{"id":13777,"date":"2026-01-30T14:44:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T20:44:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.library.depaul.press\/full-text\/?p=13777"},"modified":"2026-01-30T16:33:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T22:33:10","slug":"block-island-poems-photos-and-letters-by-daniel-berrigan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.library.depaul.press\/full-text\/2026\/01\/30\/block-island-poems-photos-and-letters-by-daniel-berrigan\/","title":{"rendered":"Block Island: Poems, Photos, and Letters by Daniel Berrigan"},"content":{"rendered":"

A good house is one<\/em><\/p>\n

you send love letters from;<\/em><\/p>\n

good news, standing, withstanding.<\/em><\/p>\n

More to come.<\/em><\/p>\n

Block Island<\/em>, a collection of poetry originally published in 1985, has been given new life by editors Susan Hagedorn and Carla Berrigan. The above poem, which graces the book jacket of this thoughtfully reimagined volume, is one of many poems that highlight the ordinary moments in the extraordinary life of priest, poet, author, teacher, and peace activist Daniel Berrigan. Block Island: Poems, Photos, and Letters<\/em><\/a> elicits a strong sense of place, transporting readers to Berrigan\u2019s beloved Block Island, the Rhode Island isle with a prominent place in the story of American anti-war activism.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The papers of Daniel Berrigan<\/a>, which document his lifelong commitment to peace activism, are held here at DePaul Special Collections and Archives<\/a>. In addition to serving as the archives of DePaul University and the Vincentians, our collections document Chicago and Lincoln Park history, social justice, community advocacy, and the Catholic Left. We also hold the papers of Dan\u2019s brother Jerome Berrigan<\/a> and his brother and sister-in-law Philip Berrigan and Elizabeth McAlister<\/a>. These archival collections, along with the Collection on Peace Activism<\/a>, the Elmer Maas Plowshares Collection<\/a>, and the Murray Polner papers<\/a>, provide researchers around the world with insight into pivotal actors of the anti-war and anti-nuclear movements of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.<\/p>\n

Daniel Berrigan lived an extraordinary life. His commitment to anti-war activism revolutionized the very meaning of protest itself, landing him the distinction of the first priest in United States history to appear on the Federal Bureau of Investigation\u2019s Most Wanted list. Daniel, along with his brother Philip, is perhaps best known for his role as one of the \u201cCatonsville Nine,\u201d a group of nine Catholic activists who broke into the draft office in Catonsville, Maryland and burned Vietnam draft cards.<\/p>\n

His poetry, like many of his letters and other writings, grapples with and reflects these difficult and remarkable moments \u2013 life, death, grief, loss, friendship, politics, war, faith, and activism. Though poems like “Fourth of July in Danbury Prison” and “In Juggernaut America” are powerful reflections on injustice, Daniel\u2019s poems about the ordinary are no less moving. His depictions of the cottage on Block Island transport readers to a world of shared meals, crab apple trees, and a seat on wind battered porch with a sea view.<\/p>\n

The poetry of Block Island<\/em> is bookended by thoughtful commentary from family and friends, creating a rich experience for the reader regardless of their familiarity with Berrigan\u2019s life. Susan Hagedorn welcomes readers into her research process and provides a glimpse at the work that went into the creation of the new edition. The prologue, written by Bill Wylie-Kellerman, speaks to the momentous importance of the house (or the cottage, as many refer to it) not in stature or cost, but as the backdrop to conversations that eventually, through the form of anti-war protest, made their way into the mainstream American consciousness.<\/p>\n

Fellow peace activist, former Catholic priest, and friend John Dear wrote an introduction that provides both poetry analysis and a wonderful history of Dan\u2019s activism, for those unaware. Carla Berrigan, daughter of Elizabeth McAlister and Philip Berrigan and niece of Daniel Berrigan, provides insight into what Block Island meant to her uncle and her family. In a poignant epilogue, friend Jim Reale writes to Dan, who passed away in 2016, updating him on the earthly happenings of his family and friends, his beloved cottage, and the residents of Block Island. Perhaps most striking are the updates Jim provides to Dan about the state of the world, providing a message that only proves more pertinent as time goes on.<\/p>\n

The latter half of the book is comprised of photographs, letters, and other archival documents, many of them from our very own collections. Daniel\u2019s letters to his family, full of doodles, personal shorthand, and his signature heart drawings, leap off the page. The photographs provide an intimate glimpse into island life, featuring a calm ferry ride, the burial of friends, and Daniel\u2019s infamous Block Island arrest in 1970.<\/p>\n

Thank you to Brown Books Publishing<\/a> for providing a copy of Block Island: Poems, Photos, and Letters<\/em> to Special Collections and Archives. Block Island<\/em> and the entirety of the Berrigan papers are available for use in the Special Collections and Archives Reading Room. All are welcome to visit \u2013 please check our open hours<\/a> and contact us with any further questions.<\/p>\n

Special Collections and Archives supports the teaching and learning mission of the University by providing course-specific instruction, reference services and individual research consultations, and by ensuring access to the rich primary source materials that inform our understandings of self, University, community, and the global society.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A good house is one you send love letters from; good news, standing, withstanding. More to come. Block Island, a collection of poetry originally published in 1985, has been given new life by editors Susan Hagedorn and Carla Berrigan. The above poem, which graces the book jacket of this thoughtfully reimagined volume, is one of <\/p>\n

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