Books to Ground You in Nature’s Poetic Musings
Over the Summer months, I encourage myself to move deep into creativity. This often looks like piles of books, long hours outside, moments of reflection, days next to my sketchbook, and fleeting thoughts frantically typed into lyrical meditations. Allowing myself time to be still in this season is one of the greatest gifts I can offer myself. It provides me with an abundance of inspiration that springboards my research as I continue to nourish my creative foundation.
Books to Ground You in Nature’s Poetic Musings
Reading is a long-time hobby of mine. I highly enjoy topics of and about nature’s poetic musings. Below is a list of several books I cherished so far with a hint at what up next on my reading list.
A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver
A Thousand Mornings is short yet so very sweet. Mary Oliver graciously invites you into her intimate morning explorations in her of Provincetown, Massachusetts. Through daily experience, Oliver teaches us the power of close observation. A Thousand Mornings was a beautiful daily escape into the often overlooked natural occurrences. It provided me a chance to reflect on my own multi-species communities and find gifts in the smallest moments.
The Sound of the Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Bailey
Before reading The Sound of the Wild Snail Eating, I didn’t know how fascinating the life of a gastropod was, nor how it could illuminate human existence. Bailey was diagnosed with an illness that holds her bedridden. After a visit from her friend, she is gifted with a new roommate, a woodland snail. Through miraculously close observation, Bailey discovers a sense of wonder and a greater understanding of her confinement. I easily got lost in Bailey’s story and have since found close observation for the smallest nuances. I seek a greater understanding from these moments.
The Sense of Wonder: A Celebration of Nature for Parents and Children by Rachel Carson
Rachel Carson was a pioneer, an unsung hero, in the global environmental movement. After writing Silent Spring, her words shook communities across the globe. The Sense of Wonder takes a bit of a different pace with readers. Carson documents adventures with her nephew, discovering plant and animal life. Even if you don’t have children, this book illuminates the magic of sharing the natural world with future generations.
Writing Wild: Women Poets, Ramblers, and Mavericks Who Shape How We See the Natural World by Kathryn Aalto
If you are looking to discover a never-ending list of authors who explore the natural world through their word, Writing WIld is a gold mine. Kathryn Aalto explores the work of 25 women, all diverse in demographics and writing styles. The writing work shared have all left their mark or are still making marks. You will walk away from this book with a long list of further reading to indulge your discoveries of nature writing.
Want to read:
The Edge of the Continent [Volume I, II, and III] by Jacqueline Suskin
In just 3-days I read Every Day is a Poem by Jacqueline Suskin. It not only provided me with tools to explore my writing more closely but offered me an immense amount of healing and finding clarity in the natural occurrences around me. Sprinkled with Suskin’s poetic work, understanding her writing process has me craving much more. Next on my reading list is her 3 volume series The Edge of the Continent. I can only imagine the expansive world this volume of books will deliver.
This month, I am publishing a free ebook of nature poetry. For personal access, sign up below.
