When I founded Homebound Publications in 2011, I termed us a “Publisher of Contemplative Literature” in the intervening years, I’ve often had people ask me what exactly I mean by “contemplative literature”. They look at our library and see that we’ve published an assortment of titles—some spiritual in tone and others not as much—and they don’t quite know what to make of it.
It is my belief that “contemplative literature” is just that: books that make you think. I don’t believe that contemplative literature need be contained within the context of religion or spirituality. I enjoy experiences that are contemplative within the strict spiritual sense such as retreats and other things of that nature but I believe that some of the most “contemplative” experiences can take place during our day to day life, like having an in-depth conversation with a friend at the local diner over coffee; but then, I suppose, I am kind of a “blue-collar philosopher” if you will.
So often “contemplative literature” is defined strictly as academic non-fiction expounding on religious topics or self-help outlining steps for personal transformation. At Homebound Publications I set out to publish books that bring forward new ideas—books that stop and make you think about your life. I don’t believe that literature need be steeped with religious context to engage the reflective side of us as readers. Sometimes—most of the time—the most impacting truth is simple and unadorned. I think all a book need do to qualify as “contemplative literature” is explore the self and the complexities of life. Our library reflects explorations of spirituality, religion, culture, and finally simple reflections that are gathered over the course of a well-lived life.
L.M. Browning grew up in a small fishing village in Connecticut. A longtime student of religion, nature, art, and philosophy these themes permeate her work. Browning is the author of numerous award-winning titles. In 2010, she debuted as a writer with a three-title contemplative poetry series: Ruminations at Twilight, Oak Wise, and The Barren Plain. These three books went on to garner several accolades including a total of 3 pushcart-prize nominations and the Nautilus Gold Medal for Poetry in 2013. In 2013 her title, Fleeting Moments of Fierce Clarity: Journal of a New England Poet, was named a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
Balancing her passion for writing with her love of education and publishing, Browning is a graduate of the University of London and a Fellow with the League of Conservationist Writers. She is partner at Hiraeth Press; Co-Founder of Written River as well as Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Wayfarer. In 2011, Browning opened Homebound Publications—a rising independent publishing house. She is currently working to complete her next degree at Harvard University’s Extension School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Her latest works Seasons of Contemplation and In the Hands of the Immortal Weaver are now available to pre-order. She expects the release of her next novel, The Castoff Children in the autumn of 2016 through Homebound Publications. To learn more go to www.lmbrowning.com