Parker J. Palmer – who for forty years has written and spoken about subjects ranging from contemplation to community, the inner life to public life, education to social change – is known as one of the nation’s most thoughtful voices, calling us all to ways of being in the world that honor the human heart and promote a humane society.
Living the Questions: Essays Inspired by the Work and Life of Parker J. Palmer, a celebration of Palmer’s long and distinguished career, explores the dynamic interplay between the inner life of spirit and the outer life of work. The equally distinguished contributors, who come from a wide range of professions–university presidents, scientists, physicians, religious organizers–bear witness to the depth, breadth, and reach of Palmer’s work. All of them have been personally touched by his courage and determination to live a life congruent with the ideas and principles he writes about and by his candor in acknowledging his own flaws.
These intimate essays and stories shed new light on some of the most important topics of our time—living an integral life, teaching and learning for transformation, creating community, and contributing to nonviolent social change.
Living the Questions challenges all of us to take a journey inward and a journey outward, preparing ourselves to offer the right action and authentic leadership that the world so deeply needs.
Endorsements for Living the Questions:
“Living the Questions is a tribute to a great man by those he has awakened to their own unique greatness. This is a book about love, courage, community, integrity, service, and humility, with a single message: to teach is to be immortal. Living the Questions is a profound testimony to our power to make a difference in this world, one heart at a time.” —Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., author, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather’s Blessings
“Anyone who has read Parker J. Palmer’s books knows that he evokes something significant from deep within every reader. In Living the Questions, powerful and moving testimonies of such evocations of spirit show us how Parker’s influence ripples out into the lives and work of many good people.” —Craig Dykstra, vice president, Lilly Endowment
“Attests to the pervasive infectiousness of Parker J. Palmer’s gentle touch, soulful honesty, and deep inquiry into the service of authenticity and clarity. A collection of extraordinary and extraordinarily moving explorations of the inner and outer landscapes of our minds and hearts and world! There is much wisdom here from authors who have shared so much of themselves and their struggles, very much in the tradition of Palmer himself. Not to be missed. A gift of pure passion and compassion.” —Jon Kabat-Zinn, author, Coming to Our Senses
“In A Hidden Wholeness, Parker J. Palmer writes that in refusing to move to the back of the bus Rosa Parks was choosing to live divided no more. That’s the choice we made in the Civil Rights movement. It was a good and right choice, as important now as it was then. Living the Questions tells of others who also walk toward wholeness.” —Georgia Representative John Lewis, coauthor, Walking with the Wind; recipient, Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize
“Living the Questions is an act of love. Sam M. Intrator’s clear passion for teachers and Parker J. Palmer’s willingness to share all of who he is invites the reader into the very personal journey of a master teacher. The heartfelt stories of those influenced by Parker capture the circularity of teaching and learning; they are filled with soulful questioning, paradoxical wonderings, and courageous explorations.” —Becky van der Bogert, superintendent, Winnetka Public Schools; editor, New Directions in School Leadership; coauthor, Making Sense as a School Leader
“A remarkable collection of essays that beautifully captures the profound influence that Parker J. Palmer has had. Reading Living the Questions is encouraging, a great reminder of one of Parker’s favorite exhortations: ‘Be not afraid!’” —Larry C. Spears, editor and coauthor, Practicing Servant Leadership; president and CEO, The Robert K. Greenleaf Center, Indianapolis, Indiana
“Prepare for a delectable conversation with poetic people, all of whom have been profoundly influenced by Parker J. Palmer.” —Geoff Bellman, consultant; author, The Consultant’s Calling
Leave a Comment