Early American Nature Writers - by Daniel Patterson (Hardcover)

About the Book

At a time when the environment is of growing concern to students and general readers, nature writing is especially meaningful. This book profiles the literary careers of 52 early American nature writers, such as John James Audubon, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Caroline Stansbury Kirkland, Thomas Jefferson, Henry David Thoreau, and Mabel Osgood Wright. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and discusses the writer's life and works. Entries close with primary and secondary bibliographies, and the encyclopedia ends with suggestions for further reading.

Global warming, pollution, and other issues have made the environment a topic of constant discussion these days. Many environmental concerns were treated by early American nature writers, who recognized the beauty of the natural world in an age of commercial expansion. Some of the most famous writers of the 18th and 19th centuries wrote about nature, and their works are stylistic masterpieces. At a time when students are being encouraged to read and write about nonfiction, these masterworks of early American nature writing are all the more important. This book gives students and general readers a welcome introduction to early American nature writers.
The volume begins with an introductory essay on the history of early American nature writing and its anticipation of present day concerns. The book then provides alphabetically arranged entries on 52 writers, including:

Elizabeth Agassiz, John James Audubon, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Caroline Stansbury Kirkland, Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis, Edith M. Thomas, Henry David Thoreau, Bradford Torrey, and Mabel Osgood Wright.

Book Synopsis

At a time when the environment is of growing concern to students and general readers, nature writing is especially meaningful. This book profiles the literary careers of 52 early American nature writers, such as John James Audubon, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Caroline Stansbury Kirkland, Thomas Jefferson, Henry David Thoreau, and Mabel Osgood Wright. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and discusses the writer's life and works. Entries close with primary and secondary bibliographies, and the encyclopedia ends with suggestions for further reading.

Global warming, pollution, and other issues have made the environment a topic of constant discussion these days. Many environmental concerns were treated by early American nature writers, who recognized the beauty of the natural world in an age of commercial expansion. Some of the most famous writers of the 18th and 19th centuries wrote about nature, and their works are stylistic masterpieces. At a time when students are being encouraged to read and write about nonfiction, these masterworks of early American nature writing are all the more important. This book gives students and general readers a welcome introduction to early American nature writers.

Review Quotes

"This work offers substantial entries on 52 writers, ranging from the literary to the scientific. . . . Although this volume probably will be most useful for undergraduates, especially those at institutions with strong American literature or nature writing programs, graduate students and faculty also will find it helpful. Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers." --Choice

"The short biographies of this wonderfully eclectic group of writers offer enticing reasons to read their notable works and follow the paths of the references to learn more about them. Nature observation and writing have never been as important as they are now in a world under climate and ecological threat. These early writers can teach us much, especially the importance of writing and speaking well about important topics. Highly recommended for all libraries." --Reference Reviews

"Along with luminaries such as John James Audubon, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis and Henry David Thoreau this collection of essays includes information on fiction and nonfiction writers who may not be well-studied today, but were very influential in describing young America to America. The 53 entries include descriptions of birders, adventure writers, authors of juvenile fiction, nature guides, botanists, and even the occasional committed hunter, each of whom, in his or her own way, wished to make readers understand that the lush beauty of America was a treasure meant to be cherished rather than consumed." --SciTech Book News

"Authors included range from the famous...to the mostly forgotten. While entries on the former will be useful to undergraduates and general readers beginning a study of environmental literature, entries on the latter are often the most valuable, calling attention to obscure authors who are worth reviving. Early American Nature Writers is thus a boon to graduate students in search of fresh subjects for theses and dissertations." --ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment

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