LETTER FROM PENDLE HILL

The text below was written on 12 November and then on 3 December I gave this related talk on my forthcoming book The Punctuation of Loss – see YouTube video and slides.

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I am nearing the end of a three-month stay at Pendle Hill near Philadelphia, a Quaker center welcoming all for Spirit-led learning, retreat, and community (see https://pendlehill.org/). This is as the Resident (Henry J. Cadbury) Scholar and it has allowed me to write a book, The Punctuation of Loss.

As a longtime fan of Woodbrooke in Birmingham in the UK, I was sad that the part offering residential courses and retreats had to close after the COVID-19 pandemic, and had attended one of the last workshops held in July 2022 (this was an art retreat: you can see part of the picture I created and its accompanying poem at https://www.intermundia.org/writing/goldfish). However, a number of people I met at Woodbrooke had mentioned that there was a similar centre in the USA called Pendle Hill and I had set my sights, one day, to visit.

Life in Pendle Hill, founded in 1930 (it celebrated its 95th Anniversary during my stay), revolves very much around Meeting for Worship at 8.30-9.00am and breakfast, lunch and dinner. The meals are wholesome and sugary desserts appear only rarely (although if you are crafty you can raid the supplies of sweets that visiting groups set aside). The setting is beautiful and it has been a visual colourful treat being here through Autumn and The Fall. It is above all a site of serenity and stillness, with splendid trees and a place to discover hidden treasures of the spirit.

Meeting for Worship is hybrid and well organized, with variable numbers of people in person but an average of around 75 online. It started during the COVID-19 pandemic (when Pendle Hill also faced a crisis as it had to close onsite activities down) and at one point had more than 500 participants. Many people have attested to its importance; it is a solid community and I have met many regular online worshippers when they have visited Pendle Hill in person.

Indeed, there is a constant through-flow of groups (Quaker and other) and individual sojourners, and I have probably had – perhaps since being at University – the most social time of my life in meeting and discussing with some very interesting characters. This ‘crazy crossroads’ crosses with having an excellent place to think and work. I have also benefitted from being in a ceramics course, and as a Quaker resident have regularly been on ‘facing bench’ during worship as well as contributing to community tasks – raking leaves, putting down woodchips on the mile-long path around the perimeter of Pendle Hill, doing the dishes, and setting up and cleaning up after meals (nb I gained my PhD – Person handling dishes). I also have adored being part of the Pendle Hill Chorus. The nearby Swarthmore College (also founded by Quakers, in the 1860s) is also only half an hour’s walk away, through wild Crum Wood, and I have been able to take advantage of the swimming pool and recently – regretfully, belatedly – engaged with other fun activities in the town such as contra dancing.

12 November 2025

Updated 4 December

While remaining mostly on campus, I have occasionally travelled to places in the region (so far having visited New York City, where I lived in 2019, and Harrisburg; I plan to visit Washington DC and Lancaster before returning to Europe) and also appreciated day trips to Philadelphia, a short train ride away from Wallingford. This has included worshipping with Quaker Meetings at Arch Street and Central Philadelphia (I have been trying to immerse myself as much as possible in the rich ‘Quaker ecosystem’ in the region, somewhat of a ‘Quaker Central’ given the heritage that William Penn and Pennsylvia) and enjoying attractions such as The Barnes Foundation and The Museum of the American Revolution.

I had thought, given the political situation, that the last place I would come to in 2025 would be the USA. However, the opportunity to visit was too tempting to turn down, and it has been joyful and enriching to be here. While recognizing the location is somewhat of a bubble, meeting with good and thoughtful folk of the country has been uplifting and hopeful: there is an immense depth and breadth of civil society, networks and associations advocating for positive change. The country really does have some of the ‘best and worst’ things in the world; I hope in the fervour and heat being generated now, in the medium- to long term there will be peaceful and constructive progress in the long whirl of democratic evolution. It is in any case the time to prepare for what comes next.

Although I have principally been focused on writing The Punctuation of Loss, I was distracted in the first couple of weeks after wandering into the excellent Pendle Hill Library. I ended up writing a potential Pendle Hill Pamphlet, Not Standing Aside: Quaker Insights for Democracy. This considers on the one hand Open Democracy, which has in the last few decades enjoyed growing interest and mention (albeit having been promoted by Aristotle) and, on the other, the several-hundred years’ experience of Quaker discernment and decision making. Texts on both sides do not appear to cross-reference each other which the Pamphlet seeks to rectify. Furthermore, a key difference today compared to the past is new technology, which as well as challenges offers a catalyst for evolving and improving systems and processes.

It has been a delightful privilege to be at Pendle Hill. I would recommend visiting if you have the chance: this might entail applying for a residency or one of the scholarships, like I did: https://pendlehill.org/learn/residencies/. Quite apart from the intellectual and Ffriendly space, it also has provided me – as is the case for many people – with a wonderful environment to work through emotional and spiritual transitions in my life. I am looking forward to moving back to Europe in December – where I will spend the first few months in Quaker House Brussels.

[And this is what Quakerism means to me]

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