Grace Notes
Brian Doyle must have been listening intently when poet Mary Oliver proclaimed, Attentiveness is the beginning of all prayer. In this collection of 37 essays, Doyle, whom readers will recognize as a frequent contributor to this magazine, dives into the odd and ordinary moments of daily life, plumbing their spiritual depths. I lucked into work that has everything to do with listening and hearing stories and catching stories, Doyle writes. [A]t age 50 I conclude that I was born and made for stories.Doyle s first piece, about a tense moment between father and son, begins, Committed a sin yesterday, in the hallway, at noon. The searing honesty of that line has stayed with me since I first read it, years ago, in Portland Magazine, which Doyle edits. The book goes on to visit sons, shrines, silence, marriage, homework, and a host of other stops on this wild ride. The author s wit, his humility, and the joy he takes in words shine through on every page. --U.S. Catholic