The Book Shelf

 Author Dinner Event, 10/19 6:30pm John Reimringer joins us to discuss his critically acclaimed debut novel Vestments.  This is a Minnesota novel to its core, and with that in mind The Blue Heron will present a knockout 4 course meal for your enjoyment.  Although the entire menu is yet to be set, it will feature Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberry Cream Sauce. A vegetarian option will also be available. Tickets are $35.00 each, call 474-1880 for reservations. About the book Let me begin today, illumined by Thy light, to destroy this part of the natural man which lives in me in its entirety, the obstacle that constantly keeps me from Thy Love. Taught this prayer as a boy by his grandfather, James Dressler recites it when he’s tempted by earthly desires. But intimacy is not easily denied. Originally drawn to the priesthood by the mystery, purity, and sensual fabric of the Church, as well as by its promise of a safe harbor from his violent father, James finds himself—just a few years after his ordination—attracted again to his first love, Betty García. Torn between these competing loves, and haunted by his heritage, James finds himself at a crossroads. Exploring age-old and yet urgently contemporary issues in the Catholic Church, and infused throughout by a rich sense of the history and vibrant texture of Saint Paul, this is an utterly honest and subtly lyrical novel. A major debut.                         “In this potent debut about a wayward yet devout young priest who struggles to reconcile his faith with longings of the flesh, Reimringer has crafted a suspenseful, illuminating, and highly readable saga.” —Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week/Starred Review “This book knows the soul of the great old city: the yellowing taverns and fraying neighborhoods, the sense of grace in decline, the doubtful saints wrangling their disbelief. John Reimringer writes with the confidence and observation of one who was there at the time and is there still, and his novel has the knuckles and shouting and beer breath of glory.” —Leif Enger, author of Peace Like a River and So Brave, Young, and Handsome “In this memorable, skillful novel, Reimringer writes compassionately about the tie between violence and yearning, the calls of the body and the calls of the spirit. Many writers can write well about one or the other. The gift of this writer is his rich understanding and love of both. Vestments is a wise, wide, and eloquent book.” —Erin McGraw, author of Lies of the Saints and The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard “Vestments makes a powerful claim for the passion and danger to be found in the love of the spirit as well as in the desires of the body. Deeply rooted in history, burning with family furies, and told by a narrator-priest you find yourself rooting for (and wondering about), this is a captivating novel.” —Patricia Hampl, author of A Romantic Education and The Florist's Daughter “Ribald and wry, concerned at heart with faith and forgiveness, Vestments is a rich, involving debut.” —Stewart O'Nan, author of Last Night at the Lobster and Songs for the Missing   JOHN REIMRINGER is a former newspaper editor and a graduate of the MFA program at the University of Arkansas. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with his wife, the poet Katrina Vandenberg. Reimringer has published stories in Carolina Quarterly, Colorado Review, Louisiana Literature, and Gulf Stream Magazine. His first novel, Vestments, the story of a wayward yet devout young priest who struggles to reconcile his faith with the longings of the flesh, is published by Milkweed Editions on September 1, 2010.