Winner of two 2019 Catholic Press Association Awards: Memoir (First Place) and Cover Design (Second Place).
Inspired by his novice master Merton, the poet and photographer\'s stories remind us that the beauty of life can best be seen in the uselessness of daily life--having a quiet chat with a friend, spending time in contemplation--in our vocations, and in the memories we make along the way..
Whether it be through the daily routine of the monastery, his love of the outdoors no matter the season, or his lively and interesting conversations with visitors (reciting Emily Dickinson with Pico Iyer, discussing Merton and poetry with Czeslaw Milosz), Quenon\'s gentle musings display his love for the beauty in his vocation and the people he\'s encountered along the way.
The humble peace and simplicity of the monastery and of Quenon\'s daily life are beautifully portrayed in this memoir.
In Praise of the Useless Life includes Quenon\'s quiet reflections on what it means to live each day with careful attentiveness.
Helen Prejean and Seamus Heaney, to Merton\'s hermitage.
He served as a novice under Thomas Merton and he also welcomed some of the monastery\'s more well-known visitors, including Sr.
Paul Quenon, O.
C.
S.
O., during his more than five decades as a Trappist at the Abbey of Gethsemani.
Monastic life and its counter-cultural wisdom come alive in the stories and lessons of Br.
Winner of two 2019 Catholic Press Association Awards: Memoir (First Place) and Cover Design (Second Place)
