Eric A. Clayton is the deputy director of communications for the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. He has a BA in creative writing and international studies from Fairfield University and an MA in international media from American University. Eric writes Story Scraps on Substack. He lives in Baltimore, MD, with his wife and two daughters. Clayton is the author of Cannonball Moments: Telling Your Story, Deepening Your Faith, My Life with the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars, and Finding Peace Here and Now: How Ignatian Spirituality Leads to Healing and Wholeness.
I’ve always been fascinated by the process of worldbuilding.
Science fiction and fantasy are by far my favorite genres. Occasionally, I dabble in writing speculative fiction of my own. Any...
A minor religious conflict broke out during our bedtime reading not so long ago. It was unexpected—and pretty hilarious.
Once upon a time, my eldest daughter, Elianna, received from her...
“Do you wanna hear my song, Daddy? I’ve been practicing all year.”
I eyed my five-year-old daughter suspiciously. With brown eyes, wide and earnest, she sat at my parents’ piano....
We roast a lot of vegetables in our home, much to our daughters’ chagrin. Brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli—the oven is always working.
“But I don’t like broccoli,” my...
We hadn’t expected mermaids.
Unicorns, sure. The queen? Most likely. Knights and jousting and turkey legs—obviously.
But mermaids? My daughters were enchanted.
“I have a question, Daddy,” the eldest, four-and-a-half, said.
“Sure,” I...