Mary Karr's Sinner's Welcome (New York: HarperCollins, 2006) includes forty-four incisive poems and an excellent Afterward, "Facing Altars: Poetry and Prayer," that touches on her adult conversion to Catholicism. In the latter section, which I find both entertaining and really interesting (especially since I'm an adult Catholic convert, too). ". . . [J]ust as I continue to live in America," she explains in the wake of mystified friends, "and vote despite my revulsion for many U.S. policies, I continue to take the sacraments despite my fervent aversion to certain doctrines. Call me a cafeteria Catholic if you like, but I'd say, who isn't?" (p. 69).
Karr examines the powerful similarities between prayers and poetry as she seeks to express more gratefulness and joy in her imagery. Still, her poems about horrible ex-boyfriends and husbands and her own difficulties, including addictive behavior, make for good reading. In the ex- department, "Reference for Ex-Man's Next" is biting and sardonic. Still, there's a sea change in Karr's outlook brought on by her conversion and by her love for her son Dev that is comparable to that found in Anne Lamott's writing about her son Sam. Karr also tries out forgiveness, as in "Overdue Pardon for Mother with Knife," about her relationship with her troubled mother, now dead. There are, in fact, a variety of poems, and Karr nicely mixes slang and formal structure in most of them. Sometimes the titles alone are golden, like "At the Sound of the Gun Shot, Leave a Message."
Sinners Welcome is an attractive book, thoroughly enjoyable, and would appeal to readers of her memoirs or previous poetry books, not to mention other cafeteria Catholics. What I really look forward to now is another Mary Karr memoir, one that gets at her often messy adult relationships post-Cherry. That would be truly fascinating, if she has enough critical distance to be able to do it honestly.
Today's Rune: The Blank Rune.
4 comments:
Not to offend anyone, but I'd say most Catholics hit the cafeteria regularly. It seems to be a matter of perspective, whether you're confronted with a choice that goes against the churches beliefs and a practical solution, like birth control. So much for large Catholic families.
There are so many rules an regulations in Catholicism that it's impossible for anyone to adhere to all of them. I would be very suspicious of anyone claiming to stick to everything in this religion's complete catechism.
I love this book. Here's to poetry coming back into vogue.
Thanks all, for the comments. I agree that pragmatism wins out over many dogmas, especially when those dogmas have been arrived at by a relatively small and undemocratic leadership. And yes, here's to poetry coming back into vogue! Cheers, Erik
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