Island Farm

At times a personal memoir, at times a philosophical discussion, Island Farm is a snapshot of the American agrarian tradition. Much in the style of books such as Letters from an American Farmer, Arthur Versluis recounts the story of the Versluis family's orchards near Grand Rapids, Michigan, founded by his great- grandfather more than a century ago. With a palimpsest of memories and stories, Versluis shares his life growing up and living on the family farm while also lamenting the future of these cultural icons. Versluis speculates about what is being lost as America allows its farmland and farms to be destroyed. Above all, however, Island Farm is a celebration of what it means to live and work on a generational family farm. It brings us into the agrarian world as a living connection to the earth, to the growing of crops, to the past, and to the future.

Arthur Versluis is Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities at Michigan State University. He is author of numerous books, including Magic and Mysticism, The New Inquisitions, Restoring Paradise, The Esoteric Origins of the American Renaissance, Wisdom’s Children, and American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions. He has published articles on topics ranging from comparative federalism to Christian esotericism. Editor of the journal Esoterica, he is also co-editor of JSR: Journal for the Study of Radicalism.