The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist – A Greenwich Village Journalist's Conversion and Commitment to Peace and Justice

I love Dorothy Day! I have read her diary & thought this would be about the same, but it's much more! The book could be reviewed in many ways. One could consider history of the times with dates, novels read, private thoughts, life in general or in particular, relationship to the Church, development of self, religious & spiritual development, her writing, radical, feminine, or maternal movements, love: both physical & other, her conversion to Catholicism, her leanings toward justice, unions or her development to her place in caring for others through the housing, meal, farming set-ups she became famous for. The book is dense but very interesting; I marvel at her memory! I was wondering about the title & finally came to it. Amazing insights she had, including that one. She was so aware of her thoughts, life, spirituality with its duality, love, work & especially always being pulled in two different directions. This is a beautiful, deep, readable book. Dorothy Day is highly intelligent, educated, talented, adjusted in any circumstance. Her emotions were strong: a reader can feel her pain & agony, love, joy! The history of the times is valuable for anyone to get a feel for her experiences & learn. Her spiritual journey is inspiring. Her maternal instincts were deep. I could go on about this strong, amazing, humble, holy woman. But it would take far too many pages & I would not do her or the book justice. So, my advice is: Read this great book! You will not be disappointed no matter which facet you're interested in.

Don't let the title intimidate you, as I did, originally. To me, the title made me fear a depressing book about hard times--but how wrong I was! I admit, I first read a biography of Dorothy Day, before getting the courage to read her own words. She gives us both amazing glimpses and deep looks into spiritual and physical poverty and coming together as a community to survive and thrive in both. Her words are both galvanizing and breathtaking--and yes, sometimes painful. But she always has the solution, focusing on the love of God and always, always turning to God, our ultimate problem-solver. Thank you God, and thank you, Saint Dorothy Day!

“The Long Loneliness” is the autobiography of Catholic social activist Dorothy Day (1897-1980). Day was the co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, which, beginning in 1933, established grassroots, autonomous communities that realized Catholic social teaching through outreach to the poor and disenfranchised. Her autobiography covers her formative years, her involvement in various social justice causes including workers and suffragette movements, her conversion to Catholicism (and the impact of that on her personal life), and her friendship with the Catholic Worker co-founder, Peter Maurin (1877-1949). Despite living in a non-religious family, Day was drawn to God from an early age (“my heart leaped when I heard the name of God” p. 12). As she grew into adulthood, she rebelled against these earlier leanings while becoming more involved in social justice causes, associating with, though not joining, American Communists and socialists. Later on as a young adult, Day once again explored her desire for the Divine, and her budding interest in Catholicism. Living on Staten Island, she gave birth to a daughter, Tamar, with a common-law husband, a biologist who had an aversion to religion. The relationship foundered as Day sought to have Tamar baptized, and to enter the Church herself. Although the Church hierarchy did not always side with Day on her views of social justice, she found that her social activism found meaning in her faith. It was her friend Peter Maurin who provided the Catholic doctrinal and theological underpinnings of both the Catholic Worker Movement and Day’s own social activism. His belief in the centrality of agrarian life also redirected many Catholic Worker activities early on from the city to the country. “The Long Loneliness” is a spiritual autobiography that is at once both in the tradition of Saint Augustine and apart from it. Allusion to Augustine’s “Confessions” is evident right from the start in the title of the first chapter, “Confession,” with its discussion of the Roman Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation, commonly referred simply as confession. Unlike Augustine’s work, and that of the modern master of the form, Thomas Merton, whose “The Seven Storey Mountain” just predates Day’s, in 1948, “The Long Loneliness” does not so much address God directly. Moreover, the two earlier works bear the heavy imprint of the later man on the child and young adult, which is a filtering less evident in Day’s book. Although Day states early in her book (p. 11) that she will focus on herself and not on others (“I feel hesitant to go too deeply in writing of other lives”), a good part of the early book is an accounting of American social activism in the early twentieth century, and the second half is largely focused on her friend Peter. There is spiritual autobiography here, but Day seems to be almost uncomfortable putting herself in the spotlight and so tends to steer away from discussing in any detail some of her early relationships. Nonetheless, she is one of the few who have been considered for canonization as a Catholic saint who has admitted in a positive way the pleasure of sex and human relationships. The title comes from these words by the English nun Mary Ward (1585-1645): “the long loneliness you hear me speak of is not far from me….” Day uses the expression a few times in her book as well as in other writings, including “The Catholic Worker” newspaper. It first appears in her book in reference to feeling lonely after moving to New York City: “I felt the spell of the long loneliness descend on me.” Her childhood closeness to one of her sisters had lessened as Day matured, and she “found no friends; I had no work; I was separated from my fellows” (p. 51). Much later, when her daughter Tamar is a mother herself, Day is reminded “how alone a mother of young children always is” (p. 243). Then again, Day references it in addressing the martyr-like challenge of resisting war when even the Church acquiesces to it: “Again the long loneliness to be faced” (p. 273). Day reveals how to resolve the long loneliness: “we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community” (p. 286). In the Christian context, love and community being so central to the idea of being a follower of Jesus, this revelation is not so remarkable. But in the context of a life selflessly and tirelessly devoted to social justice and peace, these words reflect Day’s observation that one can be surrounded be people and still be lonely. It is in freely giving to others one’s love, however, that one finds community and love is returned. “The Long Loneliness” is an important book about a twentieth-century American saint. Her story reminds us that saints are not sinless, but are God’s heroes in spite of it—or even because of it. Her story is not always compelling reading—the history of early twentieth-century American social activism is not page-turning material, unless by “page turning” you’re skipping over it—but she engages the reader when she turns to her life and Maurin’s. Then, at last you might understand “the long loneliness” and so look into the heart and soul of a saint.

Dorothy Day was a remarkable woman who gave her life to the poor and downtrodden. The Long Loneness is about her remarkable journey n her own words. Pope Francis named her one of the most important Catholics of the US. It is not easy reading. Dorothy Day tells of her troubles and trials. But still a remarkable book.

I really didn't know anything about Dorothy Day, so the book really helped me to know all about her life. It was for the most part very interesting, but there were parts of the book where I would skip because they no longer interested me. However, I am very grateful for the parts of the book that held my interest. By the way, I just requested to be put on the mailing list of The Catholic Worker.

This book was a great read and helped me see the point of the works of mercy and how God can work in the most unlikely way

This is not a biography, certainly not hagiography, but the story of Dorothy Day's life told by herself; her search for the truth and for a way of life that could be lived in accordance with that vision, when she had found it. Life was , in the heart of things, often a loneliness, but she found companionship, friendship, and the love of God; and so, she kept going : on the sidewalks, in the slums, wherever she found poverty and misery that could be alleviated. Peter Maurin was her prophet and inspiration, but Dorothy put Peter's ideas into action with an added power. This is a book that really can be life-changing!

Interesting, well-written book about a legend. She was a hero of my hero, and I'm glad I know her life from her perspective. Inspiring!

Une belle autobiographie qui donne à réfléchir.

amazing woman. A sincere life. inspirational story.