Phil Callaway

Phil Callaway, who has achieved notoriety for his humorous writing and speaking, was born July 26, 1961 in Three Hills, Alberta, Canada. He has written more than 2 dozen books of family humor, children's literature, and novels, as well as hundreds of magazine articles, and is host of the daily radio broadcast Laugh Again.[1] He maintains a rigorous speaking schedule, traveling primarily in North America speaking approximately 100 times a year to corporations, health care conferences, and churches and is a frequent guest on national radio and television programs.

Callaway edited the Prairie Bible Institute's magazine Servant for 25 years, from 1989 until 2014. He writes in English, and there are Spanish, Polish, Dutch, Indonesian, Portuguese and Korean translations of some of his books.[2]

He grew up in Three Hills, where his parents worked on staff at the Prairie Bible College.[3] He attended Prairie High School and Prairie Bible College as a student.[4][5] He married his high school sweetheart in 1982. They have three children; stories from all of their lives appear in his writing.

Books His first two books, Honey, I Dunked the Kids (1993) and Daddy, I Blew up the Shed (1994) were based on material originally published in his column "Family Matters" in Servant Magazine.[6] His column "Family Matters" now runs in two dozen magazines, and is translated into numerous languages including Chinese, French, German, and Norwegian.[7] More recently, Callaway has produced a book on honesty, To Be Perfectly Honest, and a children's book Be Kind, Be Friendly, Be Thankful to help children deal with saying goodbye to a parent. The book's main characters have been made into plush toy animals, and an animated version is available on DVD.

His work is primarily Christian, and at least one review has said that he bases his humor on a religious message "that in the long run overshadows and lessens the comic message."[8] But Callaway insists that the label of "comic" was never his, that he uses humor not just to entertain, but to inspire. "I love to make people laugh. I've seen them fall off chairs when I speak. But I also like to tell them why I'm not in a home weaving baskets somewhere and it's because of faith and hope."[9]

Radio Program In January 2013 Good News Broadcasting launched Callaway's 4-minute daily radio program "Laugh Again" which airs more than 500 times a week across Canada and parts of the United States . Broadcasting throughout the United Kingdom and English-speaking Africa is slated for 2014. The program's slogan is "Truth bringing laughter to life." It is available by free subscription .

Challenges Callaway writes and speaks openly about life's challenges. His book Laughing Matters is the story of how he battled bitterness in the wake of his wife's Epilepsy,, and how he found joy. He also writes about the hereditary disease Huntington's, which three of his wife's siblings have. Writing about his father's death from Alzheimer's and his mother's Dementia has made him a popular speaker for caregivers groups. He told The Calgary Herald how his speaking career began. "People would call and ask me to speak. I would say, 'I can't speak but I can make you laugh. And they'd say, 'Come make us laugh.' And that's where it started."[10]

Religious Beliefs Country superstar Paul Brandt interviewed Callaway on his website, asking "Do you care to share your religious beliefs? What's your life philosophy and Phil responded, "I've traveled the world, I've searched the literature. Nothing has answered my questions like the life and words of Jesus. I'm not into religion, I'm into a relationship with him. Several years ago I was in a Seattle airport washroom during an earthquake (what a place to die!). I'd been on a trip to check out a job offering three times my current salary. I'd been dreaming about a step up the ladder, about all the stuff I could buy, all the prestige I could have. But the earthquake shook me hard. (As the place shook, the guy in the stall next to me yelled, 'Did I do that?') Back on the plane, I wrote down my definition of success on an airline napkin: 'I will consider myself a success when I'm walking close to Jesus every day, when I'm building a strong marriage and performing meaningful work. I'll consider myself a success when I'm making others homesick for heaven.' That's my life mission and I can't believe how much fun I'm having following it."[11]

Books

DVDs

Laughing Matters Live Rich Without Money Phil Callaway Live: Learning to Laugh Again The Adventures of Brisky Bear and Trooper Dog http://www.glorybe.com/detail.aspx?ID=393

CDs

The Adventures of Jake: Children's stories performed by the author http://www.philcallaway.ab.ca/images/Tapes/jakecdphil.htm

References

  1. ↑ "About Phil". Phil Callaway, The Unofficial Site. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  2. ↑ "Foreign Language Editions". Phil Callaway, The Unofficial Site. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  3. ↑ Massey, Pat. "Wonders never cease interview". Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  4. ↑ "Heart of the Matter" (PDF). Prairie Harvester. Prairie Bible Institute. 2005-03-29. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-07. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  5. ↑ "Servant Magazine". www.prairie.edu. Prairie Bible Institute. 2006-09-11. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  6. ↑ Linquist, N.J. (2004-05-11). "Inside Story: Make 'em laugh". Volume 18, Number 04. ChristianWeek. Archived from the original on 2006-10-15. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  7. ↑ "Foreign Language Editions". Phil Callaway, The Unofficial Site. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  8. ↑ Fritzer, Penelope; Bland, Bartholomew (2002). Merry Wives and Others: A History of Domestic Humor Writing. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 194–195, 223–224., found at Google Books
  9. ↑ Phil Callaway, The Unofficial Site
  10. ↑ Calgary Herald | Special Sections|Alberta Geographical Series 1|Craig Learmont & Phil Callaway: Three Hills, Two guys and a Bible Institute Page 1
  11. ↑ Paul Brandt
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