Sunday, July 25, 2004

Books I'd like to read...

Here are some books I'd like to read, please let me know if you've read any of them...[I'm writing as if other people read my blog...ha ha]:

Henry David Thoreau, Walden -- I read excerpts of this as a junior in high school, but, of course, I remember very little and it didn't have much meaning to me at the time. I just read an article about Thoreau and Walden in the Smithsonian and the author, who has taught for about 15 years, indicated he just recently began to 'get it' at age 44.

anything Ralph Waldo Emerson -- also a transcendentalist and good friend of Thoreau's, a minister by trade, Presbyterian, I believe.

Morton Kelsey, Agnes Sanford, John Sanford -- spirituality [from a Chrisitan perspective] and healing

Thomas Merton -- lots of books about Christian mysticism

I may add more to this later, but as it is, this list will keep me occupied for awhile.

2 comments:

Larry Clayton said...

Polly, you and I have a great deal in common although I am a happily married (47 years) 78 year old ex-preacher, always minister, Quaker Bible student writing a hypertext commentary, liberal, ecumenical, etc. etc.

I've read Kelsey, Sanford and Sanford: had the privilege of meeting Agnes years ago at a Presby seminar in Winston-Salem.

We lived in northern VA for 15 years, now Florida.

Actually my wife has more in common with you--with all of the above plus a consuming interest in children. (We have three grown sons, two grandchildren. All high achievers, he says proudly.

Blessings to you either way, but maybe we can help one another, especially with this blogging.

Marjorie said...

Yay! A lurker turned commentor -- welcome! I must admit, I don't think I've made a dent in this reading list -- though I occasionally check out a book and read a few pages.

Did you see my recent post, Transcendentalism for Children, about the picture books based on Thoreau's experiences? They are pretty interesting -- there are about 4 or 5 out now, my DH loves them, my DD less so. There are notes in the back that tell a bit about Thoreau's life. He makes important points about living simply and for what you believe -- but its sort of disillusioning to realize that his hut was on his friend Emerson's property -- so he probably didn't have to pay rent. The taxes he notoriously didn't pay in opposition to slavery were paid for him and he didn't spend long in jail. This doesn't take away from his message, it just seems like he had a really nice safety net -- maybe it says something for community.