Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
Water links all aspects of our existence. From the politics of watersheds to the romance of turtles climbing up from the sea to the beaches, from Leonardo da Vinci to Octavio Paz, from death at a hot spring to the practicalities of liquidation, the writings in this collection reflect on many aspects of the human encounter with water.The book contains some science, a few plans for managing and protecting water, and plenty of stories, poems, essays, and artwork. The writers include Bob Braine Robert Grudin, Wilson Harris, George Keithley, David Morse, Octavio Paz, physicist Sidney Perkowitz, Eva Salzman, Ted Steinberg, and Peter Warshall, editor of Whole Earth magazine. Photographers include Cyril Christo, Adam David Clayman, Monique Crépault, Helen M. Ellis, Sally Gall, Margaret McCarthy, Kristin Ordahl, Jerry Uelsmann, and Marie Wilkinson.
This is the second in a series of Terra Nova books from MIT Press, which aim to show that environmental issues are cultural and artistic as well as practical and political.
Synopsis
Water and its multifaceted relationship to humans, as portrayed by a wide range of writers and photographers.
Library Journal
Between 1996 and 1998, Terra Nova was MIT's environmental quarterly magazine, receiving high praise for its unique approach to issues of nature and culture. Writing on Water is the second in a series of books from Terra Nova, and it embraces the same credo of its periodical parent: environmental issues are as much artistic and cultural as they are political. In this collection of poetry, essays, and photography, writers and artists muse on the importance of water, offering myriad interpretations in both scientific and philosophical terms. Peter Warshall gives a practical checklist for watershed governance. Ted Steinberg questions the morality of weather modification in "Morton Salt Disaster." In "Blue Moon Tide," Kartik Shanker offers a poetic treatise on life, harmony, and sea turtles. Physicist Sidney Perkowitz revels in the molecular mysteries of water in "The Rarest Element." The late Mexican poet and Nobel laureate Octavio Paz narrowly escapes drowning in his short story "My Life with the Wave." Interspersed are photographs by Sally Gall, Adam David Clayman, and Monique Cr pault, among others. Highly recommended for academic and large public libraries. Stephanie Maher, Warwick, RI Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Editorials
Library Journal
Between 1996 and 1998, Terra Nova was MIT's environmental quarterly magazine, receiving high praise for its unique approach to issues of nature and culture. Writing on Water is the second in a series of books from Terra Nova, and it embraces the same credo of its periodical parent: environmental issues are as much artistic and cultural as they are political. In this collection of poetry, essays, and photography, writers and artists muse on the importance of water, offering myriad interpretations in both scientific and philosophical terms. Peter Warshall gives a practical checklist for watershed governance. Ted Steinberg questions the morality of weather modification in "Morton Salt Disaster." In "Blue Moon Tide," Kartik Shanker offers a poetic treatise on life, harmony, and sea turtles. Physicist Sidney Perkowitz revels in the molecular mysteries of water in "The Rarest Element." The late Mexican poet and Nobel laureate Octavio Paz narrowly escapes drowning in his short story "My Life with the Wave." Interspersed are photographs by Sally Gall, Adam David Clayman, and Monique Cr pault, among others. Highly recommended for academic and large public libraries. Stephanie Maher, Warwick, RI Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.From the Publisher
"A great choice for anyone who wants a little watery reading to nourish the soul."New Age Journal"An important anthology on a precious element." Lori Kranz The Bloomsbury Review
"An ode to water composed by a range of admirers." American Scientist
"...Gushes with torrents of words that dance and ebb and eddy and swirl." David Bolling Whole Earth Review
"Refreshing as a cool drink from a deep well on a steamy July afternoon...."Publishers Weekly