Fearless, Sleepless, Deathless - (Great Circle Books) by Maria Pinto (Paperback)

About the Book

"Naturalist, forager, and educator Maria Pinto offers a stunning debut book that uncovers strange and beautiful fungal connections between the natural and human worlds. She mingles reportage, research, memoir, and nature writing, touching on topics that range from Black farmers' domestication of the unforgettable aroma of truffles to the history of mycological poisons wielded by enslaved people against their enslavers. Pinto brings a new perspective and a distinctive literary voice to this mix of environmental and lived history, and every page sings with her enthusiasm for the networks in which we are embedded: fungal, ecological, ancestral, and communal. Join her in pursuit of beautiful, perplexing, delicious, and deadly mushrooms as she explores this understudied kingdom's awe-inspiring diversity and discovers how fungi have been used by people, especially those on the margins, for survival, pleasure, revelation, and revolution"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Naturalist, forager, and educator Maria Pinto offers a stunning debut book that uncovers strange and beautiful fungal connections between the natural and human worlds. She mingles reportage, research, memoir, and nature writing, touching on topics that range from Black farmers' domestication of the unforgettable aroma of truffles to the possibility that enslaved people wielded mycological poisons against their enslavers.

Pinto brings a new perspective and a distinctive literary voice to this mix of environmental and lived history, and every page sings with her enthusiasm for the networks in which we are embedded: fungal, ecological, ancestral, and communal. Join her in pursuit of beautiful, perplexing, delicious, and deadly mushrooms as she explores this understudied kingdom's awe-inspiring diversity and discovers how fungi have been used by people, especially those on the margins, for survival, pleasure, revelation, and revolution.

Review Quotes

"Pinto celebrates the interconnectedness of the natural world in this joyful mix of memoir, science, history, and adventure . . . . She ends on a poignant, hopeful note, envisioning a future for humankind inspired by fungi, made up of communities that flourish through mutual aid. With echoes of Jamaica Kincaid and Annie Dillard, this is a treat for nature lovers and mushroom aficionados."--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Maria Pinto is a Boston-area writer, mycophile, and educator who was born in Jamaica and grew up in South Florida.