Book Musings

Every month or so our bookstore co-manager Lucy Duncan sends out a chatty email highlighting interesting books and providing a limited-time-only discount. Links to interviews with authors and book guides are also featured in these emails.

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"Thank you for sharing your book musings with f/Friends. In truth, I usually forget they will be coming, but am always happy to see one in my mail box. I enjoy your personal experiences and thoughts about each book, as I feel they help open my eyes more and more to having an understanding of Quaker values and what it means to live one's life following that particular path. I look forward to your next musings!"

— A Friend

Books from the Latest Musings

Spiritual Awakening - We are all connected

Posted by QuakerBooks on December 18, 2009

Waking to the Earth - March 2009

Posted by QuakerBooks on March 9, 2009 | Comments (0)

Living Prophetic Witness - December 2008

Posted by QuakerBooks on December 12, 2008 | Comments (1)

Welcoming the Stranger

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting Friends Meeting of Austin for a weekend committee meeting. I found such a sense of welcome and invitation to the stranger in their new meeting house. It was quite an undertaking hosting all of us who had come to that meeting, yet we were fed and housed and nurtured with a warm embrace. The meeting welcomes its families and children and extends its reach into the community in many ways. They’ve chosen a neighborhood that increases the likelihood that their community’s wealth of diversity (ethnic, economic, sexual, and political) will walk through their doors.

On Sunday, I arrived at the meeting early and was asked to help unload a member’s car that was stuffed to the windshield with bread. The meeting collects leftover bread from Whole Foods and distributes most of it to homeless shelters in the area.

Posted by QuakerBooks on March 16, 2008 | Comments (0)

The Mystery of Advent (December 2007)

My cousin sent my 5 year-old son, Simon, an advent calendar this year.  The one she sent is lovely, a country village scene, with gentle, peaceful animals and cozy homes depicted in a fresh snow.  He opened it with earnest anticipation and immediately speculated about what might be hidden behind each opening.  He thought the ones in the sky might cover up stars, or birds; that the door to the café might reveal someone baking muffins; that the openings out on the snow might reveal animals or sledding children.  He speculated that if there were openings over the people (which there aren't), they might reveal "guts."  He thought the stable door, door 24, might hold presents.  I asked, "What happened on Christmas, who was born?"  He said, "Jesus! Jesus will be there."  

Posted by QuakerBooks on December 7, 2007 | Comments (0)

"...but who is my neighbor?" (April 2007)

Shortly after I started teaching 2nd grade in a working class neighborhood in Vallejo, California, I was driving to dinner with my teaching partner and her husband. A police car pulled up behind us and trailed the car for our entire journey, staying close and turning on its lights, silently, at least twice. I asked Greg, an African-American university professor, why they were behind us. He said, “Oh, it happens at least once per week to most black men. Getting trailed by the cops is just part of life for me.” The school in which we taught was pretty diverse – I had at least nine distinct cultures in my classroom, Korean, east Indian, Filipino, Mexican, Guatemalan, Anglo-American, African, African-American, Japanese, and Chinese. About a year after having dinner that night, on April 29th, the four policemen who had beaten Rodney King were acquitted and the LA Riots erupted. When I went into my classroom the next morning, I asked my class to gather round the rug, that something very hard had happened and I wanted to talk with them about it. I told them that Caucasian police officers had beaten an African-American man and that many people believed that the police were guilty and unjustified in the beatings. When the police were acquitted, many people’s sense of prevailing unfairness, racism and injustice exploded into mass violence and that the riots, I believed, were expressions of this frustration gone out of control. One by one my seven-year-old students told me stories of their own experiences of racism, of being told to leave stores or being called names on the street. I asked them if they thought the violence would help to make things better and many of them said, “no.” I said that I didn’t believe that people getting hurt would help, but that within that classroom was much of the solution, that continuing to be friends with one another, loving one another, was a way to change the world. Afterwards, an Ethiopian student who was incredibly kind, came up to me, weeping. He said, “Ms. Duncan, my dad thinks that the riots are a good thing.” He was clearly confused by the conflicting messages of his father and his teacher. I said, “Maybe your father believes that if things get bad enough, that will lead to change.” Read more

Posted by QuakerBooks on April 25, 2007 | Comments (0)

Ministry (June 2006)

A few weeks ago I got onto the train on the way to work and started to read On Living with a Concern for Gospel Ministry by Brian Drayton. Two stops down the line a woman wearing earphones sat down next to me. She had the volume up and I could hear what sounded like angry shouting coming from her portable CD player. I listened further and realized that she was listening to preaching, not shouting. I tried to focus on the book. I read: "A concern for the ministry is a calling to be intentionally available to put our experience of the divine light and life at the disposal of others, for their refreshment and encouragement." As I read these words, I thought of the quiet preaching of Friends and how a meeting tends the spiritual fires of attenders, gently cultivating a kind of listening to the 'still, small voice' which transforms. I wondered how different a world it might be if that still witness were more readily available. I wondered how my companion on the train would receive such ministry. She started to look over my shoulder at my book, took off her headphones and asked me what I was reading. I showed her the beautiful cover featuring Darcy Drayton's watercolor "An Expression of Light" and told her that the book was all about discerning the will of God and learning to be faithful to the callings you receive. She said, "Amen!," and put her headphones back on. Read more

Posted by QuakerBooks on June 13, 2006 | Comments (1)

Parenting (February 2006)

The most exacting (and rewarding!) spiritual discipline I practice is parenting. My son, Simon, is one of the most patient and forgiving teachers I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Read more

Posted by QuakerBooks on February 1, 2006 | Comments (0)

New Books (December 2005)

It snowed a little here the other day, the first snow. My son, Simon, chose our spot in the meeting house and I was grateful that he sat us on a facing bench where I could see out the two windows opposite and look onto the trees and the snowy schoolyard. As I sat in worship I was filled with the deep peace, the quiet that comes with the winter. I was reminded of the white comforter that we just bought for Simon's bed; he sleeps well under that light warmth and I always love to watch him, dreaming and resting, lying in the quiet repose that fills him with energy in the morning. I could sense the earth's fallow motions on First day, the mysterious underground workings which will be made manifest when the first crocus peeks out of the melting snow, when the first buds appear on the magnolia tree. This dormant time is a welcome reminder of the quiet work needed in order to glean the fruits of the Spirit. The new books featured offer opportunities to contemplate or celebrate and to see the world in a fresh way. Read more

Posted by QuakerBooks on December 1, 2005 | Comments (0)

Whispers of Faith (August 2005)

The editorial board for the QUIP book that would become "Whispers of Faith: Young Friends share their experiences of Quakerism" arrived at Twin Rocks Conference Center the day before our meeting would take place. I showed Geoffrey, Zion, Claire, Milam and Rachel their rooms and as soon as they had the chance, they went down to the ocean. Zion had brought a Frisbee and all five of them stood in a circle on the blustery beach and threw it back and forth to one another. Their skill varied, but they were gentle with one another and laughed together and kept the Frisbee in the air. It was such a strong image, these five young Friends, most of whom hadn’t met before, standing together and keeping a small disc aloft on the air. Read more

Posted by QuakerBooks on August 1, 2005 | Comments (0)

New Books (April 2005)

Each time I finish a catalog, I immediately hear about 5-10 items that really should have been included. I've learned not to get too distressed about this - I just begin my list of new titles for the next catalog right away. This year was no exception.  Within three weeks my list of "Books that should have gone in the 2005 catalog" was 27 items long. Rather than waiting for the next catalog, I thought I'd let you all know about the best of this list in this issue of 'Book Musings.' There are some new books that are real gems and some reprints that I've been wanting for a long time. Read more

Posted by QuakerBooks on April 1, 2005 | Comments (0)

Worship (February 2005)

The experience that led me to Friends was a deeply healing experience of the divine. After a time of deep sorrow in which I felt as though my spirit was no bigger than a pea and buried deep inside my body, I was driving to work through the flaxen-colored east Bay hills. When I reached the crest of a hill I was greeted by the red-orange light of dawn. In that moment, I felt as though my limbs were filling with the warm energy of the Spirit, I had a deep sense of well-being and knew that I was being held by God. I had known Friends and read some Quaker writings and immediately identified this experience with Quakers. When I began attending meeting for worship I found the kind of focused attentiveness to the Spirit that helped me maintain the connection that I discovered that day. Read more

Posted by QuakerBooks on February 1, 2005 | Comments (0)

Children's Spiritual Formation (December 2004)

Here at the office we have a Quaker book club.  About 8 of us meet to discuss newer Quaker books.  At our last meeting we came up with the idea of creating a list of core titles for Quaker young peoples' spiritual formation.  We would include books that serve as foundational literature for children ages 3 and up which help them learn about Quaker life and consider spiritual questions.  I'm hoping that several folks with expertise in religious education will help me develop such a list, but in the meantime I couldn't resist considering what titles I would choose.  Here are my first picks. Stay tuned for a more complete list of titles compiled with the help of a few Friends. Read more

Posted by QuakerBooks on December 1, 2004 | Comments (0)

New Books (September 2004)

It's a rare year that I end up with a stack of such fine newly published Quaker books on my desk, but this year is just that. In the past few months a number of Quaker titles have been released that really fill gaps in Quaker publishing and/or add substantially to the body of Quaker literature. There have been so many new, good books that for this Book Musings I haven't had time to read each of these books from cover to cover (though I've read at least a chapter or two of each), but I couldn't wait to tell you about their appearance. Read more

Posted by QuakerBooks on September 1, 2004 | Comments (0)

New Books (June 2004)

It’s rare that I read a book and want to send it to every single one of my women friends right away, but GRACE NOTES: THE WAKING OF A WOMAN’S VOICE by Utah Friend Heidi Hart is an unusual book. It is an intricately composed story of the author’s interior journey towards an authentic and resonant voice; and to Quakerism. It’s written like a musical score with chapters that have 6 repeating parts, each a little puzzle rich with Hart’s lyrical descriptions of her experience. The stories, as in any musical score, spiral back on one another, repeating and ascending toward an inspiring spiritual clarity. She reveals a great deal (just enough) about the workings and vicissitudes of her heart. Read more

Posted by QuakerBooks on June 1, 2004 | Comments (0)

New Books (December 2003)

My son, Simon (20 months), is a bit of a book fanatic and I often take home a book or two for him from the shop. This week I carried home BLESS THIS HOUSE: A BEDTIME PRAYER FOR THE WORLD written and illustrated by Leslie Staub to see what he thought. He ‘woozled’ excitedly as I read him the book and if he were able to write a recommendation for it, it might read like this ­ “Cat, Giraffe, Moon, Puppy, ROAR (lion), Owl, Ooowk Tree, Duck, fisht (sic), kiss, monkey, Chi Chi Chi - Lovely, special things I know and name.” Needless to say, he really loved the pictures and I liked the soothing, comforting text ­ perfect as a just before bed book. His affection for the book is so strong, we’ll choose it as a gift for a few of his ‘play-group’ pals. Read more

Posted by QuakerBooks on December 1, 2003 | Comments (0)