The Nature Writers Project
In the summer of 2019, I began the initial phase of a project photographing on and around the places that have been instrumental in influencing the lives and writings of nature/environmental writers. This phase took me from the Midwest to the New England states and revolved around both historic and contemporary writers who have specifically noted place as a profound influence on their work. Since then, I have traveled throughout the U. S. meeting many other writers, spending time photographing their places. To date, I have visited forty-four writer’s places in twenty-nine different states. The writers who I have highlighted so far are Gene Stratton Porter, John Burroughs, Akiko Busch, Henry David Thoreau, Robert Finch, Edward Hoagland, Rachel Carson, Linda Hasselstrom, Aldo Leopold, Sigurd Olson, Theodore Roosevelt, John Graves, David George Haskell, Susan Cerulean, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Bill Belleville, Janisse Ray, David Gessner, J. Drew Lanham, Barbara Kingsolver, Gretel Erhlich, Barry Lopez, Robert Michael Pyle, Scott Freeman, Lyanda Lynn Haupt, Paul Gruchow Pam Houston, Ellen Meloy, Camille Dungy, Edward Abbey, Bill McKibben, Terry Tempest Williams, Ada Limón, Craig Santos Perez, W. S. Merwin, Philip Connors, Alison Hawthorne Deming, Enrique Salmón, Mary Hunter Austin, Robinson Jeffers, John Muir, Rick Bass, Peter Matthiessen, and Linda Hogan.
I have long been interested in how the land, and the author’s interaction with the land, influences their writings. In my work, I seek to discover and document the draw that these places had/have on these individuals. I am interested in both the scientific significance of these lands and the mystical power of place. I believe the strongest nature/environmental writers always blend these two concerns in their work.
It is my goal to ensure this project represents a diverse range of historic and contemporary writers from various geographic regions, gender and ethnic backgrounds. In addition, I believe it is important to include a diverse range of writing styles. I dream of expanding this project to include international writers in the future.
