Spirituality and the Writer

A Personal Inquiry

De: Thomas Larson

Narrado por: Ian Putnam

Today, the surprisingly elastic form of the memoir embraces subjects that include dying, illness, loss, relationships, and self-awareness. Writing to reveal the inner self - the pilgrimage into one’s spiritual and/or religious nature - is a primary calling. Contemporary memoirists are exploring this field with innovative storytelling, rigorous craft, and new styles of confessional authorship. Now, Thomas Larson brings his expertise as a critic, reader, and teacher to the boldly evolving and improvisatory world of spiritual literature.

In his book-length essay Spirituality and the Writer, Larson surveys the literary insights of authors old and new who have shaped religious autobiography and spiritual memoir - from Augustine to Thomas Merton, from Peter Matthiessen to Cheryl Strayed. He holds them to an exacting standard: They must render transcendent experience in the writing itself. Only when the writer’s craft prevails can the fleeting and profound personal truths of the spirit be captured. Spirituality and the Writer will find a home in writing classrooms and book groups and be a resource for students, teachers, and writers who seek guidance with exploring their spiritual lives.

The book is published by Swallow Press, an imprint of Ohio University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

"Superb...both inspiring and reassuring, creating a kinship between the writers Larson discusses and the reader.“ (Rain Taxi)

“A powerful resource for writers, teachers, students, and anyone with an interest in spirit-seeking literature.” (Dinty W. Moore, author of The Mindful Writer)

“Reading Spirituality and the Writer is like dream-walking in the tracks of a master guide to the sublime.” (Kathryn Winograd, author of Phantom Canyon: Essays of Reclamation)

©2019 Thomas Larson (P)2022 Redwood Audiobooks

Fascinating deep dive into writers of spirit

This thoughtful and insightful book was a treat. Some of the authors profiled are writers I have particularly enjoyed over the years, and I appreciated learning more about how deeply their spiritual journeys and outlooks informed their work. A wonderful companion piece to the works of any of the authors addressed within the book. Excellent narration! This narrator's warm and even style was a great match with the material.