Orion November / December 2013

A READING REPOSE You’ve heard of slow food and slow money; how about slow reading? In today’s manic media landscape, it’s more important than ever to ensure that thoughtful writing will always have a place to call home. Support writing that matters by making a year-end donation to Orion at www.orionmagazine.org/donate. Thank you. ORION AT WILD & SCENIC Orion is proud to sponsor the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City, California, January 10–12, 2014. Find out about this year’s programming, appearances by Orion editors and guests, and the festival’s goal of using film to inspire activism at www.orionmagazine.org/film. ANIMALS & PEOPLE With an introduction by Jane Goodall and essays from Mary Oliver, Brian Doyle, Sy Montgomery, and many others, this new book from Orion explores the relationship between…

SOME YEARS AGO, while driving with him through a congested section of suburban sprawl, I remarked to the writer Kim Stafford that I was ceaselessly amazed by people’s willingness to mess the world up. “Yes, it’s true,” said Kim, “but I’m always more surprised by the number of people who are trying to do the right thing.” Being amazed by people’s willingness to mess the world up, and being amazed by just how messed up the world actually is, doesn’t take much work. The evidence is everywhere: in the news, in disappearing fields and farms and forests, in the injustices that people foist upon each other every day, in deeply embedded political and economic systems that practically mandate shortsightedness. It is legitimate to be amazed by it, and legitimate to…

Stephanie Rose Adams is the author of The Sundering. Her work has appeared in the Boston Review and other publications. Tyler Bewley is an artist and teacher living in San Francisco. His work has been shown throughout California. Belle Boggs has worked in public schools across the U.S. Her new novel, The Ugly Bear List, is forthcoming. William Cronon is an environmental historian at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is completing a book about the history of American environmental politics entitled Saving Nature in Time. Robert Dawson’s new book of photographs, Public Library, will be published in 2014 by Princeton Architectural Press. Brian Doyle is the author of many books, most recently The Thorny Grace of It, a collection of spiritual essays. Deborah Springstead Ford teaches photography at Prescott…

I loved Cynthia Barnett’s “Water Works” in the July/August 2013 issue. I’m going to feature it on the reading list for the Art, Water, and Ecology course I teach at the University of Florida, which includes the work of artist Buster Simpson, who is a part of the Growing Vine Street project. As far as I know, it’s rare for an article that focuses primarily on water infrastructure to feature a community-based, public, eco-art project. Highlighting the fact that infrastructure can be innovative and economically efficient as well as beautiful and environmentally sound increases the visibility and legitimacy of these projects for other communities. Thanks for the wonderful examples of art working with science and community to create tangible value. LESLEY GAMBLE Gainesville, Florida Cynthia Barnett’s July/August feature demonstrates how,…

You could brave the cold, the crowds, and the traffic to find gifts for loved ones this holiday season — or you could check off your list from the comfort of home, hot cocoa in hand. Gift subscriptions to Orion are two-for-one, and recipients will receive an acknowledgement card on your behalf. Visit www.orionmagazine.org/gift today, and leave the rest to us. Happy holidays! Many readers’ favorite stories from Orion are about the connection between humans and animals — stories like Sy Montgomery’s “Deep Intellect,” Brian Doyle’s “Creature Beyond the Mountains,” and Mary Oliver’s “Waste Land.” If they’re beloved in your household, or if you’re looking for new reading material, check out Animals and People, the new collection of Orion essays that explores the complex relationship between people and animals. (And,…

1. Be prepared to be confused with the other black birder. Yes, there are only two of you at the bird festival. Yes, you’re wearing a name tag and are six inches taller than he is. Yes, you will be called by his name at least half a dozen times by supposedly observant people who can distinguish gull molts in a blizzard. 2. Carry your binoculars — and three forms of identification — at all times. You’ll need the binoculars to pick that tufted duck out of the flock of scaup and ring-necks. You’ll need the photo ID to convince the cops, FBI, Homeland Security, and the flashlight-toting security guard that you’re not a terrorist or escaped convict. 3. Don’t bird in a hoodie. Ever. 4. Nocturnal birding is a…