Author Nick Ripatrazone shares a serious passion for literary excellence with the six religious sisters of the past he profiles in his latest non-fiction book, “The Habit of Poetry: The Literary Lives of Nuns in Mid-Century America.” This parishioner of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Sparta has spent his career crafting quality work that attracts attention — whether he is writing on secular subjects or the Catholic faith.
Published in May, “The Habit of Poetry” tells the little-known story about a group of religious sisters in the United States, who achieved literary excellence, when they got their poems published in significant secular and religious publications. In turn, the sisters gained praise from the legendary writers of their generation. Their poems were “surprising and complex — equal to the finest writers of their time,” Ripatrazone said.
The author devotes a chapter to each of the sisters and shows how her faith shaped her identity and work in the 124-page book published by Fortress Press. One of these sisters was Sister M. Madeleva Wolff, a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross. She was a poet and a university president, who transformed Catholic higher education.
“These nuns appeared in major literary magazines of the time, which was unusual. They were winning awards and acclaim,” Ripatrazone said. Having been published between 1930s and mid-1970s, these poems ranged from the Scriptural to the satirical — all while remaining faithful to Catholicism. “The nuns showed that Catholics could write with skill and not have to sell out their beliefs. They are part of powerful Catholic storytelling in the United States.”
Also with great skill, Ripatrazone, 42, has authored 10 books of poetry fiction, and non-fiction on secular and religious subjects. His recent books are “Longing for an Absent God: Faith and Doubt in Great American Fiction” and “Wild Belief: Poets and Prophets in the Wilderness,” both from Broadleaf Books, and “Digital Communion: Marshall McLuhan’s Spiritual Vision for a Virtual Age,” from Fortress Press.
Ripatrazone also has written countless articles for scholarly publications and popular magazines, both religious and secular. His work has appeared in America, a Jesuit magazine, and in Rolling Stone, which had published his piece about the Catholic roots of artist Andy Warhol. He also is culture editor for Image Journal, a quarterly magazine that publishes the best writing and artwork informed by or grappling with religious faith.
“The Church speaks of the truth and has a complex way of looking at the world. We have a diverse Church that can appeal to many different types of people. As a Catholic, I like to inform non-Catholics about our faith and Church in an accurate and compelling way,” said Ripatrazone who also teaches public-school English and courses at Rutgers University.
Born and raised in Whippany, Ripatrazone is the youngest of four children and worshipped every Sunday at Our Lady of Mercy Parish there. He went to Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania, a Lutheran school, where he met his wife Jen, now a school counselor, at a nearby Catholic parish, St. Pius X.
“I was brought up with a strong faith. It grew in college, when I got close to some professors, who taught Catholic writers like Graham Greene, and to priests, who served the school, ” said Ripatrazone. He lives in Andover with Jen and their 10-year-old twin daughters, who will be starting 5th grade at Pope John XXIII Middle School in Sparta. “Researching and writing on Catholic subjects helps deepen my faith even further.”
Click here to order “The Habit of Poetry: The Literary Lives of Nuns in Mid-Century America.”