Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas Merton, hosted by Laurence and John Alexis
Before Thomas Merton’s book, The Wisdom of the Desert, arrived in my mailbox, I knew very little about the author or the 4th century Christian monks that had retreated to the North Africa desert to live in caves. Don’t feel intimidated by this translation of ancient texts, this thin volume is filled with short passages that are witty, sometimes funny, and always deeply relevant to a contemplative life in the desert.
Come join us on February 1st at Mother House, a space Laurence and John Alexis have dedicated exclusively to spiritual practice. To find Mother House from downtown JT, drive north on Sunburst from Hwy 62, turn right on Golden, left on Border, keep an eye out for Pole and Del Oro Roads, then turn left on Winters (sign on left), then drive 1 1/4 mile on dirt road to Shangri La and turn left. Mother House will be on your right in less than a quarter mile—look for the big white book club sign to guide you to the correct driveway. -Kip
See Book Club homepage for more information on this monthly gathering
Every month from October 2014 until March 2020, Kip’s Desert Book Club gathered on the first Monday of the month at 7:00 pm in the home of a different resident of the Morongo Basin to discuss a book that in one way or another touches on the theme of “desert”.
Since the start of the pandemic, Kip has been hard at work making renovations to the kitchen and bathrooms at Copper Mountain Mesa Community Center, where he is the board President, and keeping their monthly USDA food drive alive. During this time, Kip’s Desert Book Club had largely been on pause, with the exception of a few virtual meetings. These virtual gatherings allowed us to welcome the participation of book club fans from beyond our local region.
Sixty-six books, more than seven years, and one pandemic later, Kip has decided to step back from being the primary book club organizer and join the rest of us as readers. Kip, we thank you for all the wonderful and eclectic desert books you’ve chosen over the years, as well as the unforgettable stories and knowledge you continue to share (if you know, you know!)
So, we are excited to announce that beginning in January 2022, our in-person book club will resume as the Desert Research Library Book Club (or DRL Book Club, for short). Each month, a member of the current Desert Research Library Artist Cohort will select a book from the library as that month’s book club selection.
