The more I read about John Crowe Ransom and Donald Grady Davidson, the more I am convinced that I was born too late. I should have been among these literary giants. They were both very different in nature and talent. One was the gregarious optimist and the other a silent shadow who could be referred to as a realist. And the cast of characters that they came in contact with! Wow! In some ways I believe they were modern day Don Quixotes. In others I believe that they were ahead of their time.

Hirsh, their catalyst, was a self-proclaimed mystic. But they did have contact with an actual Catholic mystic. Each of the four- Ransom, Davidson, Allen Tate and Robert Penn Warren- knew Thomas Merton. Merton helped Tate convert to Catholicism, I think, and he critiqued one of Ransom's books.

How's this for synchronicity? These are my daily readings from Hazelden and Catholic Digest:


Today's thought from Hazelden is:

It may be those who do most, dream most.
--Stephen Leacock

Where would we be without the dreamers of the world - the ones who took the time to balance on the edge of wonder? Amazing connections, powerful images, and creative ideas come to us in daydreams. They creep in when we least expect them, like sleek cats, and then make their presence known to us with a gentle pounce.

When we give ourselves permission to daydream - to sit for a while and do nothing but be quiet with our thoughts, we give ourselves a precious gift. And who knows, we just might be giving the world a priceless gift, too! Out of the seeds of some of our dreams, great ideas will blossom.

What first step can I take today to make a dream come true?
From: Today’s Gift by Anonymous


Your Daily E-Quiet Moment

Sunday, April 27

Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand.

EMILY KIMBROUGH
American writer, 20th century