & Bar, 1690 Woodlane Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125.