Description:
Getting acquainted with local flora and fauna is the perfect way to begin to understand the wonder of nature. The natural environment of Southern Appalachia, with habitats that span the Blue Ridge to the Cumberland Plateau, is one of the most biodiverse on earth. A Literary Field Guide to Southern Appalachia--a hybrid literary and natural history anthology--showcases sixty of the many species indigenous to the region.
Ecologically, culturally, and artistically, Southern Appalachia is rich in paradox and stereotype-defying complexity. Its species range from the iconic and inveterate--such as the speckled trout, pileated woodpecker, copperhead, and black bear--to the elusive and endangered--such as the American chestnut, Carolina gorge moss, chucky madtom, and lampshade spider. The anthology brings together art and science to help the reader experience this immense ecological wealth. Stunning images by seven Southern Appalachian artists and conversationally written natural history information complement contemporary poems from writers such as Ellen Bryant Voigt, Wendell Berry, Janisse Ray, Sean Hill, Rebecca Gayle Howell, Deborah A. Miranda, Ron Rash, and Mary Oliver. Their insights illuminate the wonders of the mountain South, fostering intimate connections. The guide is an invitation to get to know Appalachia in the broadest, most poetic sense.Brief description: JUSTIN GARDINER, a native of the Northwest, now teaches at Auburn University, where he also serves as the nonfiction editor of the Southern Humanities Review. He is a recipient of the Margery Davis Boyden Wilderness Writing Fellowship, as well as the Post-Graduate Larry Levis Stipend in poetry from Warren Wilson's MFA Program. His writing has appeared in the Missouri Review, Blackbird, Quarterly West, and ZYZZYVA.
Review Quotes: Although titled A Literary Field Guide to Southern Appalachia, this book -- as much a collection of poetry as a work of science -- can be enjoyed either in the field or indoors. Small enough to carry in a backpack, it could function as a companion on an outing to wood, field, or stream. Or it could be read on a quiet winter's evening by the fire while planning the next season's hikes or simply contemplating nature's many wonders.--Chris Scott "Chapter 16"