Blessing of the Animals

I loved this collection, particularly its award-winning title essay, which had stuck with me from the first time I'd read it in a literary magazine. Miller's prose is elegant, and this book has the same unflinching honesty as her previous collection, SEASON OF THE BODY. It's a wonderful read!

When you stop to think about life, there is surely a lot to cross one's mind. "Blessings of the Animals" is a compilation of essays from Brenda Miller, reflecting on thoughts that she has gathered simply by going through life and pausing to consider things. "Blessings of the Animals" is her second collection; she brings more poignant reflections and does much to encourage readers to contemplate their own lives and what's around them. "Blessings of the Animals" is well worth the read.

Blessing of the Animals by Brenda Miller is a very personal essay collection, sometimes telling me things about my former MFA professor that I don't want to know. But they are also well-written examples of the collage style, in which she mixes various entities to tell a truth. For example, in her essay "Opalescent," she begins by talking about her new stained glass windows, then writes about a patio made of broken concrete, jigsaw puzzles, broken bones, quilting and other topics that deal with putting pieces together. The title piece, "Blessing of the Animals," moves from taking her dog to church for a blessing through her relation with religion to other animals she has owned to trying to stay focused on the moment in yoga class. These creative nonfiction pieces are not for every reader, but they are fascinating for those who appreciate modern creative nonfiction. Those who have read her text Tell it Slant will be interested to see how she puts her teachings to work in this book.