If you are looking for the author of the essay Kevin’s Different World (also titled God Lives Under Kevin’s Bed), you’ve come to the right place. This essay, which I wrote in graduate school, has been shared, printed and forwarded hundreds of thousands of times since its first publication in Campus Life magazine. I am humbled by what God has done with it.
I receive inquiries about the essay several times a month; here are answers to a few of the questions I get most often:
Is Kevin real?
Yes, he is! Kevin is my only sibling, an older brother, and the stories in the essay are true.
How is Kevin now?
Sadly, we lost Kevin to colon cancer in 2007 at age 45. I miss him terribly.
Why/when did you write the essay?
The article was written in 1992 as an assignment for an Essay Writing course in my graduate program at Wheaton College. As part of the assignment, we were required to submit the essay to a contest in Campus Life, a then student-focused publication of Christianity Today. I’m glad I was forced to; I would never have done it on my own. The essay was published as the second place winner.
The grade from my professor was a B+. Which goes to show that sometimes Bs and second places work out just fine.
Where has it been published?
Aside from Campus Life, the essay has been published in two books (Stories for a Teen’s Heart and Stories for a Faithful Heart), Catholic Digest, and hundreds of newsletters and local publications.
Can I reprint the essay in my publication?
I approve publication on a case by case basis; rarely do I either refuse publication or charge for it, but I do request that you inquire first. Please contact me with the name and circulation of your publication and the purpose for your reprint of the essay.
2 Comments
Sarah
I had seen this piece many years ago. I am in my 60’s but in a Bible study of 30 somethings who hadn’t ever seen it. Everyone enjoyed it. The retelling challenged me to be more appreciative of others, quick to apologize, and not defend myself. Thank you for sharing your charming, inspirational, joyful story.
Leanne Strong
I first read this story in, “Stories For a Teen’s Heart.” I am more toward the mild/high-functioning end of the Autism Spectrum (my diagnosis used to be called Asperger Syndrome), so it was pretty interesting to learn more about the perspectives of someone who has more serious difficulties (even though the author is not the one who has special needs, but rather, has a sibling who does). Even though I may talk and act mature, it is more than likely that I still have the mentality of someone who is at least a couple of years younger than I am.