Mary Swander Reading

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Before she reads from her memoir, The Desert Pilgrim, Mary Swander explains the circumstances that led to the writing of the book. After a devastating car accident and a subsequent period of chronic illness, Swander spent a year at the University of New Mexico as a visiting professor. Swander reads a selection of passages from the book, and takes questions from the audience. She describes her friendships with the healers she writes about: Father Sergei, a Russian Orthodox monk, and Lu, an herbalist. Swander reflects on the role of faith and metaphor in her process of healing. 

In: "Live from Prairie Lights" Audio Archive | Nonfiction

Authors: Mary Swander

Date Recorded: August 29, 2003

Works Read: Mary Swander reads from: The Desert Pilgrim: En Route to Mysticism and Miracles.

Program: Live From Prairie Lights

Format: reading

Contributors: Introduction by host Julie Englander.

Topics: alternative medicine; Catholicism; Catholic mysticism

Play Audio (59 min.)