OLW Book Club – focus on Spirituality .. report of 2/15/10
Review of the OLW Spirituality Book Club of Monday, February 15, 2010
“Doomsday Book” by Connie Willis.
Everyone reports they were very glad they read this one. To learn about the black death in 1348 as well as an account of what people might do when dealing with a plague in 2054. All was intensely interesting and insightful. Most readers noted about the ways people react to the most terrible situation. Those who run or deny, and then those who stay and inspire dignity in the most disastrous and horrendous of situations. The question is “What would I do? How would I react?” Yes, a spiritual question about living in the reality of dreadfulness. The ending was a surprise also.
Our next meeting is the 2nd Monday of month as usual (weather permitting) which is March 8, 6:30 p.m. in admin building.
The book chosen is Roger Housden’s “Ten Poems to Change Your Life”. A “soul’s journey” book to fit with our book club theme.
OK we all hate poetry …. There are those recurring nightmares of teachers trying to make us “see the inner vision of what the poet is seeing” and all that stuff.
In this book Housden just outright tells us what the poem means …. easy stuff. I’ve copied a brief review below and the list of poems in the book.
Review
“In Ten Poems to Change Your Life Housden offers a unique map for the Soul’s journey and encourages us to begin. Accessible, elegant, luminous, and wise, this book is Soul food.”
– Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., author of Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather’s Blessings – Review
The Dark Night by St. John Of The Cross
Zero Circle by Jalal Ad-din (jalaluddin) Ar-rumi
The Time Before Death by Kabir
Last Gods by Galway Kinnell
Last Night As I Was Sleeping by Antonio Machado Ruiz
For The Anniversary Of My Death by William Stanley Merwin
The Journey by Mary Oliver
Ode To My Socks by Naftali Ricardo Reyes Basuato
Love After Love by Derek Walcott
Song Of Myself by Walt Whitman