Read the natural history classics
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- Renie_Burghardt
- doveflys
- silvan
- silvan
- weather_doctor
- silvan
- weather_doctor
- silvan
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» Renie_Burghardt - Natural history classics
Hi Silvan, nature writing has always been a favorite of mine. I have, of course, read, many times, I might add, Walden, and My First Summer In The Sierra is one of my favorites. Muir was so delighted with everything he saw and experienced, that one can't help but be delighted, too. He even enjoyed the grasshoppers! I have never read Roughing It In The Bush, and am looking forward to reading it. Thank you for the link. One of my favorite nature writers is Donald Culross Peattie. One of his books, The Road of a Naturalist, is well worn from my reading it over and over.I enjoyed the article. The suggestions are great, and I'm grateful for the links. Thank you!
Renie
-- posted by Renie_Burghardt
» doveflys - Nature Writing
Van,This morning I awoke at 4 a.m., restless as a doe during hunting season. It usually takes an act of God for me to crawl out of bed by eight. Anyway for so long I have been wanting to explore your entire list of links, so I did, and it soothed me like a tonic. A few more bookmarks were added to my puter, one of them the American Nature Writing Course at Virginia Commonwealth.
Most people would have gone to your recent article first, but for so long I've been waiting to research your links, I decided to save the best for last.
And there it was again. Nature Writing. Maybe it is time I actually take serious this desire I have to specialize in that. Like Renie, the book sources you provided were somewhat familiar, but there were a few that are going to be checked out of my local library - TODAY.
Thank you for this article that seems to have shed some light upon my uncertain future.
Lou
P.S. Enjoyed your poetry as well.
-- posted by doveflys
» silvan - Re: Natural history classics
In response to message posted by Renie_Burghardt:Part of my reason for putting this article together, using recommendations from other sites, was to give myself a course of study, because I haven't read many of the classics myself. I've read parts of Walden, and all of Leaves of Grass several times. One of my all-time favourite made-for-TV movie series was based on The Voyage of the Beagle. My mother read Susannah Moodie and her sister, Catherine Parr Traill, about 20 years ago, and I remember her raving about them. I've already started working through the list myself, and I'm glad the article has given you some fresh inspiration, too, Reni.
-- posted by silvan
» silvan - Re: Nature Writing
In response to message posted by doveflys:Well, Lou, I'm so pleased to have encouraged you in this way. Besides the nature writing course web site, I would recommend you look for a copy of The Sierra Club Nature Writing Handbook by John A. Murray. It discusses many works you can probably find at the library, covers the different forms of nature writing, and recommends many interesting assignments. Have fun!
-- posted by silvan
» weather_doctor - Two more Authors
Van,Great article. There are two purely nature authors that weren't listed who have websites dedicated to their large body of work: Edwin Way Teale and Sigurd F. Olson. Olson wrote a lot about the Boundary Waters/Quetico area. Both have been influential in my writings over the years. Interestingly both were born in 1899 in the Chicago area.
-- posted by weather_doctor
» silvan - Re: Two more Authors
In response to message posted by weather_doctor:Thank you, Keith. These are excellent recommendations. My recent surfing keeps turning up wonderful Olson quotations.
In keeping with the purpose of this article, I located the online text for Sigurd F. Olson's speech, The meaning of wilderness, presented to the Utah Academy of Sciences at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, in May 1958. It is located on an excellent site devoted to Olson, which not only presents an overview of his life and work, and weekly quotes, but also monthly features of unpublished Olson texts. The Sigurd F. Olson Web Site is definitely worth exploring and visiting regularly.
My quick Internet search failed to turn up any online texts by the other writer you suggested. This Edwin Way Teale page provides a biography and highlights from several of his major works. I would like to publish here a link to a more comprehensive site, and particularly to a Web version of one of his writings, if you can refer me.
Thanks again.
-- posted by silvan
» weather_doctor - Re: Re: Two more Authors
In response to message posted by silvan:Van,
Sorry that there was not much of Teale's complete works on line. Several sites must have disappeared since I did my research on him a couple years ago. The site you cite doesn't have that much of actual works. One essay I did find today is at
http://www.walden.org/society/Publicatio...
There are many pages with Teale quotes and references to his Pulitzer Prize books but no further sites outside the U Connecticut site.
I have trouble not using quotes from his books in many of my writings because he spent so much time observing the changing seasons.
Keith
-- posted by weather_doctor
» silvan - Re: Re: Re: Two more Authors
In response to message posted by weather_doctor:Thanks for your ideas and the link, Keith. I'll keep my eyes open for more stuff by and about Edwin Way Teale. AltaVista turned up a number of leads, but I don't have time to sort through them just now. Maybe one of these days when I'm over at my friend's place and have high-speed cable Internet access!
-- posted by silvan
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