05/28/2018
Palmer (Healing the Heart of Democracy), an author and poet now in his 80s, telegraphs insights from “the brink of everything” in this collection of lessons gleaned from contemplating one’s life while nearing death. “There’s no antidote for the gravity that takes us to the grave,” he writes. “But there is also a countervailing force called ‘levity.’ ” Palmer includes quotes from spiritual guides such as Thomas Merton and William Sloane Coffin next to personal memoir, diary entries, excerpts from speeches, and quotes from poets such as Mary Oliver, Rumi, May Sarton, Dylan Thomas, and W.B. Yeats. Insights into his own aging as an “angry Quaker” are filled out by a diagnosis of America’s spiritual maladies and broken body politic: “When we lack the moral imagination to do something else with our suffering, we do violence.” Palmer encourages readers to regain their ability to convert suffering into resurrection; instead of fear, the path to recovery is an embrace of the good, bad, and ugly in each person. For Palmer, radical acceptance eschews perfection in favor of integrity. Warm, generous, and funny, this impassioned book invites readers to the deep end of life where authentic soul work and human transformation become pressing concerns. (July)
From beloved bestselling author Parker J. Palmer (Let Your Life Speak) comes a beautiful book of meditations and reflections on eight decades of life, the process of aging, his own spiritual journey (which has never been confined to a creed), and his vocation as a writer and thinker.
On the Brink of Everything is an exploration of Parker Palmer's experience of living and aging, written in hopes of encouraging readers of every age to explore their life course. It is not a "guide to" or "handbook" for "getting old"--something all of us are doing all the time. Instead it's a set of meditations in prose and poetry that turn the prism on the meaning(s) of one's life--and on the importance of staying meaningfully engaged with life until the end. From beginning to end the book is packed with both humor and gravitas.
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On the Brink of Everything is an exploration of Parker Palmer's experience of living and aging, written in hopes of encouraging readers of every age to explore their life course. It is not a "guide to" or "handbook" for "getting old"--something all of us are doing all the time. Instead it's a set of meditations in prose and poetry that turn the prism on the meaning(s) of one's life--and on the importance of staying meaningfully engaged with life until the end. From beginning to end the book is packed with both humor and gravitas.
On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old
From beloved bestselling author Parker J. Palmer (Let Your Life Speak) comes a beautiful book of meditations and reflections on eight decades of life, the process of aging, his own spiritual journey (which has never been confined to a creed), and his vocation as a writer and thinker.
On the Brink of Everything is an exploration of Parker Palmer's experience of living and aging, written in hopes of encouraging readers of every age to explore their life course. It is not a "guide to" or "handbook" for "getting old"--something all of us are doing all the time. Instead it's a set of meditations in prose and poetry that turn the prism on the meaning(s) of one's life--and on the importance of staying meaningfully engaged with life until the end. From beginning to end the book is packed with both humor and gravitas.
On the Brink of Everything is an exploration of Parker Palmer's experience of living and aging, written in hopes of encouraging readers of every age to explore their life course. It is not a "guide to" or "handbook" for "getting old"--something all of us are doing all the time. Instead it's a set of meditations in prose and poetry that turn the prism on the meaning(s) of one's life--and on the importance of staying meaningfully engaged with life until the end. From beginning to end the book is packed with both humor and gravitas.
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Product Details
BN ID: | 2940171711269 |
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Publisher: | Berrett-Koehler Publishers |
Publication date: | 06/26/2018 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |
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