Mark Van Steenwyk, along with his partner Amy and their son Jonas, live at the Mennonite Worker, an intentional community in Minneapolis devoted to hospitality, simplicity, peacemaking, resistance and prayer. Mark is a public speaker . Mark is the author of A Wolf at the Gate, The unKingdom of God, and That Holy Anarchist. As the producer of the Iconocast, he has interviewed Cornel West, James Cone, Bill Ayers, Noam Chomsky, Starhawk, Wazayatawin and many more.
A Wolf at the Gate
SKU: 9781629631509
Author: Mark Van Steenwyk • Illustrator: Joel Hedstrom
Publisher: PM Press/Reach And Teach
ISBN: 9781629631509
Published: 4/2016
Format: Paperback, ePub, PDF, mobi
Size: 9 x 6
Page count: 80
Subjects: Juvenile Fiction-Folklore/Juvenile Fiction-Social Issues
Praise
“A Wolf at the Gate is a simple story that evokes profound
and fundamental themes: survival, hunger, war and violence, law and
justice, fear, greed, and predation. In the hands of Mark Van Steenwyk
it becomes a transformative parable of truth and reconciliation, the
power of community, and the dazzling force of love enacted in the public
square, the very heart of justice.”
—Bill Ayers, author of Public Enemy: Confessions of an American Dissident
“Van Steenwyk writes in sharp, muscular prose highly suitable for the
fabulistic subject matter, deftly navigating both the darker and
lighter segments of the story. The true standouts of the book, however,
are the illustrations by Joel Hedstrom . . . full-page illustrations in
brilliant colors that feel simultaneously ancient and stylishly
contemporary. The result is a book out of time: a coupling of narrative
and illustration that should stoke the imagination of any young modern
reader. A visually stunning work addressing themes of peace, generosity,
and forgiveness.”
—Kirkus (starred review)
“What a cutting-edge book! This retelling of a timeless story through
fresh eyes not only provides a deeper insight into its original values,
it also gives the story contemporary relevance. And the illustrations
are an absolutely perfect embodiment of the book’s soul.”
—Innosanto Nagara, author of A is for Activist
“In A Wolf at the Gate, we find a medieval fable made
potently relevant. With solid prose and timeless illustrations, this
book is recommended to all families passionate about social justice and
living in harmony with the Earth.”
—Chris Crass, author of Towards Collective Liberation: Anti-racist Organizing, Feminist Praxis, and Movement Building Strategy
“Van Steenwyk retells the story of St. Francis of Assisi and the wolf
of Gubbio in his first book for children. This time, the story is
narrated from the point of view of the wolf with a red coat, ‘born under
the red glow of the Hunter’s Moon,’ a clever shift that adds tension
and new beauty to a familiar tale. When her pack is forced to leave
their native forest because humans in nearby Stonebriar deplete the
wolves’ food, she remains. Angry and starving, the red wolf begins to
prey on humans and their livestock. Soon, Blood Wolf, as she is now
called, meets the Beggar King, ‘beloved by the common folk.’ Under his
tutelage, she transforms from angry, violent predator—feared by animals
and humans alike—to kind friend to all, renamed Sister Wolf. As a result
of her instruction from the Beggar King, Sister Wolf comes to
understand that all life is worth preserving and that loving kindness is
the greatest of all gifts. Influenced by Japanese woodblock prints,
Hedstrom’s stark, solid, and lovely illustrations appear throughout.”
—Publishers Weekly
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