Dorothy Day: Writings From Commonweal – Book review

Dorothy Day: Writings from Commonweal, edited by Patrick Jordan, is a compilation of her writings for the Catholic publication from 1929 to 1973. A review of the book necessitates a short bio of the author of each of the 38 writings – Ms. Day herself.

Dorothy Day was quite simply an amazing Catholic warrior for justice. Prior to her conversion she was a radical activist that traveled throughout the United States writing about the plight of the worker. After her conversion she was a radical activist that traveled throughout the United States and wrote about the plight of the least among God’s children. Early in life she smoked, drank, took lovers, had an abortion, and surrounded herself with communists. In chosing God, and the Catholic church, she walked away from the love of her life, put hospitality and service above her own daughter, chose celibacy, and fought tirelessly against injustice. Based on those experiences she had quite a bit to say.

The majority of Dorothy’s writings for Commonweal focus on the Catholic Worker hospitality houses, the people she came in contact with, and the matters that called her to action. The collection of writings make her accessible and understood, in a way that I think transcends her biography The Long Lonliness. Each article is a glimpse into her life, mind, and spirit over a course of 43 years, in a very coherent - nearly tangible way.  The first 10 articles are written pre-Catholic Worker Movement and serve as nearly carefree glimpses into her daily life. After 1932 there is a marked shift in the topics of her articles, and by 1940 she is writing pretty fervently about voluntary poverty, acts of mercy, and houses of hospitality. She makes bold statements, like: “to those that sit around and say ‘why don’t the priests do this or that?’ or ‘why don’t they [that indefinite they] do this or that?’ we should reply, ‘why don’t we all?’” What she has to say matters, intellectually – emotionally – spiritually.

The book is incredibly engaging, and of particular note is that many articles are timeless. Nearly forty years ago she wrote; “why worry about empty schools, seminars and even rectories? Maybe the Lord is giving us a little reminder that there has been too much building going on, and that it is time to use some of these buildings for the poor, for families…the problem of the papal states was cleared up over the last 100 years (after a fashion), and certainly the financial problems of too much money and too many investments will also be taken care of, one way or another.” (And boy oh boy have the problems of too much money been taken care of!) There is very little that Dorothy writes about that I don’t agree with. I think about Dorothy every single day - she is the intersection of faith and action – and everything I aspire to be in my own life. Reading her what she wrote for Commonweal helps illuminate that connection in a brilliant way.