Reading List

I will note here some books that have impressed, and accordingly, influenced me.

Anything by Barbara Kingsolver, but especially The Bean Trees and Prodigal Summer.

The works of Rumi, who was a thirteenth century poet and Sufi mystic. Rumi came from Afghanistan and settled in what is now Konya, Turkey. The Sufis were a flavor of Islam that sought closeness with God over adherence to doctrine. Rumi addressed God as “Friend.”

As we now see, the Islamic mystics were pushed back by the currently dominant fundamentalists. (Who knows, maybe there are other parallels.) Sufis still exist as Dervishes.

I find that Rumi’s works are better appreciated as small thoughts rather than as a book of collected works. I quoted one thought as a chapter title: “If you had to fall asleep, why in a prison of all places?” I saw another quote on a poster: “There is a place beyond right and wrong. I will meet you there.”