Glenn Beck sees new project as 'most important' of his life

When Glenn Beck was 13, he received a handmade sweater from his mother. He hated it at the time — threw it on the floor. Little did he know that it would eventually become one of the most poignant and powerful things to touch his life.

Beck's fictionalized account of that gift and its impact on a life has been released as a novel, "The Christmas Sweater," currently No. 1 on the New York Time best-seller list.

The story has also been turned into a multimedia presentation that is touring the country.

"The Christmas Sweater," billed as a "living movie" and featuring animation, a musical score and narration by Beck, will come to the E Center Saturday night.

"This is nothing close to what I've done before," said Beck in a telephone chat from his bus somewhere in Florida. "I think it is the most important project of my life."

It will be an experience that touches the senses, he promises. "We spent a year working on the soundtrack, overseeing the music. I want people to feel the rumble of the storm, and I hope that through the music they will also feel the message of love. We have a wonderful gospel singer," and members of the LDS Church may recognize strains of one of Beck's favorite hymns, he says.

The story of the "Christmas Sweater" is one of redemption — and something that Beck, who is probably best known for his talk radio show that is broadcast to more than 300 stations nationwide, knows of personally.

After phenomenal success as a young radio DJ, Beck crashed and burned through addiction and alcoholism that cost him his career and his marriage. But finding a new direction, and a new faith, Beck fought his way back to the top again. Not only is his talk radio show a huge success, he has also had a program on CNN, but will be moving to the Fox News network in January.

He has told the story of his Christmas sweater before as part of a Christmas program. In fact, he said, he has told it so many times, he decided he had told it enough. "Three years ago, I said I'd never tell it again." But it wouldn't leave him, and "I realized that it wasn't my story — it has a universal message that everyone can relate to."

So, along came the book and then the theatrical presentation. Taking the story from eight minutes to 110 minutes has been an intense emotional experience, he said. "It's amazing what has happened. My biggest regret, my biggest shame has turned into a powerful tool. But it's as the Lord says, he will make our weaknesses strong. He needs us to be strong to fight for others."