William Everson: The Life of Brother Antoninus

I had the good fortune to meet William Everson several times in the autumn of 1975. He had left the Dominican order a few years before this time, and had settled into a further renewed way of life. He had the look of a tall elderly sage, and eyes betraying both wisdom and kindness. To find a biography of him was a treat, and a fine reading experience. As a teacher of contemporary young people I would say there is no great interest in the beat poets. In fact, its difficult to find noteworthy volumes of their work on the shelves of such places as Borders or Barnes and Noble. Gary Snyder and Alan Ginsberg are possible exceptions. To find Robinson or Everson is nearly impossible. Yet, these poets were prophets in their own unique time much as Whitman had been in his era. Once today's young people are provided with the hermeneutics of the poet and beat poetry they become very intersted, even imitative. This biography of Emerson does a fine joy in presenting his formative years, and his search for meaning and love. The portrayal of his father is extremely valuable and insightful. Just as one has a difficult time understanding Jim Morrison without understanding his relationship with his father, it seems implausible that one would understand Everson without the same information. Not surprising is it that he would be converted and enter the house of the Eternal Father. I did find some weakness, however, in understanding his time as Brother Antoninus. The very title of the book underscrores this part of Everson's long life, but it lacks a certain depth. Its hard to imagine that he ran around as he did as a donato, one whose life is given to the order, but is not a vowed member of that society. Its not hard to imagine that as a later member of the Order of Preachers he used his art to shed light on the meaning of life as did Aquinas in his time, or Catherine of Siena in her time, or even Matt Fox in more recent times, but little is said about his his spiritual insights as a donato or as a lay Brother. He is presented more as what is known in religious communities as "a character" -- unpredictable, marching to his own drummer, and not being overly involved in the missions of the order. The story of his being dismissed from St. Albert's is unclear, yet seems to be a major turning point in the life of Brother Antoninus, Dominican. While a few of the friars are mentioned, one wonders about his general life with the community; and one wonders how this most famous member of the Western Province of the Holy Name is remembered today. Did leaving the Order in the dramatic way he did begin the end of his career, not his gift for poetry. It seems he became a famous voice for his generation because he was a Dominican, not because he was a poet. While I present several questions I was not displeased with the book. It was a good introduction to this complex man in search of meaning who preached best through poetry. I would recommend it highly for an