In a 2015 commentary titled “Earth-based Wisdom: Learning the Original Idea from the Living Earth,” author J.E. Williams suggested that to be human is humbling, yet it also requires being conscious of our role in Nature and our place in the Universe. In 1848, Chief Seattle suggested that every part of the earth is sacred – “every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap that courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man. This we know: the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth.”
In a 2016 NPR Radio Ted Talk, Boyd Varty suggested that that natural world affects our very being and particularly in rural areas. The natural world creates shared community, a sense of belonging to something. And, being part of the natural world Varty believes, is “what it means to be human.” It brings us to a deeper part of ourselves.
It is these and other thoughts that we will explore in the 2023 Fall Read beginning with a study of plants and botany through Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plantsby Robin Wall Kimmerer followed by an exploration of the skies and stars through the poignant story of a father and son in the novel Bewilderment by Richard Powers, and finally a study of the connections between animals and humans in Running with Sherman: The Donkey with the Heart of a Hero, by Christopher McDougall.
Listen for “Poetry Popups” as we’ve paired special poetry collections with each of the books featured.
Radio Reader BookBytes will air each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during All Things Considered and Morning Edition.
References:
https://www.kosmosjournal.org/article/earth-based-wisdom-learning-the-original-idea-from-the-living-earth/
What Wisdom Can We Gain From Nature?
