Whole Life Times: Whole Life Review

January 2006 | Whole Life Review

Whole Life Review

THE WAY OF IGNORANCE, and Other Essays, by Wendell Berry (Shoemaker Hoard $24).

To many in this country, Wendell Berry is a hero. He is a spokesman for intact families, strong community ties and preservation of our land. As the Kentucky writer/farmer/pacifist once wrote, “Common work, common suffering and a common willingness to join and belong are the conditions upon which speech is possible in [the] ‘dumb abyss’ in which we are divided.” He has consistently spoken out about the importance of work, of marriage, of community, of friendship and of conservation.

In The Way of Ignorance, these themes reappear. Many are philosophical essays, but a few are more clearly narrative, such as the portrait of Charlie Fisher, a logger who still prefers to use draft horses in lieu of an expensive “skidder.” Although the tone of many of these essays is somewhat pessimistic, even hopeless, Berry still holds some optimism for our collective future. He writes, “We now have hundreds of large and small organizations devoted to protecting or saving things of value that are endangered: peace, kindness, freedom, childhood, health, wilderness areas. … More and more, as I tell over our lengthening catalog of calamities and discouragements, I think of these organizations with great sympathy, and with love, for I think they are the basis of our worldly hope.”

The author of many volumes of poems, essays and novels, Berry practices what he preaches. He still types his manuscripts on a typewriter and refuses to shop at Wal-Mart. He remains married to his first wife and still lives in the same community. (Deborah Straw)

FACE TO FACE: Women Writers on Faith, Mysticism, and Awakening, edited by Linda Hogan and Brenda Peterson. (North Point Press, $14.)

At once poignant and often humorous, Face to Face is a collection of well-written, engaging essays and poems written by 42 female writers who explore the idea of female spirituality in the space of only a few pages, by reflecting on how faith has affected each in her personal life.

In the story “Ramadan Redux,” author Susanne Pari recalls her very first Ramadan, where she offers to join her father in the traditional fast in an effort to appear more exotic to her friends. Though this plan fails, she ultimately stumbles upon an unexpected benefit: the opportunity to get to know her father. In “Shoplifting for Jesus,” Marlene Blessing struggles with her attempts to rebel against her mother’s conservative religious beliefs, which Blessing explains in the form of a recipe: “Take one starched petticoat and add small white gloves, then stir in a big dash of Bible stories and the ability to flawlessly recite the Lord’s Prayer and Twenty-third Psalm. Season with a sprinkling of humility and a pinch of pure duty, and voila, a Norwegian Lutheran mother’s ideal child.”

The writers represent a wide range of religions and beliefs, but they tell their stories with such humanity that each makes hers accessible to a larger audience, regardless of faith. (Christine Mangan)

GLOBAL WARMING: Personal Solutions for a Healthy Planet, by Chris Spence (Palgrave MacMillan, $24.95).

So how much more can global warming affect us? Climbing temperatures, crops growing at different rates, an increased number of fierce hurricanes, some crops not growing at all—isn’t this enough? A lot more can happen, warns former political advisor on the environment and foreign affairs Chris Spence, and it will.
This book defines global warming and the greenhouse effect, looks at what can and ought to be done at the government level and, most importantly, what we all can do to lessen its impact. Not terribly surprisingly, Spence writes, “According to the vast majority of credible climate specialists, the rapid changes we’re experiencing have little to do with nature, and everything to do with… us.” The language of the book is user-friendly —it is a cut above a traditional how-to book and demystifies many complex terms.

Several pages are dedicated to composting, recycling clothing and furniture and even reusing bags at the grocery store. We can all switch to rechargeable batteries and cloth napkins. These are small steps, but as Mohandas K. Gandhi wrote, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Incorporating one or two of Spence’s suggestions can not only make a difference in your life and in the health of your neighborhood and community, it might even help save the planet. (DS)

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