Meet the Readers: Mike F.
Written by Emma McCoy
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Welcome to our interview series!
Until Advent, I’m going to be doing something a little different—interviewing blog readers about how they experience the blog, what they like and dislike, and where they think it should be going. By getting feedback from folks who consistently read and engage with the blog, I hope to garner some great feedback and ideas for what I can be doing next year. Sit back, relax, and enjoy some fun conversations with fabulous people.
Spring Church Blog Interview #1: Mike Fogg
Stepping into Mike’s office, one immediately realizes that this is a room all about the details: the sprawling notes on the whiteboard, the stack of books in the window, the comfortable chair sitting across from his desk. The view over the parking lot and creek is quintessential Bellingham: cloudy sky, green trees, and cars with various bumper stickers, some humorous, some political.
I’d stepped in with the primary purpose of giving Mike some books (the Ramah sci-fi series by Arthur C. Clarke, to be specific) and we’d got to chatting, our conversation ranging from movies to Lord of the Rings and how stories change and stay the same. Thankfully, I remembered that I’d meant to ask him about the blog, and was able to snag a few more moments of his valuable time.
Emma: “Just to prove how off the cuff this will actually be, I haven't really written the questions yet.”
Mike: “Well, I'm glad to hear that, because I actually haven't written the answers either.”
Emma: “Glad we're on the same page, which is to say we have no page at all. Well, Mike, so you've been a longtime reader of the spring church blog authored by yours truly. I'm wondering, how often do you usually read the blog?”
Mike: “Almost every week. I got more involved, of course, when I was narrating your stories [Fruits of the Spirit]. I make sure to catch anything that was seasonal that you wrote, especially the garden story that you were doing [Easter series]. Those were really good. I liked your word usage, and the way you described things. We were just talking about authors that describe things well, and you use some literary tricks and tools that I really like. Something as simple as a dog barking somewhere; really, those sort of things hook me in. But I liked the way you wrote the series because it helped us to relate. When you write about how someone else would have experienced Easter, it's easy for me to see how I would have experienced that too. So you made those topics very relatable.”
Emma: “Would you say that you prefer the fictional stories over the theological reflections? Or is it just a matter of them being different?”
Mike: “It's half a dozen one way and six the other. I like the way you do the theological breakdowns too, because, again, you make things a lot easier to understand. You break down these concepts in a way that's relatable for us. And then I like the fiction that you do simply because you're a darn good writer. You know, I'll be vulnerable. We did a dry read when we were recording one of your Fruits of the Spirit stories and I started crying and choking up in the middle of reading it. A good writer evokes an emotional response from people. I mean that story, it was about someone experiencing the death of someone they cared about. So it hit close to home, as you know, I've been through that recently myself—it was such a constructive release.”
Emma: “That's such a huge compliment that makes me a little emotional. Something that I made up really connected to someone? Anyway, have you ever shared the blog with anyone else in your life, friends, colleagues, etc?”
Mike: “Not as far as hitting a technological link. I do talk to people about it all the time. I say, Dooie, you got to read this one. I'm just now learning how to do email and stuff like that. I came in here functionally illiterate with computers, and Jessie has gotten me to the point where I can actually tie my shoes now, you know, without falling over. I'm not really a good barometer for sharing, because I just came through a part of my life where the people I knew I don't really associate with much anymore. They remain in a world of transactional relationships as I go forward into a realm of transformative relationships. And it's a whole different ballpark, you know? And so the only people I would share it with already get it.”
Emma: “That makes a lot of sense. I love how you said, you know, ‘transactional versus transformative.’ I think that's so powerful because they have that same prefix. Then I would say my last question is, if there is any direction in particular that you'd like to see the blog go where you're like, ‘Man, if only it had this.’ Or ‘I'd love to see this.’”
Mike: “Yeah, what this blog could use is more cowbell. More cowbell. More cowbell. It's a great blog, but it needs more cowbell. This year, Emma, I want you to really explore the space and provide more cowbell. Really let go with the cowbell.”
After much laughter and assuring ourselves that we really do need our own podcast, we ended the interview. While I’m not sure if I could add cowbell to the blog, I’m sure with some research I could figure it out. Thank you for your time and kind words, Mike!
Do you read the blog regularly? Are you interested in sharing your thoughts with me? If so, shoot me an email at emmamccoywrites@gmail.com. Have a great week, everyone! Stay tuned for next week, an interview with a different Mike…
Follow us on Instagram @springchurchbellingham and here on the blog for new stories every week!
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About the author
Spring Church member, Emma McCoy (M.A.), has two poetry books: This Voice Has an Echo (2024) and In Case I Live Forever (2022). She’s been published in places like Across the Margin, Stirring Literary, and Thimble Mag. She reads for Chestnut Review and Whale Road Review. She’s probably working on her novel right now. Catch her on Substack: https://poetrybyemma.substack.com/