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Christian Dittus
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English

EMBRACE FEARLESSLY THE BURNING WORLD

Barry Lopez

Essays

An urgent, deeply moving final work of nonfiction from the National Book Award–winning author of Arctic Dreams and Horizon, a literary icon whose writing, fieldwork, and mentorship inspired generations of writers and activists.

An ardent steward of the land, fearless traveler, and unrivaled observer of nature and culture, Barry Lopez died after a long illness on Christmas Day 2020, following a summer wildfire that consumed much of what was dear to him in his home place and the community around it—a tragic reminder of the climate change of which he'd long warned.

At once a cri de coeur and a memoir of both pain and wonder, this remarkable collection of essays adds indelibly to Lopez's legacy, and includes previously unpublished works, some written in the months before his death. They unspool memories both personal and political, among them tender, sometimes painful stories of his childhood in New York City and California, reports from expeditions to study animals and sea life, recollections of travels to Antarctica and other extraordinary places on earth, and meditations on finding oneself amid vast, dramatic landscapes. He reflects on those who taught him, including Indigenous elders and scientific mentors who sharpened his eye for the natural world. And we witness poignant returns to the sanctuary of his Oregon backyard, adjacent to the wild McKenzie River. In prose of searing candor, he reckons with the cycle of life, including his own, and—as he has done throughout his career—with the dangers the earth and its people are facing.

With an introduction by Rebecca Solnit that speaks to Lopez's keen attention to the world, including its spiritual dimensions, Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World opens our minds and souls to the importance of being wholly present for the beauty and complexity of life.
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Published 2022-05-01 by Random House New York

Comments

Turkey: Livera;

Foreign licence Client

“Lopez, a deeply ethical writer for whom paying attention was an article of faith and an art. Lopez (1945–2020) observed the world with ardent and inquisitive concentration and shared his findings and musings in works of tensile strength, lambent beauty, and descriptive and moral precision . In this precious posthumous collection of recent and previously unpublished essays, he reveals many more dimensions of his quests and discoveries. His intimacy with place brings buried history to full life; his immersions in art deepen understanding of our species and our planet . readers will treasure this hearth of a collection from a crucial and profound writer of spirit, commitment, benevolence, and reverence.” (starred review)

Review Booklist

“To meet Barry was to feel we were entering a sphere where a language was spoken that had been fading away—the language of our inseparable connection with the natural world—yet here was a speaker who was renewing it. . . . A lonely speaker then—he must often have wondered whether anyone was truly listening—he is an essential speaker now.” —Margaret Atwood in Orion Magazine “I don't know of any other writer who so mesmerizingly, so seemingly effortlessly, weaves together art, science, and poetry. . . .Barry Lopez is one of my literary heroes.” —Andrea Wulf “No one has worked harder to make sense of our present civilization.” —Bill McKibben

Quote Praise

“Lopez (1945-2020), the indefatigable world traveler The wisdom Lopez sought, recorded here, was often that of Indigenous elders, whether in the Australian Outback, the Arctic, or the South African veldt. That wisdom, writes the author, so often comes in surprising forms Well aware of his impending death to a cancer undetected until it was too late, Lopez gets deeply personal, writing with clear eyes of that death as well as of the horrific experience of sexual abuse as a child. Altogether, the pieces are honest and searching, engaging readers in the largest of questions: How do we live in the world? How do we see it? How do we protect it? A sterling valediction. Lopez's many followers will treasure this book.” (starred review)

Review Kirkus Reviews