Description
Book Synopsis“What follows is the play of memory and epiphany in a rather ordinary life spent with family, in the classroom, in church, among books, and in nature—the commonplace revelations of the Holy Ghost’s bright wings. . .” With elegant fluidity, Lou Masson retraces the paths of his memory in search of revelations from the past. Snow under a boy’s boots; the old hands of a Russian artist; a daughter’s photographs; the wide Willamette Valley—as Masson turns his eye to such simple images, the light of new meaning begins to glow. Under his pen, the lost moments of everyday life resurface with iconic vitality. Yet at heart, Masson’s writing reaches from private thought to touch memory not his own. The intimacy of Masson’s reflections opens us to our own remembered worlds. Guided by his faith in life’s value, our forgotten pasts may reemerge in all their once-hidden holiness. In The Play of Light, Masson offers us a double journey: to travel with him into his past draws us into the singular richness of our own lives.
Trade ReviewOur world is filled with wonders and that is why we need tutors to show us how to make the most of the little epiphanies and sacramental showings that we oftentimes miss in the shove and tug of everyday life. -- Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat * Spirituality and Practice *
In lucid and lyrical prose, Lou Masson takes the seemingly insignificant details of daily life, the seemingly insignificant objects and experiences of memory, the brief words and gestures that linger, links them, transforms them, honors and reveals them to be the vital essence of existence. In The Play of Light, Masson demonstrates a manner, a way of observing that lifts the ordinary into the rare. This collection of essays itself is no ordinary gift but a rare one. -- Pattiann Rogers, author of
Firekeeper: Selected Poems
I actually reread this book, searching for what made it so powerful. It might be the connections I find between his questions and life and my life. But that does not explain why the prologue moved me to tears, when the entire chapter is explicitly a situation entirely alien to me. Masson has provided the world with a wonderful book. Frankly, I would recommend it to anyone. Age range is immaterial. The reading level is relatively easy, the writing incredibly descriptive and lyrical, and the sentiment; classless. However, this is a reflective memoir, a book that inspires self reflection and emotion. Expect tears and change. -- Nina Larson * Reader Views *
