To Hell With It: Of Sin & Sex, Wings, & Dante -- Dinty W. Moore

March 19, 2021
Hosted by Diane Dewey

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Episode Description

To Hell with It: Of Sin and Sex, Chicken Wings, and Dante’s Entirely Ridiculous Inferno skewers and questions fundamental beliefs: Are we really damned? Part memoir/part spiritual essay, Moore is asking what would our world be like if eternal damnation was not hanging constantly over our heads, stoking our self-loathing and making so many of us vaguely miserable? At the same time, To Hell with It examines the various ways that organized religion inevitably taints spirituality. How can we truly love ourselves, be in touch with our spirituality, and love one another if we can't come to love ourselves. How can we be lovable if we are all sinners? Is it true that God is perfection if we were made in His image? Men are greedy for power, and religion is a way to hold sway over others, so once a religion begins to construct a hierarchy, bad things start to happen. (Plus, Dante who influenced theology for centuries does not even look nice, begging the question: Why do we still hold these beliefs?) The book is written with humor, what one reviewer has termed “stand-up theology.” You'll never look at chicken wings, medieval poetry, the church (really, any church), your tortured and supposedly damaged soul, and perhaps even your life, the same way again. Debunk with Dinty W. Moore and Drop In with us!

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Drop in to the dream of becoming an author. How does the book publishing business actually work? If you’re ready to tell your story, what’s the best way to do it? Do you need help crafting this tale? What about workshopping – is that helpful? When are you ready to show your work to a developmental or copy editor? The time may be now. If you’ve finished your manuscript, what are the next steps? Place your book in the context of the marketplace and decide, who is your audience? What’s the best platform to publish your work? Podcast, electronic or paper bound book? Are you well-versed in developing your book proposal? That means having your agent pitch down. Once you’ve secured an agent, what’s the optimal venue to get your book published, with all the support it needs to be seen and heard in media outlets? Whether through traditional, hybrid, indie presses, or a combination, we’ll bring you the experts in the fields of book coaching, agenting, editing, legal advice, publishing, and publicists, plus resources on the craft of writing. No matter what route you take, your best bet is to get educated. Drop in to how stories are made. In the end, we’ll all become stories. —Margaret Atwood

Diane Dewey

My most pressing question has always been about identity: Who am I? Growing up near Philadelphia with my adoptive family, my genetic identity was hidden. Then, my Swiss biological father, Otto, contacted me when I was age forty-seven in 2002. I’d been told by my adoptive parents that my biological parents were dead, supposedly to protect me. Meeting Otto upended my life. Through him, I met my German biological mother’s family to discover that her story too, had been changed; that she’d not wanted to surrender me and she’d searched for me all her life. Finding my truth was essential.

Based on my experience I am excited to talk to people about their own search for identity. My education includes a BA from Villanova University, a certificate from the Art Institute of Philadelphia and a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Capella University. I’ve worked for The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The SoHo Partnership and the National Academy of Design and have studied writing through New York University’s Continuing Education program. As an entrepreneur, I founded my art appraisal business, The Realization of Art in 2006. My non-fiction writing has been published in Shared Space, a monograph, and in Artes online magazine. Writing workshops worldwide have given me the chance to learn and hone my craft. My first book, “Fixing the Fates,” was awarded the National Non-Fiction Author’s Association Silver Medal and the Living Now Award.

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