EVEN AMONG THESE ROCKS: A Spiritual Journey

This unique, wholly original volume traces Purcell's own spiritual journey through Lent, beginning with a chapter on temptation and ending with "The Final Act" of the crucifixion. Purcell cautions that "we should expect that the journey of Lent will never deliver us to a plateau of power. Rather it will consistently lead us back to the powerlessness of the Lamb." The book's design is simply gorgeous, with art from the likes of Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Dürer and Grünewald blending seamlessly with Purcell's own effusive watercolors. Purcell draws meditative texts from the Gospels and the Psalms, and reproduces 20th-century poetry by W.H. Auden, Denise Levertov and T. S.Eliot. The entire text is hand-lettered by Purcell, making readers feel as though they have just received a personal letter from a cherished friend. (Feb.)