Written by Parker Palmer (Published 2018)
Book Review By Sheila Sorkin
Parker Palmer wrote this memoir, a book of essays, poems, and reflections, in his seventies. My interest in the book was caught when I read the title, and an impactful statement early in the book confirmed my interest:
“We need to reframe aging as a passage of discovery and engagement, not decline and inaction.”
Palmer, a Friend, founded the Center for Courage and Renewal, which oversees long-term retreat programs that are deeply rooted in Quaker spirituality and practices. He was influenced by his experience at the Quaker study center Pendle Hill, where he went for a year’s sabbatical and ultimately stayed for eleven years, eventually becoming Dean of Studies.
Palmer’s writing is infused with humor despite his lifelong recurrent depression, describing how he struggled to live his life with meaning and service. He shares his life experiences of writing and love of nature while honoring his family. Palmer speaks of his mentor, Thomas Merton, whom he knew entirely through his writings. These experiences led him to Quakerism. Palmer writes,
“The spiritual journey is an endless process of engaging life as it is, stripping away our illusions about ourselves, our world, and the relationship of the two, moving closer to reality as we do.”
A beautiful part of Palmer’s book was the exploration of music written by his friend, a young woman, Carrie Newcomer. He named his book after her song “The Brink of Everything.”
Listen to The Brink of Everything, by Carrie Newcomer.
The book can be read in parts rather than cover to cover. Below is a list of section titles. Note with interest “Keep Reaching Out,” where he writes encouraging older people to keep their engagement with the world. He emphasizes how elders can share their gifts. Another section on the value of intergenerational relationships is worth absorbing. Like Eric Erikson, the psychoanalyst, Palmer writes of the importance of giving ourselves to rising generations; it is essential to our vitality.
I. The View from the Brink: What I Can See from Here
II. Young and Old: The Dance of the Generations
III. Getting Real: From Illusion to Reality
IV. Work and Vocation: Writing a Life
V. Keep Reaching Out: Staying Engaged with the World
VI. Keep Reaching In: Staying Engaged with Your Soul
VII. Over the Edge: Where We Go When We Die
The final chapter does not provide answers yet invites readers to explore as we approach “the brink of everything.” Palmer notes that Quakers have little to say about the hereafter, or if they do, he didn’t get the memo. However, Palmer has much to say about what we can do while we’re still in this world, and it’s well worth the read.
This article was prepared by Sheila Sorkin, PYM, Aging Support Coordinator in collaboration with Janaki Spikkard Keeler, Friends Counseling Services Coordinator, to provide support, resources and engage the aging community of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting as part of the “To Brighten Your Day” series.