In this classic study of the spirituality of place, first published in 1993, poet Kathleen Norris writes about life in Lemmon, a small town of 1,600 near the border between North and South Dakota. She and her husband have resided there in the house built by her grandparents in 1923. It certainly takes a rare mixture of hardiness, patience, and resourcefulness to live in this area of the country, which has been dubbed "the American outback." While outsiders tend to view this stark milieu as nothing but "a barren waste," the author finds many marvels to celebrate.
Although Norris was raised a Protestant, she has found the greatest spiritual nourishment during
times spent with the monks and nuns of Benedictine communities in the Dakotas. She applies some of the spiritual insights she learns while on retreat to the difficulties and problems of small town living — inertia, fear of change, provincialism, closemindedness, and callous treatment of outsiders. At the same time, she affirms "the holy use of gossip" in a tightly structured community where individuals need to share their tragedies and triumphs.
Dakota: A Spiritual Geography is a bountiful and beautifully written book overflowing with keen insights into nature, community, storytelling, solitude, change, and soulful living.
On the third Tuesday of every month, the Intergenerational Book Club, a group of men and women of all ages, comes together to share their opinions and ideas about the book selection. Extra copies of the books are purchased by the Friends of the Thomaston Public Library from the Annual Appeal funds. We thank you for your donations. All are welcome at the Thomaston Library on December 16th at 2:30 p.m.
If you live in Thomaston and would like to attend but need a ride, please call the library at 354-2453 a week before the discussion date.
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