Community & Solitude: An English Honors Thesis

"Community and Solitude, Words and Silence: A Nouwen-Inspired Journey"

Inspiration for this creative writing project was drawn from Henri Nouwen’s Out of Solitude, which is one of the books that shaped my experience in Orvieto, Italy. Nouwen writes, "The careful balance between silence and words, withdrawal and involvement, distance and closeness, solitude and community forms the basis of the Christian life… Let us therefore look somewhat closer, first at our life in action, and then our life in solitude."

Using examples from my home in New Hampshire, my home in Orvieto, and other places that may be unconventional “homes” such as a field hockey field or summers on the lake, these nonfiction stories are some of the most transformative experiences in my life. A few stories are about family times while others are about growing spiritually, but all of these pieces are situated in both place and relationship.

I will be posting different stories from the collection. I'm not sure if I will post all of the stories (there are 12 in total) because of the people and situations involved, but I will definitely post some of my favorites. :)

This is the full Henri Nouwen quote. I would've quoted the whole book - since it's so short - but I especially love this part: 

"Somewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning, that without listening speaking no longer heals, that without distance closeness cannot cure. Somewhere we know that without a lonely place our actions quickly become empty gestures. The careful balance between silence and words, withdrawal and involvement, distance and closeness, solitude and community forms the basis of the Christian life… Let us therefore look somewhat closer, first at our life in action, and then our life in solitude."