As Canton is drawn to his oaks, I was drawn to this book, and savored regular pilgrimages to sit with a kindred spirit in communion with individual trAs Canton is drawn to his oaks, I was drawn to this book, and savored regular pilgrimages to sit with a kindred spirit in communion with individual trees. Not for any formal teaching or telling as much as just being there with them in embodied stillness – human and sylvan. For the comfort, solace, and deep belonging in the liminal space of soul-level nature connection. For the resonant perspectives that only come with some distancing from human culture and immersion in the more-than-human-world. For the insights and validation that got me into personal nature writing myself. “'It was a grounding process, … You see more and more. Then you forget yourself. Then you find out who you are.’” For that. For all the same reasons I return, again and again, to my redcedars, and then attempt to put words to all that transpired. Which is nothing. And everything....more
This book is so much more than an exploration of nature connection as a grounding, healing force in one’s life. This is the existential quest of a conThis book is so much more than an exploration of nature connection as a grounding, healing force in one’s life. This is the existential quest of a contemplative who isn’t afraid to ask difficult questions and look beyond the easy answers in her self-inquiry, to engage with all the complexities of an examined life lived in relationship with land, community, and culture. I especially resonated with themes of attention to and wonder in the ordinary, in the transformational power of gratitude amidst grief, and in the simple sacredness of attention to nature—human and more-than-human.
In a time when the concept of mindfulness has become a buzzword, Heidi Barr offers up a roadmap to a genuinely mindful life through her own hard-learned lessons and humble insights. She asks important questions and leaves space for her readers to find their own answers. In beautiful language that comes not just from skill in writing but from an experienced, patient apprenticeship to paying attention, Barr invites us to pause, look around, and ultimately to get back in touch with what truly matters. ...more
Ecologically-informed and sensory rich nature writing, introspective memoir, and cutting-edge environmental science combine to make this Pacific NorthEcologically-informed and sensory rich nature writing, introspective memoir, and cutting-edge environmental science combine to make this Pacific Northwest-based essay collection an engaging, resonant, and deeply satisfying read. I learned much about the landscapes of my chosen home without feeling like I was being taught, and was able to absorb and reflect on the climate science and calls to action without feeling preached to or guilt-tripped. Most enjoyable to me, though, was simply McConnell’s honest, down-to-earth, and intricately layered prose, which invited me in and made me want to stay, to wander wherever she might lead, to find out what might be around the next bend. ...more
I hadn't ever read more than a quote of Muir's here and there, and considering I studied him in school and now consider myself a nature writer, I "shoI hadn't ever read more than a quote of Muir's here and there, and considering I studied him in school and now consider myself a nature writer, I "should" myself into reading this after inheriting a copy. I am glad I read it, and especially glad I began with the introduction by Edward Hoagland, the latter of which I would give 5 stars in helping me alter my expectations with pronouncements like "Henry Thoreau lived to write, but Muir lived to hike." That this book is primarily descriptive rather than literary would otherwise have seemed a fault, a failing of depth of reflection and lack of purpose found in a lot of what passes as nature writing. However, taken simply as naturalist descriptions of wild landscapes—writing about nature rather than what I'd consider true nature writing—this is a spectacular work. Though it was somewhat tedious to read straight through, I would probably do well to return to it now and then to remember how creative, how intricate, and how evocative naturalist-informed descriptions can be at their best. The chapters on the Douglas Squirrel and Water Ouzel (American Dipper)—extensive profiles so beautifully and effectively getting to the heart of each animal—are worth the whole book. ...more
This is the second book of nature writing I've enjoyed by this author. It's the sort, for me, that takes a little work—to slow down, calm down, breathThis is the second book of nature writing I've enjoyed by this author. It's the sort, for me, that takes a little work—to slow down, calm down, breathe more deeply—before I am able to sink in to this slow, meandering, lyrical, musing style, but I'm always so glad I did. It's a baseline state that frees me for my own sensory immersion and contemplative wonderings beyond the rigid facts and authoritative prescriptions of science or environmental writing. "It was more than the sight of the bear I was after. Something else: to walk with this longing that presses like whittled bone against my ribs, a vision that pulses just under my skin, pirouettes on the pointed tips of emerging skunk cabbage, sinks back into muck." Like the swamps and bogs she explores, this diffuse, fluid collection won't be for everyone, but it was most definitely for me....more
I have thoroughly enjoyed Brooke Williams' company through these pages, first, for his external explorations—the walks—such that I felt I too got to sI have thoroughly enjoyed Brooke Williams' company through these pages, first, for his external explorations—the walks—such that I felt I too got to spend quality time alone with the desert, or perhaps as a wood rat drawing close to his fire, gathering treasures along the way. And second, for Williams' introspective wanders—the rants—many of which were so familiar as to have come from my own mind, whether personal life contemplation or more big picture ruminating over these recent shocking, painful, and deeply damaging times in this country.
This is my favorite sort of nature writing, involving internal as much as external explorations, rich with questioning, humility, dreaming, thinking big thoughts, thinking small thoughts, and expressing the deep satisfaction of just being in the wilds, and all that can do not just to heal and enrich our own lives, but to help us want to make the world a better place for all living beings. This book is for all the seekers, hermits, pilgrims, and dreamers who live daily with the contradictions of what it means to live on this continent in these times. ...more
Heartfelt ruminations, playful humor, ecology, and humanity all intermingle in lyrical prose as unique and engaging as creatures in a tide pool. It’s Heartfelt ruminations, playful humor, ecology, and humanity all intermingle in lyrical prose as unique and engaging as creatures in a tide pool. It’s worth spending some time with each essay, taking a second—and third— look to discover the intricacies, the sparkling gems awaiting you there: floating ukulele jams, mermaid certifications, whale scat detection dogs, climate grief, and orca hope. Through it all you can almost smell the salt spray, and feel the gentle rocking of the ferry.
Iris Graville is so much more than a self-named “storytelling lover of the Salish Sea.” This collection is an intimate investigation not from a dreamy-minded tourist, visiting journalist, or research scientist, but a writer in residence—by which I mean not just her brief writing residency on the WA State Ferry system, but her decades-long residency on her island home, a writer deeply rooted in multiple dimensions of her ecosystem: above, below, and on the Salish Sea....more
Solid, well-crafted, journalistic personal essays, more about pets and livestock than wild animals, but thoroughly engaging and enjoyable, especially Solid, well-crafted, journalistic personal essays, more about pets and livestock than wild animals, but thoroughly engaging and enjoyable, especially listening to the author read them. My commutes went by in a flash. ...more
Odyssey is a good word to use for this book—it's long and densely packed with stories, science, statistics, and a whole world of bird migration. I appOdyssey is a good word to use for this book—it's long and densely packed with stories, science, statistics, and a whole world of bird migration. I appreciated the chance to get out of the North American tunnel vision of most bird books I've read, and loved learning more about familiar species' exotic wintering grounds as well as species that never touch down on this continent. By far my favorite parts, though, were the brief forays into currently understood and recently discovered science behind how birds migrate, which, as with the deepest scientific rabbit-holes, just gets more awe-some, more mysterious, and more mind-blowing the closer you look. ...more
World of Wonders is my favorite sort of nature writing, where I get to be exposed to fascinating and resonant insights into the more-than-human world,World of Wonders is my favorite sort of nature writing, where I get to be exposed to fascinating and resonant insights into the more-than-human world, at the same time that I get fascinating and resonant insights into another curious, compassionate, stubbornly striving animal of my own species. Additionally, this book is a skillfully crafted work of art. Nezhukumatathil’s poetry-informed language is exquisite, with metaphors that burst forth like the best fireworks, leaving me as amazed and delighted as the natural wonders she explores. ...more
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