John Barrowman and God...

One of the things I blearily watched in the past few days was the British TV show Heaven and Earth, a BBC show in which celebrities discuss their views on religion. John Barrowman was the guest.

Rather to my surprise, he's Christian, and spoke rather clearly on what that means to him. I was surprised because I am always a little surprised when anyone is Christian - though I shouldn't be so naive about it. I was Christian once, so long ago I've almost forgotten what it was like.

Barrowman attends church, but he didn't say how regularly, or which church - I rather assumed Scots Presbyterian, simply through stereotyping, or because that's the background of my own family. This wasn't the kind of show that puts celebrities on the spot by pushing them to justify their faith, thank goodness. Barrowman talked about how his Christianity was not a religion of bigotry and he believes that God created him gay, and it was his role to be the best person he could be whatever his orientation. He said that his parents actually changed their church because of bigotry - presumably homophobia - from the pulpit. Charmingly, at the end, the interviewer congratulated him on his civil partnership with Scott, and mentioned the kilt he wore for the ceremony. She asked if Scott would wear a kilt any time soon. "I had enough trouble getting him into a suit," said Barrowman. "Besides, I'm the one with the good calves."

Asked about whether he wanted to have children (as had been reported), Barrowman said yes, but Scott wasn't so sure and he wouldn't do it unless and until Scott was sure. He also didn't want to become a parent just to have the child raised by a nanny, and his career is going so well these days, and he's so happy with it, he doesn't at present want to change his life so radically.

In my irrepressibly curious way I wanted to ask a bunch of other questions, not justify-your-faith kinds of questions, but questions about what Barrowman thinks about his work and his role on Doctor Who and Torchwood. I share the Russell T. Davies' brand of humanism in my beliefs, one of the reasons I love both shows so much, so I wanted to ask him about that: how do you feel, then, when Captain Jack says religion is merely superstition in a random universe? How do you feel about Torchwood's repeated assertions that there is no life after death? How do you feel about Captain Jack being surrounded with specifically Christian symbolism that depicts him as Jesus? ... I have no idea how Barrowman would answer these questions, but I am sure his answers would be both sensible and intelligent, and I'd love to hear them. Perhaps it is touching too close to Doctor Who-related subjects that the BBC (and Davies) do not discuss out loud. The parameters of what they discuss in public (in contrast to what they do not) are interesting in themselves.

Books in 2006...

From Booking through Thursday:

So, now that 2006 is over . . . what were your favorite books of the year?

It was a terrific year for books.

The top of the heap:

(1) The Macedon novels of Karin Lowachee: Warchild, Burndive, and Cagebird. First-class SF. Brilliant and wonderful books. Captain Cairo Azarcon is one of the best heroic characters I have encountered in years.

(2) The Eugenides series by Megan Whalen Turner: The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia. First class fantasy. Brilliant and wonderful books. Gen is utterly remarkable and memorable.

(3) The Atticus Kodiak novels of Greg Rucka. Thrillers: Keeper, Finder, and Shooting at Midnight. There are others in the series, all good, but I liked these three best because of the inclusion of Bridgett Logan, private eye and Atticus' bisexual girlfriend.

(4) The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner, a sequel to the brilliant novel Swordspoint , and it gives new meaning to the phrase 'long awaited'. A swashbuckling coming-of-age adventure with witty bisexual characters.

(5) The Sharing Knife: Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold. I almost hesitate to mention it, as it feels like half a book - the second part, The Sharing Knife: Legacy, isn't out yet. I mention it because I think it is Lois McMaster Bujold's best book in years - I was much less impressed with her other fantasy novels. Utterly romantic in all the right ways.

(6) The End of Faith by Sam Harris. I'm still not sure how much of this book I agree with, but it was a very liberating thing for me to read. It showed me that I can believe in spirituality with accepting religion on other people's terms, and that I do not have to show outward respect for ideas I do not respect just because they are religious.

The above books (and others) made 2006 a rather superb year for reading. I could add the biographies of Ivor Novello and Christopher Marlowe and Lord Hervey. Plays both read and reread by Shakespeare and Marlowe. I could add - but it seems superfluous - the reading I did about the Crusades and other aspects of the twelfth century, which is never far from my consciousness.

And yet... I feel I fell behind in the reading department in 2006. Didn't read as much as I usually do, or as much as I like to. Watched more television than usual, mostly because of Doctor Who, Torchwood, Veronica Mars and Battlestar Galactica.

But then, there's a lot to be said for quality over quantity.

[Doctor Who] - aww, you all hate me!

The answer to the question of "What kind of Doctor Who fan am I?" Really, ( it's a no-brainer... )

The Grand Canyon...

Can I believe what I read? This article must be an April Fool's joke. No? Especially:

Grand Canyon National Park is not permitted to give an official estimate of the geologic age of its principal feature, due to pressure from Bush administration appointees.... "In order to avoid offending religious fundamentalists, our National Park Service is under orders to suspend its belief in geology," stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. "It is disconcerting that the official position of a national park as to the geologic age of the Grand Canyon is 'no comment.'"