American Earth, an anthology of environmental writing since Thoreau
Sometimes it can feel like all of this "green" stuff just came out of nowhere, the trend of trends. Starting with Al Gore's work, and coming to a crescendo in the past year or so, green is everywhere, with magazine covers, TV specials, celeb chatter and products left and right trying to prove their green credentials."American Earth," an anthology of environmental writing, being published today and edited by Bill McKibben, puts "green" back into historical perspective. Under whatever name, green isn't something new, it's always been here.
Starting with Thoreau at Walden Pond, McKibben pulls together the best American environmental writing in "American Earth," featuring more than 100 writers.
Here's what I loved about this book. To start with, when you pick it up, it just feels like a gem, from the cover art, to its manageable size, to the numerous pictures. "American Earth" is weighty, though, coming in at over 1,000 pages, a collection that you dive into at first, and then keep coming back to.
"American Earth" isn't just a collection of gloom and doom, although there is plenty to sink your teeth into regarding the environmental problems we face, both past and present. With selections like Mary Oliver's "The Summer Day" to Jack Turner's "The Song of the Pelican," "American Earth" celebrates the beauty of nature, tells the success stories of the American environmental movement, all while challenging us to keep on going, because there is more work to be done.
"American Earth" is a keeper.
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