from a package of Newman’s Own© Organic Hermits (hermit cookies):
“No hermits were harmed, mistreated, pestered or annoyed in the making of these cookies!”
Alpine shepherd hermit
A salacious story in The Independent describes “The Alpine Shepherd and the Parisian”: A French Alps hermit, described as simple, owned rundown property that could be used for ski chalets. The property was coveted by a wealthy jet-setting Parisian woman. She duped the hermit into marrying her, though they live in two different worlds; she occasionally visited him. Then the hermit mysteriously dies in a road accident, in a car driven by the woman’s accomplice. But when the hermit’s will is unveiled, it deliberately leaves her nothing.
Bill Porter in China
American writer Bill Porter (published occasionally as Red Pine) translates Chinese poetry and pursues the world of Chinese hermits as an independent scholar. Here is a fine article from January 2013 from Chinese documentary television, which concentrates on Porter’s October 2012 literary tour of China and the positive reception it received.
URL: http://english.cntv.cn/program/documentary/20130110/108722.shtml
Pope Celestine’s fate
Much of the interest in the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI was to compare and contrast his action to that of the only previous pope to resign, Celestine V. The treatment of Celestine was largely overlooked by the popular media, and, doubtless, the faithful. (See Hermitary article: http://www.hermitary.com/articles/celestine.html)
A recent Discovery news item relates that, no, Celestine was not murdered. Reading the events surrounding the last years of Celestine’s life suggests that the cause of his death is not as relevant as this news source suggests, but remains of antiquarian interest.
URL: http://news.discovery.com/history/religion/medieval-hermit-pope-not-murdered-as-believed-130507.htm
Two lists
Listverse offers a list of ten modern hermits:
- Valerio Ricetti (1898—1952)
- Noah John Rondeau (1883—1967)
- Robert Harrill (1893—1972)
- Arthur Leslie Darwin (1879—1977)
- Despina Achladioti (1890—1982)
- Manfred Gnädinger (1940—2002)
- Richard Proenneke (1916—2003)
- Willard Kitchener MacDonald (1916—2004)
- Józef “Fred” Stawinoga (1920—2007)
- Tom Leppard (1934—present)
The US magazine Saturday Evening Post offers “Resources for Would-be Hermits.” The list for reading consists of: the newsletter “Raven’s Bread,” the book Consider The Ravens: On Contemporary Hermit Life by Paul A. and Karen Karper Fredette, Sister Laurel O’Neal’s blog, “Notes from Stillsong Hermitage,” and the book Thoughts In Solitude by Thomas Merton.
Also listed are “Famous American Hermits”: Robert Voorhis, Dorothy Molter, Richard Proenneke, and Daniel Suelo.
NOTE: These two items appear just after news of the arrest of the Maine “hermit” Christopher Knight races across web media sites, perpetuating a negative image of hermits, who have never lived by stealing. Given the sparsity of the two lists above, one may wonder about their timely appearance.
ListVerse URL: http://listverse.com/2013/04/11/10-modern-day-hermits/
Saturday Evening Post URL: http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2013/04/11/in-the-magazine/trends-and-opinions/hermit-resources.html