Leaping: Revelations & Epiphanies

by Brian Doyle

After more than twenty years of "diligent scribbling," author Brian Doyle, an award-winning Catholic writer and editor of Portland Magazine, collected over thirty of his essays and put them together in this book. From a series of seemingly incongruous musings, Doyle weaves a compelling tapestry of stories with spirituality as the common thread.

Doyle writes eloquently about life and death, fear and faith, miracles and the mundane. In this compilation of literary writings about Catholicism, his children, birds, and cars, Doyle powerfully captures the Catholic lay spirit. Also included is a poignant memorial to the victims of September 11. Recalling his past, celebrating his present, and looking to the future, Doyle reminds us that by noticing the mysterious cycle of life we become aware of the blizzard of blessings that surrounds us.

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Christianity, Theology

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2003

About the author

Doyle's essays and poems have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, The American Scholar, Orion, Commonweal, and The Georgia Review, among other magazines and journals, and in The Times of London, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Kansas City Star, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Ottawa Citizen, and Newsday, among other newspapers. He was a book reviewer for The Oregonian and a contributing essayist to both Eureka Street magazine and The Age newspaper in Melbourne, Australia.

Doyle's essays have also been reprinted in:

* the Best American Essays anthologies of 1998, 1999, 2003, and 2005;
* in Best Spiritual Writing 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2005; and
* in Best Essays Northwest (2003);
* and in a dozen other anthologies and writing textbooks.

As for awards and honors, he had three startling children, an incomprehensible and fascinating marriage, and he was named to the 1983 Newton (Massachusetts) Men's Basketball League all-star team, and that was a really tough league.

Doyle delivered many dozens of peculiar and muttered speeches and lectures and rants about writing and stuttering grace at a variety of venues, among them Australian Catholic University and Xavier College (both in Melbourne, Australia), Aquinas Academy (in Sydney, Australia); Washington State, Seattle Pacific, Oregon, Utah State, Concordia, and Marylhurst universities; Boston, Lewis & Clark, and Linfield colleges; the universities of Utah, Oregon, Pittsburgh, and Portland; KBOO radio (Portland), ABC and 3AW radio (Australia); the College Theology Society; National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation," and in the PBS film Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero (2002).

Doyle was a native of New York, was fitfully educated at the University of Notre Dame, and was a magazine and newspaper journalist in Portland, Boston, and Chicago for more than twenty years. He was living in Portland, Oregon, with his family when died at age 60 from complications related to a brain tumor.

Reviews

[Chris Cutler · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are several must-read essays in this collection, and I've added links to online versions of these at the bottom, in order of recommendation.

It is clear that most of Doyle's essays are written for himself. I consider this a strength. The naked, humble honesty of emotion he reveals is lovely because it is so human. The essays that inspire are compelling because you have felt the same as the author. Those that fail to draw me in are no less artful or honest, they merely speak of things with which I have no shared experience.

For this reason, though I appreciated and learned from them, his ponderings and confessions about Catholicism and Mass will find a more enthusiastic audience in Catholic readers. Likewise, my feelings about Christ are somewhat different than his, so several of his essays on the Savior did not resonate with me (though I did like "Christ's Elbows").

I do highly recommend Brian Doyle's work, but I'm not sure this is the best collection to start with.
In addition to the must-reads below, I also particularly enjoyed the essays "Glory Bee" and "The Sudden Flight of Mrs. Wilhemina Kettell, in Summer."

Leap - a powerful, tearful tribute to the victims of the Sept 11 attacks
The Anchoviad - a fun and thoughtful pondering on anchovies and children
Kaddish - a memorial to those who died in the World Trade Center, a memorial that I did not expect to be as moving as it is
Why Write? - a collection and commentary on reasons for writing (the link omits the final page, but those first 12 contain the best parts)

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Brian Doyle has such a way with words - the essays found within this book run the gamut of emotions; always direct and honest, this collection is a keeper. I would like to find my own copy and add it to my overflowing, trying-to-whittle-down library. I could list a few favorites found within but they are all grand. If the only thing I had read was the beginning (before the essays actually) "Why Write?" the book would have been worth it.

December 2014 - a Christmas gift from my son and so a reread. Very happy to have the book in my library.

[Blair Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doyle makes me happy to be Christian, but not self-satisfied about it.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I were a Catholic I might have appreciated this book more. The writing is excellent.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 10th Anniversary edition of a 2003 collection of essays which Doyle wrote when his children were small and directly after 9/11. The 9/11 essays are laments unlike any others I have read. Since Brian's death this year, I am attempting to read all of his writing.

[Violet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chicken soup for the catholic soul! Swiped off Jon’s bookshelf.

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars
Brian Doyle may be considered a Christian author, but this collection of essays will be appreciated by believers and non-believers alike. His writing style is deeply human, evocative, and down to earth. Each essay is an intensely personal reflection on his life experiences, whether it be his children, birds, summer camp, sitting in church, Jesus, or the tragedy of the Twin Towers. A pretty darn wide range and, in as much, a wide range of emotional responses.
Doyle is a master story teller who can bring tears of laughter as he recounts his two year old twins eating mud (and a worm!) which he relates to the creative genius of the Earth’s recycling and renewal abilities. With equal ease he brings tears of grief and loss in the selection of essays on Remembrance as Prayer. Some might consider Jesus’s Elbows heretical, but I found it imaginative and fun. There are over 40 short essays covering something for everyone, but all pointing to inspiration, spirit, beauty, appreciation, food for thought, and an incredible power greater than ourselves.
This book is a keeper for reading again.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous collection of essays. I love Doyle's poetic prose. He takes usually difficult situations and helps us see the humor. I was reading out loud to hubby while we were waiting to receive the news about my brain scan. I'm not sure if neuro-surgeons are used to hearing laughter coming from their exam rooms, but they would be if more folks read Doyle there!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Brian Doyle's writing and this was no exception! Made me laugh, made me want to see the world with more love and wonder, made me cry. Some of the stories I'd read before (in "One Long River of Song," his more exhaustive retrospective collection) but this one had more religious essays about Catholicism which I found interesting and worthwhile to see the little wondrous details of a faith tradition I'm not as familiar with. Favorite essays I hadn't read before: "Room Eight," his essay about teaching catechism to 8- and 9-year-olds-- my favorite of the collection; "Grace Notes," about grace; "Reading the Birds", about yes, birds; "Mister Louie" and "Joe's Boy", both about reframing the strange and wonderful miracle that Christ is; "A Thin Ragged Man" a wonderful case study in perspective and love; "Credo", an honest but inspiring look at why he is Catholic. This collection felt more personal and unedited than the other I'd read, like you were reading the notes straight off his mind. I'd recommend this collection if you're looking to read more of Doyle's writings about Catholicism, and there are some stellar essays not in other collections-- but otherwise, I'd direct you to the more complete and well-chosen collection "One Long River of Song."

[Marigold · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is Brian Doyle, therefore It Is Good - in a cosmic, poetic, healing, earthy, funny, wise kind of way. I love everything here though it's not my absolute favorite of his books of essays. Also for anyone who thinks they can't read Doyle because he's very, very Catholic and lots of his essays are about his faith - I'm not Catholic, nor Christian, and only vaguely spiritual, but the important part to me is that I believe in Doyle's absolute faith and the joy and support it brings him, and if all Catholics and/or people of strong religious faith were like him, the world would be a different place. Especially in today's world I feel like it's important for me to occasionally connect with the spiritual views of those whose faith I don't share, but who give ME faith that some people who are Catholic (or whatever faith group) are Good. I don't feel like many so-called Christians who are generally the loudest about it, are good at all, and they're giving their religious group a bad name.
I believe most of the essays in this collection are among Doyle's earlier ones, and most have to do with his faith and family.

[Paul Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Brian Doyle's intelligent, heartfelt, spiritual, honest writing. He has such a way with words and meaning that you must stop and think, relate, and feel as you read through his essays. I am happy that I got to hear him speak in person and got to meet him, but very sad to learn of his recent passing away. His words endure.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another 4.5. A great book to read. Many short essays, observations, conversations with the reader as participant. I cannot remember where I first heard about Brian Doyle, but it was this year, and I am grateful to that source.

I don't always hold to how he holds elements of his faith, but I love his love of God. I love his love.

And he is a great writer. May he continue.

[Taylor Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compilation of various short stories about his home, his family, and his outlook on life.
Brian Doyle is a fantastic creative nonfiction writer. I aspire to write as well as him. Moving and brilliant. My favorite being leap, a prayer for pete, eating dirt, and to remember is to pray.

[Carly Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brian Doyle’s writing is so poetic and beautiful, terrible and haunting, laughter and crying inducing. The way he has with words gives me chills. Simple and complex ideas and emotions told in wonderful ways.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of essays is perfect for daily reflections or if you're newer to or not comfortable with spiritual reading. Doyle describes parenthood, work, writing, Mass, the Gaelic language among other topics. His language is precise and his perspective consistently warm and affectionate.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this collection of essays, reflections on the vocation of being a writer, the vocation of being a father and husband, the vocation of being a Catholic, the vocation of being splendidly alive.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful.

[Mitch Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not great for binge reading, because our boy gets pretty repetitive. His longer essays are much better, because they seem to be the product of more focused planning and structuring.

[D.L. Mayfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love everything about Brian Doyle.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Brian Doyle--enough said. Gone too soon, but at least I have this to go back to when I need a lift and a laugh.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but not my favorite book by this author.

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I’ve loved every book by Brian Doyle. The world is a better place for him having been in it.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful book by Brian Doyle that had me laughing and crying at his essays. I am definitely a Doyle fan and am sorry I did not discover his books until after he was no longer with us.

[cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love a Brian Doyle nonfiction collection but this one also includes two essays on families I know personally which was a delightful surprise!

[Jamie Johnson Leach · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you find yourself to be constantly pondering the mysteries of life Brian Doyle is a friend to read and enjoy. 💜

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would probably have said 4 stars, but the Sept. 11 essays bumped it up to a solid 5.

[Stephanie Kilpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great collection of uplifting and touching essays, beautifully written.

[Brigham Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by my favorite author, this collection of religious essays made me laugh and cry

[Jodie Toresdahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Brian Doyle's writing. His playful eye toward life comes through on the page. Yet he still has a reverence for God, love, mystery, and even death that makes his essays carry weight. His words are ones I come back to often, and this essay collection is one of my all-time favorites.