Spiritual Memoir Reading ListElizabeth Jarrett Andrew

At times spiritual memoirs and autobiographies withstand the test of time and rise to become sacred—or at least authoritative—texts. Here is a selection worth reading. The titles with the ( ) symbol are of especially good quality or significance and therefore worth reading as fine models of spiritual memoir for new writers. Here, Elizabeth offers a few notes on the focus of each book and what aspects of craft the book demonstrates.

You will find the document organized by time period:

CLASSICS

AnonymousThe Way of a PilgrimBoulder, CO: Shambhala, 2001.This delightful Russian text is a happy-go-lucky pilgrim’s quest to learn how to “pray without ceasing.”

AugustineThe Confessions of Saint Augustine New York: Doubleday, 1960. The foundational conversion narrative. Everything in Augustine’s story hinges on his a-ha moment, dividing his life into “before” and “after.” Note how Augustine occasionally disregards the reader and directly addresses God.

Black Elk SpeaksTold through John G. Neihardt Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1932. A record of an oral narrative. Black Elk’s story illustrates the life-long ramifications of a single vision—a good example of how the consequences of mystical experiences are more important than the experiences themselves. He also disregards the listeners to directly address the Grandfathers.

ClassicsContemporary

1

Jung, CarlMemories, Dreams, Reflections New York: Vintage Books, 1961. An autobiography that focuses on the psychologist’s spiritual and intellectual awakenings rather than external events.

Merton, Thomas Seven Storey Mountain New York: Garden City Books, 1948. A classic conversion narrative from Merton’s younger years.

Griffiths, Bede The Golden String: An Autobiography Springfield, IL: Templegate, 1980. The life story of now Benedictine monk Griffiths’ faith journey, influenced by a key mystical experience that leads to nature worship as well as exposure to C.S. Lewis when at Oxford.

Hillesum, Etty An Interrupted LifeNew York: Pocket Books, 1981.The WWII diary entries and letters of a Dutch Jewish woman who died in Auschwitz at the age of 29, written during a time of intense personal growth and transformation as she seeks her identity and life’s meaning.

Nouwen, Henri The Genesee Diary: Report from a Trappist Monastery Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., Inc., 1976. A funny, wise, and profound reflection on daily life with Trappist monks during a seven-month stay at an abbey in New York.

2

Tweedie, Irina The Chasm of FireGreat Britain: Element Books, 1979. A diary about Tweedie’s religious and spiritual quest after her husband’s death—a quest that leads her to train with a Sufi master in India.

Wiesel, Elie Night New York: Avon, 1969. Powerful story of the loss of faith. A good example of how spiritual memoir can ask unanswerable questions and end without resolution.

Teresa of Avila The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila by Herself London: Penguin Books, 1957. A frank and masterful self-account of Teresa’s entry into the religious life.

Thurman, Howard With Head and Heart New York: Harcourt Brace & Co., 1979. An autobiography with keen attention to the evolution of Thurman’s theology.

3

Andrew, Elizabeth J. Swinging on the Garden Gate: A Spiritual Memoir Boston, MA: Skinner House Books, 2000. A coming-of-age story exploring questions of faith, sexual identity, and living with integrity.

Andrew, Elizabeth J. On the Threshold: Home, Hardwood, & Holiness New York: Westview Press, 2005. Essays examining geographical and spiritual notions of home.

Adiele, FaithMeeting Faith: The Forest Journals of a Black Buddhist Nun New York: Norton, 2004. Recounts Adiele’s journey to Thailand to become a Buddhist nun.

Ansay, A. Manette Limbo New York: Harper Perennial, 2002. Illness interrupts a young woman’s journey toward becoming a concert pianist. A good model for elegant, clear prose.

Armstrong, Karen The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness New York: Anchor Books, 2004. Armstrong’s journey out of the convent and into a life of interfaith exploration.

CONTEMPORARY

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Bondi, Roberta Memories of God: Theological Reflections on a Life Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1995. A female professor tries to make sense of her own beliefs and faith by writing down her personal stories.

Bozarth, Alla Renee Womanpriest: A Personal Odyssey San Diego, CA: LuraMedia, 1978. An autobiography by one of the Philadelphia 11—the first women ordained in the Episcopal Church, with interesting insight into church history.

Boyle, GregoryTattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion New York: Free Press, 2010. Parables about kinship and redemption by pastor and activist Boyle who runs Homeboy Industries, a gang-intervention program in L.A.

Beak, Sera Red Hot & Holy: A Heretic’s Love Story Louisville, CO: Sounds True, 2013.One theologically educated woman’s story of serving the Red Lady, or the goddess Kali.

Bolz-Weber, NadiaPastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint Nashville, TN: Jericho Books, 2013. A gritty, theologically fresh memoir.

5

Cairns, ScottShort Trip to the Edge: Where Earth Meets Heaven–A Pilgrimage New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2007. A convert’s journey to Mount Athos and into Greek Orthodoxy.

Caldwell, GailLet’s Take the Long Way Home New York: Random House, 2010. A spirited memoir of friendship and loss. Good for studying powerful reflective writing, thematically grouped memories, and the writing of memories entirely from adulthood.

Breyer, Chloe The Close: A Young Woman’s First Year at Seminary New York: Basic Books, 2000. An intimate glimpse into Breyer’s entry into seminary. The memoir is structured by the liturgical calendar.

Chernin, KimIn My Father’s Garden: A Daughter’s Search For a Spiritual Life Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books, 1996. A skeptic’s very physical spiritual awakening.

Covington, Dennis Salvation on Sand Mountain New York: Penguin, 1995. Covington covers the trial of a pastor accused of murder in Appalachia and gets sucked into his snake-handling, strychnine-drinking faith.

6

Doty, Mark Heaven’s Coast New York: Harper Perennial, 1996. Doty loses his partner to AIDS. His record of love, loss, and grief is eloquent. A good book to read for language and for linking reflection and narration.

Doyle, Brian “Eating Dirt” in Leaping: Revelations & EpiphaniesChicago, IL: Loyola Press, 2013. Doyle is a master of the “short.” This is my favorite essay of his. I also recommend his other books: The Wet Engine, Epiphanies and Elegies, A Book of Uncommon Prayer, Grace Notes, etc.

Dubus, Andre “Love in the Morning” in Meditations from a Movable Chair New York: Vintage, 1999.This essay is notable for Dubus’ vision of eucharist “infusing” the world and his fearless humor.

Crane, GeorgeBones of the Master: A Buddhist Monk’s Search for the Lost Heart of China New York: Bantam, 2000. The opening to this narrative is particularly beautiful.

David-Neel, AlexandraMy Journey to Lhasa Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1927. Travelogue of a French woman’s 1923 expedition to Tibet, particularly recounting her journey to Lhasa, Tibet’s forbidden city.

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Ehrlich, Gretel A Match to the HeartNew York: Penguin Books, 1994. A Buddhist woman’s story of being struck by lightning—a second time—and what sense she makes of it.

Erdrich, Louise The Blue Jay’s Dance: A Birth Year New York: HarperCollins, 1995. A collection of reflections that trace the author’s first year with her daughter. Erdrich makes beautiful connections between the natural world and the life of her spirit.

Duncan, David James My Story As Told By Water: Confessions, Druidic Rants, Reflections, Bird-Watchings, Fish-Stalkings, Visions, Songs and Prayers Refracting Light, from Living Rivers, in the Age of the Industrial Dark San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books, 2002. Funny! Duncan, environmentalist and fly fisherman, explores his nature-deprived childhood and the influence of his Bible-beating grandmother. Opening section is the best.

Evans, Rachel HeldEvolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010. A fundamentalist Christian coming of age in the ‘90s wrestles with the challenges posed to her faith by contemporary culture.

Fernandez-Williams, Sherrie SoftSt. Cloud, MN: North Star Press, 2014. An energetic memoir that’s a good example of how a raw, honest, personable voice can engage the reader.

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Gaustad, Edwin S., ed. Memoirs of the Spirit Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999. Contributions by 26 people from various traditions and religions.

Gilbert, Elizabeth Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia New York: Penguin, 2006. A newly divorced woman’s journey to self-discovery as she physically travels around the world.

Goldberg, Natalie Long Quiet Highway New York: Bantam Books, 1993. Goldberg’s journey as a writer, teacher, and spiritual student.

Foster, PatriciaMinding the Body: Women Writers on Body and Soul New York: Doubleday, 1994. A multicultural anthology of 20 essays by women examining their relationship to their bodies.

Gallagher, WinifredWorking on GodNew York: Random House, 1999. A self-described “neoagnostic” brings readers along as she “works on God,” her phrase for trying to find where religion fits in her life.

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Hampl, Patricia Virgin TimeNew York: Ballantine Books, 1992. Hampl’s pilgrimage to Italy and quest for prayer. A good exampleof a travel narrative.

Harvey, Andrew A Journey in Ladakh Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1983. Harvey’s arduous pilgrimage to the mountains of Ladakh, where the purest form of Tibetan Buddhism is practiced.

Halpern, SueMigrations to Solitude: The Quest for Privacy in a Crowded World New York: Vintage Books, 1992. Reflections on the theme of solitude.

Hathaway, Katharine Butler The Little Locksmith New York: The Feminist Press, 1942. An unfinished narrative by a woman whose childhood was confined to bed. Sensitive, lovely.

Hendra, Tony Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My SoulNew York: Random House, 2004. The comedian’s relationship to his spiritual director over a lifetime.

10

Junod, Tom “Can You Say Hero?” in The Best Spiritual Writing 1999, edited by Philip Zaleski New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1999. American journalist Junod’s interview with Mister Rogers, and consequent personal transformation. A model for the dual nature of fine portraiture.

Kamenetz, Rodger The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet’s Rediscovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1994. An account of the Dalai Lama’s 1990 conference in Dharamsala, India, with eight Jewish rabbis, mystics, and progressive Jewish thinkers. Historically, it was the first recorded major dialogue between experts in Buddhism and Judaism.

Kingston, Maxine Hong The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts New York: Vintage Books, 1975. An exceptionally beautiful collection. The first chapter is a good example of how to use speculation, research, and imagination to fill in gaps in memory or in family history.

Johnson, MaryAn Unquenchable Thirst: Following Mother Teresa in Search of Love, Service, and an Authentic LifeNew York: Spiegel & Grau, 2011. The memoir of Johnson’s life as a Missionary of Charity ending in atheism.

Johnson, Robert A.Balancing Heaven and Earth: A Memoir of Visions, Dreams, and Realizations San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998. The Jungian analyst tells of the formative impact of dreams and visions on his life’s journey.

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Lamott, AnneTraveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on FaithNew York: Anchor Books, 2000. Master of humor and faithful irreverence. Lamott speaks to a younger generation of seekers.

Lee, Li-YoungThe Winged Seed: A Remembrance St. Paul, MN: Hungry Mind Find, 1995. A difficult but beautiful book. Lyrical in style, circular in form.

Kurs, Katherine, ed. Searching for Your Soul: Writers of Many Faiths Share Their Personal Stories of Spiritual Discovery New York: Shocken Books, 1999. A collection of works by both contemporary and historical writers.

Levine, StephenTurning Toward the Mystery: A Seeker’s JourneyNew York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2002. Levine describes his life’s path from troubled youth to spiritual teacher.

Lischer, RichardStations of the Heart: Parting with a SonNew York: Knopf, 2013. A father tells how his dying son teaches his family “a new way to die.”

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Mairs, NancyOrdinary Time: Cycles in Marriage, Faith, and Renewal Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1993. An outspoken autobiography that examines the “ordinary time” of one woman’s life in all its messiness and uncertainties.

Manning, MarthaChasing Grace: Reflections of a Catholic Girl, Grown Up San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins, 1996. Manning weaves her story around the seven holy sacraments.

Matthiessen, Peter The Snow Leopard New York: Penguin, 1978. I find this story of trekking in the Himalayas fascinating for its structure, which defies the traditional story-arc in favor of a Zen Buddhist form. Matthiessen is a good model for incorporating philosophical, historical, natural, and religious digressions into a travel narrative.

MacDonald, SarahHoly Cow New York: Broadway Books, 2002. A hip Australian TV anchor spends a few years traveling through India learning about the world’s religions.

Macy, JoannaWidening Circles Canada: New Society Publishers, 2000. Eco-philosopher, Buddhist scholar, and deep ecology activist/teacher Macy’s spiritual development is set against the backdrop of some major social movements of our era. This memoir reads like a novel.

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Miles, Sara Take This Bread: A Radical ConversionNew York: Ballantine Books, 2007. A contemporary conversion story that highlights a socially progressive view of Christian ritual.

Momaday, N. Scott The NamesTucson, AZ: The University of Arizona Press, 1976. A memoir of Momaday’s boyhood in Oklahoma and the Southwest, non-chronologically structured across the cultural continuum of Momaday’s own as well as his ancestors’ experiences.

Mernissi, Fatima Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books, 1994. Surprising vignettes of growing up in Morocco.

Momaday, N. Scott The Way to Rainy Mountain Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1969. Follows the journey of Momaday’s Kiowa ancestors from their ancient beginnings in Montana to their resettlement near Rainy Mountain, Oklahoma, following their surrender to the U. S. Cavalry at Fort Sill.

Morrison, Melanie The Grace of Coming Home Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press, 1995. Anti-oppression activist Morrison examines her lesbian and Christian identities.

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Norris, Kathleen Dakota: A Spiritual Geography Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Really a collection of essays with strong memoir material. A good example of arranging smaller pieces into a narrative whole.

O’Reilley, Mary RoseThe Barn at the End of the World: The Apprenticeship of a Quaker, Buddhist Shepherd Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed, 2001. An account of a woman’s year of tending sheep to exist more fully in the world.

Rosen, JonathanThe Talmud and the Internet: A Journey Between Worlds New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000. Rosen blends memoir, religious history, and literary reflection in this exploration of his American and Jewish identities.

Neumark, Heidi B.Breathing Space: A Spiritual Journey in the South Bronx Boston, MA: Beacon, 2004. The story of how a white woman of privilege became the pastor of a Hispanic and African American Lutheran congregation in the South Bronx and the resulting transformation of herself and the community.

Nomani, Asra Q. Standing Alone: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2005. A single, unwed mother journeys to Mecca on the hajj, recommits to the Islamic faith, and works for women’s rights. Although poorly edited, this memoir demonstrates the profound influence ofspiritual lives on the public sphere.

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Salzberg, SharonFaith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience New York: Riverhead, 2002. Here is an example of blending memoir with instructional nonfiction. Salzberg shares small bits of her story to illuminate her discussion of faith’s role in Buddhism.

Sandor, Marjorie “Waiting for a Miracle: A Jew Goes Fishing” in The Night Gardener: A Search for Home Maryland: Lyons Press, 1999. I enjoy how Sandor makes even library research into an engaging story.

Rothluebber, FrancisNobody Owns Me: A Celibate Woman Discovers Her Sexual PowerSan Diego, CA: LuraMedia, 1994. The story of a nun who works through her personal issues of sexuality.

Sanford, MatthewWaking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence New York: Rodale Books, 2006. A great example of how passion for a subject can be infectious! Sanford’s spiritual practice is yoga; his book illustrates how our bodies are active players in our spiritual stories.

Sarton, MayJournal of a Solitude New York: W. W. Norton, 1973. Sarton uses the informal journal structure but with the intention of an audience.

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Teish, Luisah Jambalaya: The Natural Woman’s Book of Personal Charms and Practical RitualsNew York: HarperOne, 1988. A hodgepodge of spiritual memoir, folklore, New Orleans’ history, and Voudou.

Tippett, Krista Speaking of Faith New York: Viking, 2007. The public radio host shares her faith journey.

Wilbanks, JessicaWhen I Spoke In Tongues: A Story of Faith and Its Loss Boston, MA: Beacon, 2018. Wilbanks’ painful experience of walking away from her Pentecostal upbringing to find her own path.

Scott, Sophfronia and Tain GregoryThis Child of Faith: Raising a Spiritual Child in a Secular World Orleans, MA: Paraclete, 2017. Scott and her son Tain, who was in his third-grade classroom during the Sandy Hook shootings, share their stories, experiences, and ideas about faith.

Taylor, Barbara Brown Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith New York: HarperCollins, 2006. Success drives this Episcopalian priest to leave the ministry.

17

Willis, JanDreaming Me: An African American Woman’s Spiritual Journey New York: Riverhead Books, 2001. An American Buddhist scholar’s incredible journey from the segregated South of the ‘50s and ‘60s to the monasteries of Kathmandu.

Wilson, Diane Spirit Car: Journey to a Dakota Past St. Paul, MN: Borealis, 2006. Family history only works well in memoir when clear connections are drawn between the past and the author’s present. Wilson does this beautifully, wrestling with inherited intergenerational trauma.

Williams, Terry Tempest RefugeNew York: Vintage Books, 1991. A rare look at feminist Mormonism. Williams draws beautiful parallels between the natural world, her family’s health, and the life of the soul.

Winner, Lauren F. Girl Meets God: On the Path to a Spiritual Life Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books, 2002. An Orthodox Jew converts to Christianity.

Winner, Lauren F. Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis New York: HarperOne, 2012. A refreshing memoir on emptiness in the Christian faith.

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Zaleski, Philip, ed. The Best Spiritual Writing, annual series New York: HarperSanFrancisco. This is a top-notch anthology that culls publications for short literary spiritual writing and always includes some memoir.

Wurtele, MargaretTouching the Edge: A Mother’s Spiritual Path from Loss to Life New Jersey: John Wiley, 2003. A mother’s grief is transformed into peace.

Yang, Kao KaliaThe Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father New York: Metropolitan Books, 2016. Yang tells the life of her father, Bee, a Hmong refugee and song poet tasked with recounting the history and stories of his people.

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As part of supporting authors and independent bookstores, we encourage buying local when possible. Some good choices in the Twin Cities Metro area include (all of the bookstores below ship books, except for Storied Owl Books):

Birchbark Books, Minneapolis Daybreak Press, Minneapolis Magers & Quinn, Minneapolis Moon Palace Books, Minneapolis Next Chapter Booksellers, St. Paul Storied Owl Books, St. Paul Subtext Books, St. Paul

Additional Resources:

Bookshop.org: Bookshop.org returns 10% of book sale profits to the brick- and-mortar stores that are their affiliates.

Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew’s Bookshop.org page.

Wisdom Ways Center Bookshop.org page for this course.

PURCHASING BOOKS:

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Writing the Sacred Journey: Introductory Workshop on Spiritual Memoir