Thursday, October 31, 2013

Book Beginnings: Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer


Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I am trying to follow all Book Beginning participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

MR. LINKY



MY BOOK BEGINNING



Barefoot, I've walked this path by night for nearly twenty years, most of my life it seems, the earth pressing up against the arch of my foot.

-- Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer (OSU Press), winner of the John Burroughs Medal Award for Natural History Writing.

Gathering Moss is a series of personal essays by scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer, who spent years studying mosses all over the world. Drawing as much on her Native American heritage and experiences as a mother as on science, Kimmerer explains how mosses live and uses the history and interconnectedness of moss as a metaphor for living in the world.

I want to use more moss in my own garden, so am reading this for practical advice as well as inspiration.  So far, it reminds me a lot of Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, but without so many bugs.

10 comments:

  1. Fascinating! Lovely cover, too.

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  2. Hi Gilion,

    I have never given much thought to a whole book about moss in all its different forms, however this one looks so interesting, the cover art is beautiful and those opening lines so sensual.

    I too, have always wanted a moss lawn, as it looks so thick and lush and is actually quite sensual to walk on.

    There is also the practical aspect of it being relatively low maintenance and good for those very shaded areas of the garden.

    I hope that you get some inspiration from the book and enjoy the rest of it.

    Thanks for hosting and have a great weekend,

    Yvonne

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  3. Looks like she likes to walk barefoot outside. I love being barefoot but not outside.

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  4. This sounds like a very interesting read. I don't know very much about moss.

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  5. ENJOY...sounds good.

    I like the cover.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Book Beginnings

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  6. Interesting book. I love the teaser.

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  7. Enjoy your read! By the way, I accidentally included two entries to the list. The first one is an older post (please delete if you can).

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Sounds like fun! I'll join in.

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  10. As someone who battles the encroachment of moss in my lawn, I'm not sure I'd enjoy a book on that subject! However, the excerpt you posted is lovely. Maybe I need to quit fighting the moss and learn to love it.

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