Environmental Book Club

I am sure you recall that last weekend I went on a writing retreat where I read some nature poetry. Well, I've read some more. I'm rather liking this stuff.

I picked up the picture book Snow Toward Evening: A Year in a River Valley (illustrations by Thomas Locker and poetry selected by Josette Frank) at a library without giving it a lot of thought. When I sat down to read it, I wasn't expecting much. I am not much of a poetry reader, have little knowledge of it, and it's not something I have much experience of.

Why, I may be much like a child reader in those ways.

I was taken with Snow Toward Evening immediately. The first poem, January by John Updike (Updike! Never got into him, either.) begins "The days are short,/The sun a spark/Hung thin between/The dark and dark." How is that for an image?

There are only twelve poems here, one for each month of the year, with a nature/landscape illustration. The poetry isn't children's poetry (Updike!), though it is very accessible. (Hey, I liked it.) The book functions:

• As beautiful in and of itself
• As a lead-in to adult poets for young readers who may be unfamiliar with them (Updike!)
• As a cross-over book for adults.

Unfortunately, you're going to have a hard time finding Snow Toward Evening. It was published in 1990 and is out-of-print. Way out-of-print, presumably. Both the illustrator and compiler are dead, and it looks as if finding some good used editions could take a little effort. Personally, I'm suggesting this as a gift some family member can make the effort to find for me.

By the way, the book title comes from the poem Snow Toward Evening by Melville Cane, which is included in this collection.

A Short Retreat Makes For A Great Afternoon

Looks nature-like, doesn't it?

I spent this afternoon at a nature writing retreat sponsored by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association and run by Katherine Hauswirth. It was not what I’d expected, and yet a very good experience. Because I’m in to that mind-of-the-beginner thing. I can be open.

So Here’s What Happened

I heard about this nature writing retreat that would start with some sharing of nature writing, a brief group discussion of writing approaches, themes, and formats. Then we’d spend time in nature (going for a walk) and engaging in the writing process. I jumped right on this because I hear “nature writing” and what do I think? I think “nature essays.” And I write essays!  I have a couple of nature-ish essays on my hard drive! I have those blog posts I’ve done about snowshoeing! This retreat was only 4 hours long, it was a half hour from my house, and it cost $20. Seriously, who wouldn’t jump on this?

Well, the first thing I figured out during the brief group discussion was that “nature writing” does not automatically mean “nature essay.” It can be poetry, journals, almanacs… We were not talking a straight essay retreat, I just thought we were, because that’s how my mind runs. Essay, essay, essay. 

The second thing I figured out was that I was way over my head with this crowd as far as reading nature writing is concerned. To me a nature writing book is Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit, which is, obviously, about walking. I got it at the library, maybe eight years ago. These people were reading books about spring and mushrooms. They own these things and have just read some of them.

But There's Always Something To Take From Every Experience, Right? Right?

 

We had about two and a half hours between the 45-minute intro and the 45-minute wrap-up. During that time I:

• Went for a walk with the group. While out in the woods I learned that Connecticut has fairy

  

  The trail I used.

  shrimp in its vernal pools.
• Got an idea for the framing I need for another, totally not nature essay.
• Went back to the meeting room.
• Read Katherine's terrific handouts.
• Looked up Ron Harton on-line; Katherine referred to him in her handouts.
• Read some nature poetry.
• Had a revelation that nature writing may be observational while the two nature-ish essays I have on my hard drive are more in the area of recollection, even though they do involve recalling natural situations. That might make them memoir, rather than nature writing.
• Used some of the points Katherine makes in her handout to try to come up with some changes for my nature-ish essays.
• Decided one of my nature-ish essays needs a different tone, which has nothing to do with nature writing.
• Bought a copy of Katherine Hauswirth's book, The Book of Noticing.  
• Ate some pretzels and listened to some George Winston on my phone.

Katherine's book

Spending a Sunday afternoon reading about and talking about writing, even a type of writing that I don't actually do, was...both relaxing and stimulating at the same time. I would appreciate a retreat like this about travel writing and food writing. Oh, yes. Food writing. 

I'll jump on something like that.

Women And Nature Writing

Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan

I haven't been home from my personal reading-about-writing retreat for even a week, and I've already signed up for a more traditional one. A mini-retreat, only five hours, on the subject of nature writing, something I've been mulling over for years.  And even tinkered with.


So this seems like a good opportunity to post a link to Outside's Women Writing About the Wild: 25 Essential Authors.