Nature - General & Miscellaneous, Natural History - General & Miscellaneous, Natural Literature & History, Environmental Conservation & Protection - General & Miscellaneous, Humanity - Relationship with Nature
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Overview
The writer's most ancient task, John Daniel tells us in this important collection of essays, is to "speak the mysteries, to remind the culture of what it can't afford to forget." At this time, when it often seems we can do little but lament the threat of humankind to the natural world, a new voice such as John Daniel's seems not only welcome and reassuring, but even necessary. These essays serve as guides in finding our way home. The voice we hear in The Trail Home is compassionate, knowledgeable, resonant. This is a poet's voice and it employs the poet's tools: concrete language describing particular problems of a specific landscape. Whether observing an old growth forest, a western desert, or the writer's assault on clods of dirt in his own backyard garden, the clarity of vision invites the reader to come along. John Daniel's aim is to apprehend the natural world more personally, as people were undoubtedly meant to do. This collection heralds the emergence of a landscape writer working in the tradition of Wendell Berry, Gary Snyder and Wallace Stegner. This is an American voice, informed by the vision of John Muir and the rhythms of Henry Thoreau. It is remarkable for its ability to measure wry observation and biting commentary with both wisdom and humor.Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
In these delightful essays, poet Daniel ( Common Ground ) compares depicts the pleasures of many modes of observing nature--whether in the backyard, on television, at with or the more conventional contrasting sightseeing spots as well as through in scenic places as well as with participatory outdoor activities--and concludes that the quality of the natural environment is not best seen through tourism sightseeing and nature documentaries, to say the least. diminish the viewer's engage ment with nature. Daniel offers trenchant comments about the effects of foot traffic in wilderness, and provides an engaging account of a territorial dispute with a pack rat. Once an activist, Daniel confesses to ambivalence about environmental radicalism and is troubled by current policies of land use, noting that cults of beauty and utility alike reduce nature to a commodity. His final essay expresses appreciation of his home landscape on the San Francisco Bay Peninsula. This is a personal, contemplative and satisfying view of nature. (June)Library Journal
From the 19th-century writings of Henry David Thoreau and John Muir to the contemporary prose of Rick Bass and Annie Dillard, there is a rich literary tradition of American nature essays. This book is entirely from that tradition, but it could very well become lost amid the current glut of nature writings. Most of these essays, several of which have been previously published, are set in northern California and throughout Oregon. The strongest pieces are those that deal with some of the dilemmas of environmental activism, such as the ethics of radical tactics used by Earth First! or the often antagonistic demands of preservation and economicBook Details
Published
June 12, 1992
Publisher
Pantheon Books
Pages
208
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780679412090