Filed under: Squat Reviews
The Bedford Review blog posted this great review of Squat today. Here is an excerpt:
“This is definitely a book you don’t want to start unless you have plenty of time to read it. It is hard to put down…Taylor has managed to craft what I think is one of the best Christian novels of the year.”
Check it out!
What is a Squat?
In this episode, Taylor describes what life in a sqautter building is like. The reality of living in an abandon building on the lower east side is one of constant fear and threat of violence.
Every month, watch a new video podcast via your iPod or other portable media player (or watch right on your own computer screen) of author Taylor Field as he offers insights into his new novel, Squat. Filmed on location in the East Village of New York City’s lower Manhattan, get an insider’s view into the character and characters of Squat from the author of the novel himself.
iPod users can subscribe and watch via iTunes by following this link, or you can watch the new episode on your computer right now by clicking here.
Filed under: Squat Reviews
Check out these great reviews:
Christy Lockstein has posted a review of Squat on her blog. Here is an excerpt:
“Field writes almost cinematically; you can see the book unfolding like a movie in your mind.”
Also, OCD-Man has posted a great review of Squat on his blog. Here is an excerpt:
“I flipped [Squat] to the first page to get a feel for the story and before I knew it I was sucked into the New York Street life of a homeless guy named Squid . . . It is now my new favorite novel. I loved it and couldn’t put it down. “
Filed under: Squat Reviews
The Bookshelf Review has posted a great review of Squat. This review will appear in The Baptist Voice. Here is an excerpt:
“Squat is a wonderful entry into the world of Christian fiction – edgy, literary, and striking in a way few faith novels are these days. Taylor Fields has clearly spent time ministering and working with the homeless; his narrative and references are authentic, and his characterizations of Squid, Bonehead, and Unc have depth.”
You can now view the promotional movie for Squat in its entirety at either YouTube or Google Video. Not only can you view the Squat promotional movie, you can help spread the word! Both of the these sites has tools to let you email the movie to your friends, embed the movie on your website, blog, or MySpace page, or even download it to your computer, PSP, or iPod.
Follow the links below to your preferred internet broadcaster.
Filed under: Squat News
Q. Do you have a favorite part of Squat or a favorite chapter?
Taylor: My favorite chapter is the last chapter of the book, but I can’t tell you about that.
Q. What makes Squat different than any other books similar to yours that are in circulation today?
Taylor: My wife says that Squat is where the movie Rent meets The 
Passion. I had the privilege of experiencing an unusual subculture of people living in abandoned buildings in one of our nation’s greatest cities. I don’t know of anyone who has written about that experience through the lens of faith in Christ.
Q. How does Squat intertwine with God’s call on your life and how you are currently serving Him?
Taylor: I continue to work as a pastor in the same church and community ministry, where I have worked for twenty years. We continue to follow our calling of serving the unserved.
Q. Do you have a favorite Scripture verse? What is it and why is it important to you?
Taylor: Zechariah 4:10 says “Do not despise the day of small things.” I have seen so many times how God takes the smallest things people do and makes something great out of them.
Q. Are there any authors that either influenced you personally or influenced your style of writing? Who are they and how did they influence you?
Taylor: Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Lewis, Pascal, and Mark Twain influenced me concerning Squat.
Q. When you are not writing, what do you like to do? Do you have any hobbies?
Taylor: My hobbies include working with my wife to find the perfect cup of coffee in Manhattan, martial arts, hiking, and the study of trees.
Q. Thank you for taking the time to answer a few of our questions. As we close, is there anything else you would like to add?
Taylor: God’s not working to get something from us. He’s working to get something to us.
Filed under: Video Podcasts
Life on the Lower East Side
In this episode, Taylor talks about what life was like on the lower east side of Manahattan in the late 80s, the locale and time period of Squat (and the musical Rent).
Every month, watch a new video podcast via your iPod or other portable media player (or watch right on your own computer screen) of author Taylor Field as he offers insights into his new novel, Squat. Filmed on location in the East Village of New York City’s lower Manhattan, get an insider’s view into the character and characters of Squat from the author of the novel himself.
iPod users can subscribe and watch via iTunes by following this link, or you can watch the new episode on your computer right now by clicking here.
Filed under: Squat News
Q. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
Taylor: I was born and grew up in Enid, Oklahoma. I have a BA from Wake Forest University, an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. I have been the pastor of an inner-city church and community ministry for almost twenty years. I love the Lower East Side in New York City where I work. My wife, Susan, works with university students here and I have two sons in college. I love being with people who don’t quite fit into your normal expectations.
Q. How did you become interested in writing?
Taylor: I began writing down the stories of the people around me in our mission during a
very difficult time in our work. Those stories became the basis of A Church Called Graffiti.
Q. What compelled you to write Squat?
Taylor: I have visited many people who live in abandoned buildings in an area not that far from Wall Street. I wanted to tell a truthful story about them in a redeeming way.
Q. What is the main theme or point that you want readers to understand from reading Squat?
Taylor: I wanted to share that though people may be precious little in the world’s eyes, we are very precious in God’s eyes. The book shares a host of biblical themes and stories in contemporary way—significance, salvation, and fairness.
Q. Are there some specific lessons you hope readers will learn and apply to their lives after reading Squat?
Taylor: I hope that after reading the novel, people may value those around them more deeply because of the deeper value already given by God.
Filed under: Squat Video
See all four chapters of the Squat Promotional Movie!! Available on-line in both Windows Media Player and Quicktime formats. Get the inside scoop from Taylor on the characters, the place and the message behind the pages of this extraordinary novel. Shot on location in the East Village, each video chapter highlights a different aspect of Squat. Click here to select a chapter now in your choice of media format and internet connection speed.
Click here to view a trailer for the movie in Quicktime format.
You can sample a chapter from Squat online. Click Squat Sample Chapter under the Pages menu on the sidebar to the left, or simply follow this link. Leave a comment to others and let them know what you think.
