St. Nadie in Winter: Zen Encounters with Loneliness

""To be lonely is to be among people who do not know what you mean,"" quotes Keenan, a librarian, poet and Zen Buddhist priest. While Keenan's spiritual memoir offers many moments of epiphany, there are other times when the above quote seems to describe the book itself, which can be abstruse. It chronicles Keenan's personal struggle with alcoholism (which, in the spirit of Anne Lamott, makes for some of the most profound passages in the book) and the difficulties of personal relationships. Despite the shadowy nature of Keenan's writing style, his book is worth reading for his flowing reflections on topics ranging from karma to Kafka. Particularly intriguing are his thoughts on writer's block, meditation, Japanese poetry and fatherhood. (July)