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When Jeanne Torrence Finley 鈥�69 was majoring in English at Pfeiffer College, Dr. J. Griffin Campbell, one of her professors, read Emily Dickinson鈥檚 aloud during a class on American poets. The poem reinforced her trust in what she calls 鈥渢he mystical knowledge of particular poets to teach me something of the Divine.鈥� 

That trust has only deepened with time, and to underscore the point, she鈥檚 helping Noel Paul Stookey, the 鈥淧aul鈥� of the famed folk group , write his autobiography, which has a working title of . She proposed the project to Stookey after learning more about his life and music, and they鈥檝e been working on it since 2016.

Finley鈥檚 interest in Stookey began to take hold in 2015 when she was tasked with writing an article on interfaith understanding for FaithLink, an adult curriculum that connected faith and contemporary issues and events. The article in question was a response to terrorist attacks in Paris for which the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility, prompting increases in anti-Muslim hate and violence across the globe.

During her research for the article, Finley learned that Stookey and his wife Betty, a United Church of Christ clergywoman, regularly presented 鈥淥ne Light, Many Candles,鈥� a multi-faith program in word and song. Finley began to listen thoughtfully to Stookey鈥檚 more recent songs, finding in them what she has called 鈥渄eeply reflective lyrics, occasional comic relief, profound but humble reverence, and beautiful melodies played by an accomplished guitarist.鈥�

鈥淚 appreciated Noel鈥檚 eye for image, the rhythm of his words, his vocal interpretation, and the freshness of his metaphorical language, especially when it deals with spirituality,鈥� she added in  a Finley/Stookey-written newsletter for fans that features posts on everything from the project鈥檚 beginnings to stories that do not appear in the book.

鈥淎s a progressive Christian sensitive to the hackneyed use and abuse of religious language, I noticed his avoidance of religious words and phrases that may carry a lot of negative associations for people skeptical of religion and spirituality. In addition, at the time my husband and I were still in deep grief over the loss of our 33-year-old daughter to cancer, and I found healing and hope in Noel鈥檚 music.鈥�

In time, Finley published a of a Stooky CD called 鈥淎t Home: The Maine Tour鈥� for Sojourners magazine.

鈥淲ow! That was fun,鈥� Finley remembers thinking after the review ran. 鈥淣oel鈥檚 music and story need to be shared with a wider audience. Wonder what would happen if I proposed a book?鈥�

Finley considers For the Love of It All, also the name of of Stookey鈥檚 songs, to be the crowning achievement in her rather diverse body of 鈥檚 work, which has included writing curriculum books for small group use in churches, teaching collegiate English courses, and pastoring United Methodist churches in rural Virginia. The book is certainly an ambitious project, based on scores of Finley鈥檚 interviews with Stookey.

In addition to recounting key events in Stookey鈥檚 life, it sets out to explore a wide range of topics. During their for the book, for example, Finley and Stookey discussed, among many other things, the need for fresh religious metaphors, the integration of Stookey鈥檚 faith and social concern, the spirituality of his parents, and his thoughts on everyone from composer Charles Ives to the political activist Thomas Paine.

For the Love of It All is about 80 percent complete, and Finley says that she and Stookey are looking for a publisher.

鈥淚鈥檝e really felt a strong connection to this project from the start,鈥� Finley said from her home in southwest Virginia. 鈥淚t鈥檚 as if everything I鈥檝e done in my life up to this point has fed into it. Nothing else I鈥檝e worked on has been this much fun.鈥�

And nothing else has required as much determination. Finley said she emailed Stookey three times proposing an autobiography before she got a response.

Stookey expressed interest, but wanted to read her reviews of his solo fare before he would commit.

Undeterred, Finley got to work and delivered a voluminous analysis of Stookey鈥檚 work, drawing on the critical thinking skills she says Pfeiffer helped her to develop. In a Stookey CD called 鈥淪omething New and Fresh,鈥� for example, she told him she found:

The poem in question was 鈥淭ell all the truth but tell it slant.鈥� It drew her closer to Stookey鈥檚 solo fare, in which she 鈥渞ecognized a reticence to speak about God in traditional ways and a choice to 鈥榯ell it slant.鈥欌��

So, what ultimately persuaded Stookey to commit to the project? In Finley鈥檚 mind, the breakthrough happened when she recognized what a challenge it was for him to accept the fact that some people are just not going to get his work as a singer/songwriter.

鈥淲hen I came along saying that not only do I get it, but I think I can help other folks get it as well by opening up the concept of metaphor in religious language, that convinced him,鈥� she said. 鈥淏oth he and I recognize that parables, which are extended metaphors, were a favorite form of communication for Jesus.鈥�

Finley also stresses Stookey didn鈥檛 write his songs for worship. 鈥淗e wrote them to get people thinking and reflecting about their own lives and asking questions,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 really connected with that in him, in his music, and I can鈥檛 wait to complete the book.鈥�