What about your favorite memoirs (or biographies) moved you? Was it the internal struggle, the honesty, the adventurous events, the invitation to look into a foreign perspective? Would you mind helping me compile my 2023 reading list? “Read what you write,” they say. Who knows, maybe we can turn this into some sort of book club 🤓
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I have not heard of a memoir trilogy. Interesting. The collection and titles seem to resonate with the type of memoir I am writing - spiritual adventure.
On another note, I read volume one of Theology of the Icon. I found several sections to be quite edifying.
Interesting how it turned out that way. I'm looking forward to reading them. I just realized that I am writing a story that will cover the first quarter of my life, 10 years later. If I continue this pattern, I will be writing the next 25-year section at 60, and the third quarter at 85, and the fourth quarter at age 110 (Lord willing). Perhaps this was how Buechner went about it? Idk, I still have to look a little deeper with his books.
This might be a bit of an outlier, but Marcel Proust and "In Search of Lost Time" (as a self-biography of sorts) is for me one of the most beautiful and interesting books ever written. Going into poetic detail about every tiny little stage of his own intellectual and artistic development from childhood to eventually finding his full calling in his 40s. It's sort of philosophy in literary form - he pondered prose vs. fiction but concluded that literature is "bigger" in many ways, as an expression. And the book could really teach you how to think and see the world with new eyes.
"Storm of Steel" and "War as Inner Experience" because of the sheer honesty, tension and literary treatment of the very difficult topic of warfare (WWI especially). "Meditations on the Peak" was also very interesting because after you've climbed mountain, you can get what Evola is peaking about, even if you don't agree with everything.
Fascinating, thank you. I will look into all three. Come to think of it, warfare is often depicted from a strategic perspective with soldiers being parts of the whole. The inner experience of an individual soldier is a curious topic. I recall the writings of C.S. Lewis in his letters of his WW1 experience as being quite gripping as well.
Was "Meditations on the Peak" at all inspirational to your symbolism of mountains article on the Symbolic World Blog?
These books look intriguing and on point. Thank you for sharing. I backpack 1-2 times a year throughout California. I wrote a letter from an adventure to Desolation Wilderness near Tahoe earlier this year. The long trip that I am writing about is like the bicycle version of backpacking. Looking forward to learning how these authors tell their stories and experiences.
The autobiographical writings of Martin Buber, though I do not know the english titles and if they are even fully translated. His journey from ecstatic mystic to dialogical engagement is really worth a read.
I am astonished no one mentioned Augustines Confessions. There wouldn‘t be any kind of Memoire if Augustine had not invented the whole genre.
„Dichtung und Wahrheit“ which is translated as „poetry an truth“ by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. He is the German equivalent of Shakespeare and sort of a national Saint down here so I am obliged to mention him.
Books are for nerds. I watch movies with the cool kids. The best memoir movies are Tarkovsky's Mirror and Davies's The Long Day Closes. A recent masterpiece is Catarina Vasconcelos's The Metamorphosis of Birds. Looking at the self need not be narcissistic if it's a method to look fractally at one's identity with others — with one's family, with one's generation, with one's country, with one's land, with the whole of humanity, the earth, and the cosmos. When you're rooted in love for others, you can safely look at yourself and reliably be redirected outwards.
😂 Cormac, you are the coolest guy I know. You remind me of the cool, but subtly influential teacher that says, "just what you need, one more book. Here's a movie. Give me a page to turn in our something. Enjoy." And it works. I'm looking at the (growing) list of books for 2023, and your movie suggestions come with great relief. Thank you, sir.
I studied the Gurdjieff "work" for 4 years over two decades ago. I haven't thought of this book in years (it's a terrible movie I think - don't bother) My memory is faulty I'm sure but I do recall interesting aspects describing heirarchy of being and oral wisdom traditions (eg Epic of Gilgamesh) Of course every about Gurdjieff should be taken with a grain of salt!
Carl Jung is fascinating -- I used to attend workshops with Brother Donald Bission re: Jungian-Christian Dialog -- but his work was always a dense slog -- except this memoir
A few memoirs focused along spiritual lines that are worth reading:
CS Lewis, "Surpised by Joy"
Thomas Merton, "The Seven Story Mountain"
Frederick Buechner, his little trilogy of memoirs:
- “The Sacred Journey: A Memoir of Early Days”
- “Now and Then: A Memoir of Vocation”
- “Telling Secrets: A Memoir”
Many thanks 🙏
I have not heard of a memoir trilogy. Interesting. The collection and titles seem to resonate with the type of memoir I am writing - spiritual adventure.
On another note, I read volume one of Theology of the Icon. I found several sections to be quite edifying.
It’s not really a trilogy by conception. Buechner wrote each book at different times of his life, as he got older.
Interesting how it turned out that way. I'm looking forward to reading them. I just realized that I am writing a story that will cover the first quarter of my life, 10 years later. If I continue this pattern, I will be writing the next 25-year section at 60, and the third quarter at 85, and the fourth quarter at age 110 (Lord willing). Perhaps this was how Buechner went about it? Idk, I still have to look a little deeper with his books.
This might be a bit of an outlier, but Marcel Proust and "In Search of Lost Time" (as a self-biography of sorts) is for me one of the most beautiful and interesting books ever written. Going into poetic detail about every tiny little stage of his own intellectual and artistic development from childhood to eventually finding his full calling in his 40s. It's sort of philosophy in literary form - he pondered prose vs. fiction but concluded that literature is "bigger" in many ways, as an expression. And the book could really teach you how to think and see the world with new eyes.
Awesome recommendation. Thank you, Richard!
"Storm of Steel" and "War as Inner Experience" because of the sheer honesty, tension and literary treatment of the very difficult topic of warfare (WWI especially). "Meditations on the Peak" was also very interesting because after you've climbed mountain, you can get what Evola is peaking about, even if you don't agree with everything.
To be honest I am surprised to read a recommendation of Ernst Jünger in this little corner, but he truly is quite a treat.
Fascinating, thank you. I will look into all three. Come to think of it, warfare is often depicted from a strategic perspective with soldiers being parts of the whole. The inner experience of an individual soldier is a curious topic. I recall the writings of C.S. Lewis in his letters of his WW1 experience as being quite gripping as well.
Was "Meditations on the Peak" at all inspirational to your symbolism of mountains article on the Symbolic World Blog?
Yes it was. It started me on reading more about mountain symbolism many years ago.
So cool. Knowing that reminds me of reading C.S. Lewis and then being introduced to his influential predecessor, George McDonald.
That's like trying to pick a favorite child! So here are 3 I read in the past year and loved deeply
Elaine Pagels, Why Religion? (way more personal than the title sounds: love, loss, nature, visionary experiences)
Tara Westover, Educated (harrowing family of origin, abusive religiosity, finding own voice)
Raynor Winn, The Salt Path (backpacking the trail around sw England in the wake of losing home & health)
As I look at what you're working on, I can imagine each of them speaking to you. Happy reading & writing!
Haha so true!
These books look intriguing and on point. Thank you for sharing. I backpack 1-2 times a year throughout California. I wrote a letter from an adventure to Desolation Wilderness near Tahoe earlier this year. The long trip that I am writing about is like the bicycle version of backpacking. Looking forward to learning how these authors tell their stories and experiences.
The autobiographical writings of Martin Buber, though I do not know the english titles and if they are even fully translated. His journey from ecstatic mystic to dialogical engagement is really worth a read.
I am astonished no one mentioned Augustines Confessions. There wouldn‘t be any kind of Memoire if Augustine had not invented the whole genre.
„Dichtung und Wahrheit“ which is translated as „poetry an truth“ by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. He is the German equivalent of Shakespeare and sort of a national Saint down here so I am obliged to mention him.
Its also really worth a read.
These all look fascinating. Thank you for contributing.
Yes, putting word to mystical experiences is something else. Makes sense that the language is typically metaphoric.
Funny, I had Augustine's confessions on another reading list. I'll be moving it over to this one now. Thanks.
Books are for nerds. I watch movies with the cool kids. The best memoir movies are Tarkovsky's Mirror and Davies's The Long Day Closes. A recent masterpiece is Catarina Vasconcelos's The Metamorphosis of Birds. Looking at the self need not be narcissistic if it's a method to look fractally at one's identity with others — with one's family, with one's generation, with one's country, with one's land, with the whole of humanity, the earth, and the cosmos. When you're rooted in love for others, you can safely look at yourself and reliably be redirected outwards.
😂 Cormac, you are the coolest guy I know. You remind me of the cool, but subtly influential teacher that says, "just what you need, one more book. Here's a movie. Give me a page to turn in our something. Enjoy." And it works. I'm looking at the (growing) list of books for 2023, and your movie suggestions come with great relief. Thank you, sir.
Along the lines of your theme of interest - a couple more to add:
Memories Dreams and Reflections by Carl Jung
Meetings with Remarkable Men by G.I.Gurdjieff
I studied the Gurdjieff "work" for 4 years over two decades ago. I haven't thought of this book in years (it's a terrible movie I think - don't bother) My memory is faulty I'm sure but I do recall interesting aspects describing heirarchy of being and oral wisdom traditions (eg Epic of Gilgamesh) Of course every about Gurdjieff should be taken with a grain of salt!
Carl Jung is fascinating -- I used to attend workshops with Brother Donald Bission re: Jungian-Christian Dialog -- but his work was always a dense slog -- except this memoir
Thanks for writing in, Diane. I will add them to the list!
** I removed the original question now that I see your follow-up post.
I appreciated reading about your background with the books and how they impacted you. Good to know that Jung's memoir is less dense.