Kathleen Norris

Why would a married woman with a thoroughly Protestant background and often more doubt than faith be drawn to the ancient practice of monasticism, to a community of celibate men whose days are centered around a rigid schedule of prayer, work, and scripture? This is the question that Kathleen Norris herself asks as, somewhat to her own surprise, she found herself on two extended residencies at a Benedictine monastery. Yet upon leaving the monastery,...

Kathleen Norris's masterpiece: a personal and moving memoir that resurrects the ancient term acedia, or soul-weariness, and brilliantly explores its relevancy to the modern individual and culture.

Norris's poems speak about the changes we experience in birth and death, in the search for community, and in the cultural legacies and family stories that form us. Included are poems from Norris's earlier collections, including The Middle of the World, Little Girls in Church, and The Astronomy of Love, along with a generous selection of new work that continues her radically individual celebration of the sacredness of life.