- William P. Young
William P. Young is an American author, best known for "The Shack", a Christian novel. Young initially printed just fifteen copies of his book for friends who encouraged him to have it published. Unable to find a publisher, Young published the book himself in 2007; word-of-mouth referrals eventually drove the book to number one on the
New York Times trade paperback fiction best-seller list in June 2008. [cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/books/24shack.html?em&ex=1214452800&en=40f16df7490a912f&ei=5070|title=Christian Novel Is Surprise Best Seller|last=Rich|first=Motoko|date=2008-06-24|publisher=The New York Times |accessdate=2008-06-24] [ [http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2008-04-30-shack_N.htm Aim at 'spiritually interested' sparks 'The Shack' sales] USA Today, 2008-04-30]In an interview with "
World Magazine "'sSusan Olasky , Young, who is no longer a member of a church, said "(The institutional church) doesn't work for those of us who are hurt and those of us who are damaged. . . . If God is a loving God and there's grace in this world and it doesn't work for those of us who didn't get dealt a very good hand in the deck, then why are we doing this? . . . Legalism within Christian or religious circles doesn't work very well for people who are good at it. And I wasn't very good at it." [cite news|url=http://www.worldmag.com/articles/14137?CFID=6691759&CFTOKEN=77001080|title=Commuter-driven bestseller|last=Olasky|first=Susan|date=2008-06-28|publisher=World Magazine |accessdate=2008-07-02]An article in "MacLean's Magazine" in August 2008 indicated that Young, is a "Canadian raised from birth by his missionary parents in Dutch New Guinea, Young was sexually abused by some of the people his parents preached to, as he was again back home, at a Christian boarding school. Young drifted through life as an adult, buoyed a little by his faith and a lot by his wife, Kim, keeping his secrets and building his shack: "the place we make to hide all our crap," he calls it. Until, at 38, he found himself at the nadir. "I had a three-month affair with one of my wife's best friends. That was it, that just blew my careful little religious world apart. I either had to get on my knees and deal with my wife's pain and anger or kill myself." [citenews|url=http://www.macleans.ca/culture/media/article.jsp?content=20080820_51506_51506|title=A God who looks like Aunt Jemima|date=2008-08-20|publisher=
Macleans ]Young currently resides in Gresham,
Oregon with his wife and six children.References
External links
*http://www.windblownmedia.com/
* [http://www.drewmarshall.ca/listen2008.html#080426 William P. Young - Biography (audio)]
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