Thanks, Jason. Your versatility as a thinker and writer are the fireworks today. And perhaps I should say that "I object" to my having any business in the same essay as Whitman, Lopez and Berry. I'm honored nonetheless.
Thanks, Erica. I knew I was ignoring the bigger America picture, and should have acknowledged it, but as far as I know no other country between Nunavut and Tierra del Fuego chants the name.
Sorry about your loss to Morocco. These elimination games are brutal.
Thank you for the salve on the gaping wound of this country. Thank you for bravely and eloquently expressing that which this Trump regime would like to imprison us for expressing. Thank you for your humanity and for writing.
Barry Lopez:“The land is like poetry…”Whitman: America is a poem…”And of course, our gracious author: “…though we are still full of the sparks that lit his fire.”and- “But the land has too often been treated as merely the blank page upon which the American poem is being written.” Metaphorically written with a poet’s heart and a scientific eye—Jason, you seamlessly joined together the words of our wonderful writers and poets, a telescoping look at the beauty and grandeur of the land that is detrimental to our very survival. But the lens is dirt covered and smudged—we as a nation fail miserably at focusing in on what is right in front of us. My husband and I realized just the other day—250 years, is quite an incredible milestone. We’ve been so caught up in the same dirty lens that is politics, we had lost sight of the magnificence of the day. How very sad that the entire planet and its many living inhabitants are all affected by this one administration. As John Muir wrote; "Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” We will take his revelations, go ‘bathe’ in the forest and celebrate this anniversary with a close knit group of our dearest friends—the mountains, trees and rock strewn rich soil of the forest floor. Hopefully we’ll hear or catch a glimpse of Bicknell’s Thrush in the upper elevations of Mt. Mansfield, before it’s too late. I hope you and Heather will be doing something similar!
Jason, As usual a thoughtful, insightful, and passionate consideration of nature and her importance to our society and sanity. I always appreciate how you bring together so many voices to help us better understand our connections to place. Keep up the great work. And, thanks for shoutout about my book; I am so completely excited about it.
Thanks. I am pretty darned proud of the book; I like to think it's my best book. It's certainly about a subject dear to my heart, the amazing Cascade Mountains and their human and natural history.
Oh this hits perfectly today! Thank you so much. What a closing! I object — yes. It feels like an epic struggle between the corrupt sociopaths and the sensitive artists. Between the bullies and the nerds. Whitman, Berry, and Lopez are guiding lights. And so are you.
Thanks, Julie. I intended something shorter and brighter, but as so often happens the writing had other ideas. I need to read more Berry, and will of course return to Whitman again and again, but I still am as awed by the exquisite brilliance of Lopez as I was years ago, if not more. I could probably structure these essays around a quote of his every week for a year...
Beautifully written, Jason. Much appreciate the time and care you put into these posts.
Thank you, Susan.
Thanks, Jason. Your versatility as a thinker and writer are the fireworks today. And perhaps I should say that "I object" to my having any business in the same essay as Whitman, Lopez and Berry. I'm honored nonetheless.
Object all you want, Bryan, but you fit right in. Thanks as always for your beautiful writing and photography.
I'm with you on the patriotism-versus-World-Cup question! Unfortunately, we got eliminated today, but I still have favourite teams to root for. :)
Just a friendly bit of a thing on names: "America" isn't actually a nation---it's 3 continents.
Thanks, Erica. I knew I was ignoring the bigger America picture, and should have acknowledged it, but as far as I know no other country between Nunavut and Tierra del Fuego chants the name.
Sorry about your loss to Morocco. These elimination games are brutal.
"Caring for the land is perhaps the most patriotic act." 💯
Thank you, Nia.
Thank you for the salve on the gaping wound of this country. Thank you for bravely and eloquently expressing that which this Trump regime would like to imprison us for expressing. Thank you for your humanity and for writing.
This is all very kind of you to say, Nancy. Thank you for paying attention, and for being here for the writing.
Barry Lopez:“The land is like poetry…”Whitman: America is a poem…”And of course, our gracious author: “…though we are still full of the sparks that lit his fire.”and- “But the land has too often been treated as merely the blank page upon which the American poem is being written.” Metaphorically written with a poet’s heart and a scientific eye—Jason, you seamlessly joined together the words of our wonderful writers and poets, a telescoping look at the beauty and grandeur of the land that is detrimental to our very survival. But the lens is dirt covered and smudged—we as a nation fail miserably at focusing in on what is right in front of us. My husband and I realized just the other day—250 years, is quite an incredible milestone. We’ve been so caught up in the same dirty lens that is politics, we had lost sight of the magnificence of the day. How very sad that the entire planet and its many living inhabitants are all affected by this one administration. As John Muir wrote; "Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” We will take his revelations, go ‘bathe’ in the forest and celebrate this anniversary with a close knit group of our dearest friends—the mountains, trees and rock strewn rich soil of the forest floor. Hopefully we’ll hear or catch a glimpse of Bicknell’s Thrush in the upper elevations of Mt. Mansfield, before it’s too late. I hope you and Heather will be doing something similar!
Thank you, Lor. I hope you find your thrush. We'll spend the day with my mother, but we have a quiet wild trip planned at summer's end.
Jason, As usual a thoughtful, insightful, and passionate consideration of nature and her importance to our society and sanity. I always appreciate how you bring together so many voices to help us better understand our connections to place. Keep up the great work. And, thanks for shoutout about my book; I am so completely excited about it.
Thank you, David. Congrats on the book! I'm sure it's wonderful. Have fun sharing it with your readers. Hopefully I've sent a few people your way.
Thanks. I am pretty darned proud of the book; I like to think it's my best book. It's certainly about a subject dear to my heart, the amazing Cascade Mountains and their human and natural history.
That's great. I do love that feeling of knowing that a few years of your life paid off with a book you're really fond of.
And now I know that if I ever explore the Cascades I have a great source to guide me.
Oh this hits perfectly today! Thank you so much. What a closing! I object — yes. It feels like an epic struggle between the corrupt sociopaths and the sensitive artists. Between the bullies and the nerds. Whitman, Berry, and Lopez are guiding lights. And so are you.
Thanks, Julie. I intended something shorter and brighter, but as so often happens the writing had other ideas. I need to read more Berry, and will of course return to Whitman again and again, but I still am as awed by the exquisite brilliance of Lopez as I was years ago, if not more. I could probably structure these essays around a quote of his every week for a year...
That's a wonderful idea!