Darcey Steinke’s Reading List
Gravity and Grace by Simone Weil…a book of theology, that is sort of over the top. Weil has some very extreme ideas about herself and God. I find that she writes with a sort of passionate lucidity.
The Sabbath by Abraham Heschel…this book though written a while ago is in the form of the new lyric essay, its a meditation on ritual and how we humans try to break into eternity by making rituals be they religious or personal. This book has helped my writing directly.
Purity of Heart by Kierkegaard…this is my favorite of his. His prose goes around and around much like Stein’s, I like that. Also lately I am interested in the place where religion meets phenomenology. And this book is right in that pocket.
Edmund Husserl by Maurice Natanson..this book is about the life and work of Husserl our best phenomenologist! Lots of ideas in here that have to do with a sort of secular religion.
The Seven Story Mountain by Thomas Merton…I love books that have the feel of a spiritual journey no matter in what genre and this is really one of the very best.
Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy. Before there was The Road there was Outer Dark and also Child of God. I love dark books. the dark novel is like a gleaming ember to me. I just need it to live. And this book is a great example of darkness and beauty wed.
Deep River by Endo…The translation is so so but the book is great. Again a book about a bunch of people on a quest. there is a female atheist character who struggles with God in away that would make St. Augustine proud.
Sanctuary by Faulkner..call me perverse but I always like the small, dark, intense novels of writers rather then their big lauded work. This book is killer. The prose is amazing and it flirts with genre fiction.
