In Praise of the Useless Life: A Monk’s Memoir

This book is a delight and a treasure.Quenon tells about his experience with Merton--for instance, Merton once gave him a Rorschach test and Quenon was his underground publisher of works the abbot had forbidden for wider publication--and he also explains his vision of spiritual life. Quenon spends his life in the hills of central Kentucky turning the world upside down. Day after day, year by year, he empties himself of things that could impede his embrace of the divine. He says that the monastic life is a permanent vacation. It is a vacating, a process of getting rid of clutter to make room for God. A life of poverty hopefully helps one let go of greed. A life of stability, of attachment to a particular place, dispenses with frenetic movement and restlessness. A life of solitude puts aside distraction and enables a person to come to know themselves. All of this removing, this radical act of vacating, creates space for spiritual life that is human at its core.I loved this book and will reread it again and again.

I know Brother Paul, author of "In Praise of the Useless Life," and have for some 4-5 years now. Whenever I pay a visit to the Abbey of Gethsemani on retreat, I consider it a high honor to spend a few minutes with Br. Paul.That stated, he did not ask me to write a review of his book.He did not give me a copy of his book.Soon after it was published, I bought a copy of "In Praise of the Useless Life" from Amazon.And I've savored it ever since.Memoirs can be tricky things. Full-on autobiographies can be filled with minutia, and a self-congratulatory attitude that permeates every anecdote, turning the spotlight onto the teller of the tale more often than not, tainting the entire tome with a cloying disingenuousness makes the read tedious and unsatisfying.Two memoirs/autobiographies that do NOT adhere to that too-frequent standard are "Yes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr.," by Sammy Davis, Jr., and "Harpo Speaks!" by Harpo Marx. I read both a time or two every year. "Harpo Speaks!' is cued up on my Kindle right now, in fact. It's been about six months since I read it last, and I'm due to "hear" Harpo speak through the pages of his book.What separates those memoirs (especially Harpo's) from so many others is its goodness, its kind heart, its total lack of boasting, bragging, or shining the spotlight on the teller of the tales. Harpo's memoir, in fact, makes me feel part of the Marx family. When I read that book, I am warmed to the heart and wish I could have met Harpo.In short, I feel good when I read "Harpo Speaks!"That's why I like Br. Paul's book "In Praise of the Useless Life." It warms me, makes me feel alive, urges me to seek what Br. Paul has found: contentment with who he is, and enamored by life itself. Just being alive, alert, and attentive to all that life has to offer, especially what some dismiss as the "small things."Even though the legendary Thomas Merton was Br. Paul's novice master, readers should not expect this book to be a tell-all about Merton. "In Praise of the Useless Life" is Br. Paul's memoirs, not Thomas Merton's. Of course, Br. Paul shares his thoughts and observations about the great contemplative author who was Br. Paul's teacher in the 1960s. But that's not the focus of "In Praise of the Useless Life." Such anecdotes are sprinkled here and there (and rather poignantly in the chapter titled "Merton's Death As Seen From The Home Grounds"). But if you turn to Br. Paul's book expecting to get the low down on Fr. Louis (Merton's name at Gethsemani), you'll be sorely disappointed."In Praise of the Useless Life" is a collection of Br. Paul's unique and fascinating observations, experiences, lessons, and insights learned over the past 60 years living in the now famous Trappist monastery in rural Kentucky."I am on permanent vacation," Br. Paul writes in the opening chapter to his book. "This surprising state of affairs is the life that I have been called to, and it has lasted almost six decades. My good fortune is known as a vocation. Monastic life is essentially a vacating, an emptying out, not unlike vacating an apartment and living without furniture, or even without an apartment. Monastics (men and women) vacate the world and go where people of the world do not want to go and remain."From Br. Paul's vantage point within that setting, he writes about a great many things, all infused with his own wit, wisdom, and grand sense of humor. (He is especially enamored with poet Emily Dickinson, composer Anton Bruckner, photography, nature, and long walks in the woods - all of which he enjoys as often as possible.)That written, there's one aspect that I want readers to know about Br. Paul ahead of time: his sense of humor, which is as keen and generous as any you're likely to encounter. You might think that monks are arid and humorless. But that's not Br. Paul. His sense of humor is robust. He laughs a lot. And he has one of the most photogenic and infectious smiles I've ever seen.This memoir makes me feel like I'm spending time with Br. Paul in person, captivated by his stories, and watching his sparkling, humor-filled eyes dance to and fro over his surroundings, constantly in search of the smallest detail, which he will ponder and then, most likely, either take a picture of (he's a superb photographer), or write about (he's a published poet as well) later.I wholeheartedly recommend "In Praise of the Useless Life."Br. Paul's book is one to treasure and read often.

Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO, has come into his own as a master poet and storyteller. Agelessly, he looks back on a lifetime of serenity, adventure and wonder. From his close internship as a teenager to Thomas Merton until the present, some sixty years later, as a mature monk and a realized whole person.From the confines of the formidable Abbey of Gethsemani deep in the pastoral countryside and leafy woodland of Kentucky, he has lived inside an authentic vision. Thomas Merton once asked the artist Georgia O'Keeffe what she could see from "her" famous flat-topped mountain, the Pedernale, rising out of the New Mexico desert. She answered, "Only the whole world." And this is Paul's view from Gesthemani. Everything.The world comes to Gesthemani. Through its venerable gates have passed the writers, peerless poets, musicians, artists, spiritual leaders of every stripe from all points. Yet Gesthemani is also home to the pauper, the seeker, the penitent, the prayerful, the skeptic in need of a quiet place. All recognized as the Holy Christ, all welcomed in a spirit of universal fellowship.His memories are all here, accessible, unforgettable. Memories of light and compassion. When I think of Paul I am reminded of his great vivacity, the embodiment of lovingkindness in a wiry physique that seems to age only ever so slowly; creative vitality and serenity together. These, among many other delights, are embedded in the straightforward prose of his narrative.Brother Paul's uncommon "useless life" welcomes you to enter into the joy of the dance. The still point at the center of the world.As has been said by the wise, "The gate to heaven is everywhere." Paul invites us to pass through the gate in a brilliant memoir.

A splendid read, I enjoyed it immensely ! Fr. Paul is so obviously in love with God and it shows throughout this book. Most enjoyable were the sections on Merton and the hermitage. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a desire to learn more about monastic life and the monks who live at this historic monastery.

With over 50 years of experience at Gethsemani Abbey, Quenon writes a gentle, yet often poignant account of his days there as a Trappist monk, with many reminiscences of his mentor, Thomas Merton, including the responses of the monks on the death of Merton in Asia. I loved this book.

I bought this book because, Bro. Paul was a friend and pupil of Thomas Merton. However, besides enjoying learning more about Fr. Louis (Merton), Bro. Paul also passed along many goings on at Gethsemani Monastary, including his own life there.I found this book most informative as well as entertaining.

Love this memoir. It's full of spiritual wisdom and good humor.