Sharing the Love This Valentine's Day
A Baker's Dozen of Writers I Can't Help But Love
“You should write an article for Valentine’s Day!”
— An Enthusiastic Mrs. R // 20:43, 13th February 2025
Am I even capable of such a thing?
It has been years since I wrote a proper poem, and I constantly struggle to write those personal articles that populate my “Most Read” list.
Love is a an odd muscle though. The more you exercise it, the more its capacity grows, seemingly without end. You start with Lego and a blanket, before long it is given solely to that girl with five colours in her hair, before breaking into a thousand pieces and falling upon every My Chemical Romance song ever written. Friends come and go. You stumble upon coffee, strange condiments, and cakes from foreign places. As all writers are, I’m also an avid reader, and so for me that love also fell upon voices from ages past and Substacks present. Perhaps I have something to write about after all. Today I thought I’d share my love for some writers around this little world.
These are the writers I patiently wait for week after week, the kind that spur me on to better myself, whose heavy tasks I don’t envy for a minute, and who don’t boast or grandstand as they display their talents to the world. Where so many are arrogant, rude, or crude, these are humble, God glorifying, and promiscuous with their use of vocabulary. They don’t pridefully insist on their own ways, but sacrifice their time to show people the Way.
Dear Reader, it is so easy when we find others with talents so different from our own to grow resentful, and that’s why Jesus’ call to love one another is such an important task. The truth is, you’re immensely talented, and if I could write about you too, I’m sure I would.
That’s why I write.
I yearn to glorify God and to love his people through my writing. Thank you to all of you who have borne with me all these years, believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. I hope this newsletter will continue to encourage you as long as it endures, but I promise that long after the last word is written, love will outlast it still.
Love will never end, but this portion of the newsletter must!
On to the recommendations!
The Baker’s Dozen - Sweet Treats for Valentine’s Day
Bob Allen gives me hope. Not merely of a brighter tomorrow, but a hope that God will shine through my darkest days with all the majesty of eternity. I’ve known Bob a long while and I was delighted when he began to write more last year, and more, and yet more! The joy of Bob’s writing isn’t just in the quantity though—although that is a huge positive—but in the sincerity. Listen to the things Bob says, don’t just read and move on to the next article. Sit. Reflect. Start here:
If only God would equip the coming generations with the gifts he bestowed uponJohn E. Dobbs. John’s writing is often quite short and concise, but carries with it the weight of years in ministry, and serious time spent in intercession for the people he loves.
What do you write for the woman who has read everything one could say about her? By everything, I mean everything. Karen Swallow Prior will come to be a biographer’s life’s work in a hundred years time, I’m sure. They will lack the same thing Karen’s critics lack. They won’t know her. What sets Karen apart from other writers is her generosity. This I know well.
The Priory is one of her many gifts to the world. Will you accept this gift?
E.M. Welcher’s poetry is set to the whirring rhythm of an industrial lathe. A husband’s heart and a pastor’s pulpit. A man acquainted with sorrow, and a friend of the King. Hands weathered by sawdust and hours spent clinging to the Rock of our salvation, but are soft enough still to take tiny hands in his as he leads his family onwards.
I hear Rachel Joy Welcher’s name all the time. I wonder whether Rachel realises how many people her work has impacted. Of late, the primary vehicle for her work has been a collection of poems written ostensibly for Hildegaard, the Welcher’s daughter1. Whenever I have shared these poems with others, it is because I have felt the weight of those poems myself. The best poems don’t bottle up love, but set love free, giving it a life all of its own. These are the poems that pass down through generations. One day, Hildegaard will find this inheritance of hers. Oh what a day that will be.
Let’s get serious. Seriously funny that is. I met Chris Martin about five years ago now, after he agreed to be the first person Mrs R and I would interview for a podcast we were recording at the time called, “Consider the Ravens.” I say that because I think the capacity Chris has for finding the funnies is an extension of his ability to bring joy to others. Chris was the perfect first guest, and he gave us the confidence we needed to carry on. Now, he gives me several dozen memes and jokes to share with Mrs R every month and I’m so grateful he does.
Poetry has taken a backseat in the digital age. I think one of the reasons for that is the modern mind’s propensity to drift. Poetry demands attention, and recital. You don’t need to speak all poetry aloud, because good poetry will echo through your bones as you read it. Claire (Lanterns in the Dark)2 is one such poet. It takes me longer to read ten of her words than a thousand of someone else’s, because hers are chosen and applied with such care.
Have you ever looked at an FAQ list and thought, “these aren’t questions people are asking. They’re the questions you wish someone would ask.” I think most writers, myself included, fall into the that trap all too often. Justin Allison seems to have dodged that bullet with Neo-like3 precision. What makes his work stand out is how common his subject matters are. The article below is a prime example. Believers the world over are being born again all the time, and are landing in churches with a hunger for the word of God. Yet. Justin is the first person I have seen tackle this in a long time. Justin will answer the questions no one else seems to want to tackle, despite how important they are. Justin, keep doing what you’re doing.
Wendy Willard is a subtle architect. Her body of work houses all manner of subjects and experiences, but the more you read the more you notice the connective tissue that binds them all together. The article I’ve decided to share for Wendy is a little different from the others, because I think it displays the didactic nature of that connective tissue. These “House Rules” should be common sense, yet, we know they aren’t. Wendy’s didactic wisdom is on full display here:
Dan Alcantara is the freshest addition to this list. The speed is notable, only having arrived on the scene earlier this year. There is a wisdom in brevity, and Dan knows this well. In this article Dan says, “I have started to compile a collection of wisdom to bring along with me wherever I go.” I suggest you do the same with his writing.
Kelly Ottaway is a formidable talent. All the raw talent in the world is nothing without experience though—something Kelly has in spades. Her writing digs through the annals of her life, finding those moments that intersect with every member of the body of Christ. The unique moments of her life tell a greater story about the underlying truths we all share. This is one such example:
Once upon a time, a clergyman woke up and chose murder. *Checks notes* Sorry, once upon a time, a clergyman woke up and chose murder mystery novels. Check out Adam Thomas’ writing if you're fond of a conundrum, and a good laugh.
I’m 99% sure that Amy Mantravadi is actually a time traveler… although there’s a 1% chance left that she’s immortal. How else could someone convey the past in the present in such a personable way. She had to have been there.
I will accept no other options at this time.
That’s all from me today.
This piece is dedicated to my Valentine, the inimitable Mrs R, who has stood by my writing desk for years now without fail. Someone once lamented that excellent wives are hard to find. This one turned up when I wasn’t searching, but finding her changed my world. I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without her, in fact, I probably wouldn’t a writer at all. This woman makes me want to be a better man, and she helps towards that end.
Mrs R, I love you.
Grace and Peace,
Adsum Try Ravenhill
The Raven's Writing Desk
P.S. Tell me about a writer you love!
Yes, these two are married. They are the reigning King and Queen of Christian poetry.
Claire’s really surname is actually, "(Lanterns in the Dark)” including the brackets! Can you believe it?
I think this is about as modern as my references are ever going to get.
Quite kind of you!
Of course Karen, Rachel, and Claire would be on this list! Thank you for sharing!