1The poems and reflections in The Art of Pausing: Meditations for the Overworked and Overwhelmed are the work of three writers who inhabit very different worlds. But for each, the reading and writing of haiku is an essential spiritual practice.

Bother Paul Quenon is a Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemane who studied under the great spiritual writer, Thomas Merton. Brother Paul writes from the confines of a cloister and with the boundlessness of one who has spent a lifetime contemplating what really matters. He is the author of four books of poetry and a talented photographer. His images accompany many of the poems and reflections in this book.

Michael Bever is a retired educator, a doctor of theology and an ordained Disciples of Christ minister who was drawn later in life to Catholic traditions. He combines Zen and Sufi practices with his Christian heritage.

Judy Valente is a broadcast journalist who covers religion news for PBS-TV and the author of two poetry collections and a book on contemporary monastic life. As a retreat leader, she helps busy professionals slow down, find more balance, and tap into the transcendence of the everyday.

The Art of Pausing is built upon haiku by one of the three authors, all Christians, inspired by the ninety-nine names of God found in the Koran. Each haiku is accompanied by a reflections by the same author or an abstract photo of nature by Brother Paul. This book is for anyone who loves beauty, has a penchant for reflection, yet feels overworked and overwhelmed.