Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World
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- Create Date：2022-07-30 06:51:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Barry Lopez
- ISBN：0593242823
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Summary
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。
ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022--Lit Hub， BookPage
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。 The previous summer， a wildfire had 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of both pain and wonder， this remarkable collection of essays adds indelibly to Lopez's legacy， and includes previously unpublished works， some written in the months before his death。 They unspool memories both personal and political， among them tender， sometimes painful stories of his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。 We witness poignant returns from his travels to the sanctuary of his Oregon backyard， adjacent to the McKenzie River。 And 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。
ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022--Lit Hub， BookPage
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。 The previous summer， a wildfire had 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。 We witness poignant returns from his travels to the sanctuary of his Oregon backyard， adjacent to the McKenzie River。 And 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。
Reviews
Francisco
，
Barry Lopez is one of those authors whose work I return to over and over again。 His work is categorized as "nature writing" and it is true that he writes about places that I will never see， but after reading all his books （some more than once）， I know that it is more than the description of exotic landscapes （and the creatures -human and non-human that live there） that brings me back to his work。 Of course his work is filled with sadness for the damage we are doing to this earth given to us - a Barry Lopez is one of those authors whose work I return to over and over again。 His work is categorized as "nature writing" and it is true that he writes about places that I will never see， but after reading all his books （some more than once）， I know that it is more than the description of exotic landscapes （and the creatures -human and non-human that live there） that brings me back to his work。 Of course his work is filled with sadness for the damage we are doing to this earth given to us - a sadness that never rises to indictment。 There is no need for him to add judgment or anger to the sadness that we grow to share with him as he describes what is and what once was。 The "what will be" is clear enough and made more powerful by the reticence of the author。 I think ultimately I return to his work for the faith that I find in it。 Faith need not be belief in concepts or doctrines。 Faith can also a continuous search for value despite the constant devaluation of life by what is worst in humanity。 Lopez shares with us early childhood memories that would have caused most of us to stop looking for the good in life。 His search for the true and the beautiful took him to places of silence and solitude， of darkness and blinding light， and then he returned to humbly offer us whatever hope he found there。 。。。more
Daniel G。 Deffenbaugh
，
Barry Lopez is one of the authors who has played a significant role in my life， helping me to see nature with both a poet's and a scientist's eye。 This book is a collection of his final essays compiled just before his death。 I have read everything he has ever written and have some ambivalence about starting this one; sadly， there won't be more。 All things must pass。 Maybe this is why I have given my recently purchased copies to friends， and especially to those who know nothing about Lopez。 I am Barry Lopez is one of the authors who has played a significant role in my life， helping me to see nature with both a poet's and a scientist's eye。 This book is a collection of his final essays compiled just before his death。 I have read everything he has ever written and have some ambivalence about starting this one; sadly， there won't be more。 All things must pass。 Maybe this is why I have given my recently purchased copies to friends， and especially to those who know nothing about Lopez。 I am saving this one for a very special occasion: wood stove， snow falling， comfy socks， hot tea or toddy。 。。。more
Greg Russell
，
A more personal collection from Barry that had me respecting him all the more for his openness and courage。 I’ve enjoyed his writing over the years。 Somehow I’ve felt a connection to him unique in my reading experience。 I grieve his passing but celebrate the life he lived and the works he shared with us。 He’s made a difference in my life and for that I’m grateful。
Cheryl
，
“Witness， not achievement， is what I was after。 From the beginning， I wanted to understand how very different each stretch of landscape， each boulevard， each cultural aspiration was。 The human epistemologies， the six thousand spoken ways of knowing God， are like the six thousand ways a river can run down from high country to low， like the six thousand ways dawn might break over the Atacama， the Tanami， the Gobi， or the Sonoran。”“Existential loneliness and a sense that one’s life is inconsequenti “Witness， not achievement， is what I was after。 From the beginning， I wanted to understand how very different each stretch of landscape， each boulevard， each cultural aspiration was。 The human epistemologies， the six thousand spoken ways of knowing God， are like the six thousand ways a river can run down from high country to low， like the six thousand ways dawn might break over the Atacama， the Tanami， the Gobi， or the Sonoran。”“Existential loneliness and a sense that one’s life is inconsequential， both of which are hallmarks of modern civilizations， seem to me to derive in part from our abandoning a belief in the therapeutic dimensions of a relationship with place。 A continually refreshed sense of the endless complexity of patterns in the natural world， patterns that are ever present and discernible， and which incorporate the observer， undermines the feeling that one is alone in the world， or meaningless in it。 The effort to know a place deeply is， ultimately， an expression of the human desire to belong， to fit somewhere。” What a beautiful last gift of this departed author。 He wasn’t the swashbuckling adventurer high on adrenaline， he was a thoughtful listener and researcher， on adventures to places we may never see but came alive through his writing。 As a collection of essays， there was less of a theme than his gigantic hearted books， and there was the thread of his survival of sexual rape and molestation as a boy of 6 for 5 years which was so very hard to read but felt like hope for other survivors and understanding more of what it does to children。 Despite it all， the abuse， the instability of childhood， the negative narrative of the global emergency， Lopez was one of the most observant and open hearted of writers that has have graced our planet。 Intimacy with the physical Earth apparently awakens in us， at some wordless level， a primal knowledge of the nature of our emotional as well as our biological attachments to physical landscapes。 Based on my own inquiries， my impression is that we experience this primal connection regularly as a diffuse， ineffable pleasure， experience it as the easing of a particular kind of longing。The Jack Hills in Western Australia lie about four hundred miles north-northeast of Perth。 There， in the 1980s， scientists found a lode of zircon crystals that at the time represented the oldest known bits of the Earth’s crust。 One of these extremely hard and durable crystals was dated at 4。27 billion years， about 250 million years after the formation of the planet…I just wanted， if I could， to become for a moment a part of the flow of time there。What I want to know， what I look for as a writer， is what good was a person capable of， how did love flourish around him or her？ How did what they do help？ How did a person love？ That’s the news we’re eager to hear。 That is what we want to know。Where is the art to help us deal with these actions （Native American genocide） and with the long silence that persists？ Is what has been offered so far， mostly by Native American artists， so offensive to the nation’s sense of self， so inconsequential when put up against the mythology of a chosen people， that it can’t be accommodated？ The Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes once wrote that it was impossible for his country and the United States to have a productive conversation。 Mexico， he said， is so burdened by its past it cannot easily imagine a future。 The United States， he said， is so intent on imagining its future it isn’t troubled by rewriting its past to serve that future。For the Navajo， beauty is not about perception， is not in the eye of the beholder， but is the outcome of the artist’s relationship to the world… The creation of beauty is simultaneously intellectual （the creation， maintenance， and restoration of order）， emotional （of happiness）， moral （of good）， aesthetic （of balance and harmony）， and biological （of health）。 Art is integral to life， and hózhó， distinctly different from Aristotle’s “beauty，” is the goal of art—and life。In that southern （Antarctic） winter of 1992 I embarked on a routine of evening strolls because I wanted to stride across the frozen membrane of that isolated planetary heartbeat， so far from anything man-made except the ship; there， docked at night， came the opportunity to walk that pellicle， beneath a vault of starlight so intense you could read your shadow in the snow。Still， something in me has long been drawn almost exclusively to the classic lines of a desert， to the open ocean and the receding tundra plain—something almost genetic in me， which grows restive in the baroque mazes of a city or in a jungle。Some consider it unsophisticated to explore the nonhuman world for clues to solving human dilemmas， and wisdom’s oldest tool， metaphor， is often regarded with wariness， or even suspicion， in my culture。 But abandoning metaphor entirely only paves the way to the rigidity of fundamentalism。 To my way of thinking， to prefer to live a metaphorical life—that is， to think abstract problems through on several planes at the same time， to stay alert for symbolic and allegorical meanings， to appreciate the utility of nuance—as opposed to living a literal life， where most things mean in only one way， is the norm among traditional people like the Warlpiri。The linchpin of my existence as a California boy was the ever-forgiving， ever-soothing light， the way it so beautifully bathed everything around it， the slender leaves of gum trees， the pale surfaces of adobe buildings， the surfaces of moving water。 That， and for me the flocks of birds that pulled me into the sky， pulled me up and out of myself—and gave me what in my life I would call hope。Evidence of the failure to love is everywhere around us。 To contemplate what it is to love today brings us up against reefs of darkness and walls of despair。 If we are to manage the havoc- ocean acidification， corporate malfeasance and government corruption， endless war- we have to reimagine what it means to live lives that matter， or we will only continue to push on with the unwarranted hope that things will work out。 We need to step into a deeper conversation about enchantment and agape， and to actively explore a greater capacity to love other humans。 The old ideas- the crushing immorality of maintaining a nation state， the life destroying belief that to care for others is to be weak and that to be generous is to be foolish- can have no future with us。 It is more important now to be in love than to be in power。 It is more important to bring E。O。 Wilson’s biophilia into our daily conversations than it is to remain compliant in a time of extinction， ethnic cleansing， and rising seas。 It is more important to live for the possibilities that lie ahead than to die in despair over what has been lost。 The day of illumination I had in the plain west of Willowra [in Australia] about a word generated by the failure to love…grew out of a certain knowledge that， years before， I had experienced what it meant to love， on those summer days with friends in the Brooks Range in Alaska， [watching and talking about wildlife and nature。] The experience delivered me into the central project of my life as a writer， which is to know and love what we have been given， and to urge others to do the same。 In this trembling moment， with light armor under several flags rolling across northern Syria， with civilians beaten to death in the streets of occupied Palestine， with fires roaring across the vineyards of California and forests being felled to endure more space for development， with student loans from profiteers breaking the backs of the young， and Niagaras of water falling into the oceans from every sector of Greenland， in this moment， is it [it is] still possible to face the gathering darkness and say to the physical Earth， and to all its creatures， including ourselves， fiercely and without embarrassment， I love you， and to embrace fearlessly the burning world？ [my additions]Rebecca Solnit in the introduction: The love of place can sustain a life， and we usually talk as though it’s an unreciprocated love， a one-way street。 These essays show why that is wrong。 The places love us back in how they steady and sustain us， teach us， shelter us， guide us， feed us， and that old image of the Earth itself as a mother is a reminder that we depend upon the unearned bounty of the biosphere。The Grail is the journey， the search for something， and the something is outside oneself—musk oxen in a blizzard or algae flourishing under Antarctic ice…and in Barry Lopez’s writing， this cosmology…the Grail is not just the travel to these places but the stillness and patience after arrival。 It is also the act of paying attention to these things， of entering a state of concentration， of focus， a state of being open to these， of entering a state of concentration， of focus， a state of being open to epiphany and rapture and communion。 You arrive at a place， then you arrive at an awareness， then perhaps at an understanding， which opens up the world to you and opens you up to the world。 DUSKfor Barry LopezHorizon fades from blue to blackwith infinite tenderness in Londontonight。 Yet even at full dusk a smearof cobalt rings the tree line。 Maybeendless love awaits us。 I know you believedso， even as forests and rivers turned to fire，libraries to ash。 Now that you’re not hereto tend them， I see the lamps you lit for us。Sometimes it’s important to see the darkness，you would say， to regard one another other，and our trembling。 Or on other nights， likenow: we must look up。 How is this samemoon in my sky hanging over Eugene thesesmall hours？ Do you feel its comforts？As you sleep through this final stretchhow badly I want you to know we havethe torches now， my friend， we’ll protect the flame，you are free to be the wind again。John Freeman 。。。more
A。
，
Some truly beautiful and insightful passages， but overall felt meandering。
tonia peckover
，
I find most essay collections uneven to some degree， and this one was the same， but there are some truly beautiful essays in here。 Lopez comes across as a wise， gently sad elder exiting just before the storm arrives。 He knows what’s coming and he wants us to be good to each other。 I feel better after being in his presence for a while。
Judy
，
"In this trembling moment。。。is it still possible to face the gathering darkness and say to the physical Earth， and to all its creatures， including ourselves， fiercely and without embarrassment I love you， and to embrace fearlessly the burning world。" （Essay， "Love in the Time of Terror"） Lopez died in 2020， living 50 years on the McKenzie River。 This is his final collection of essays， most of them published before， but not in book form。 Lopez mesmerizes because he is so deeply personal， no matte "In this trembling moment。。。is it still possible to face the gathering darkness and say to the physical Earth， and to all its creatures， including ourselves， fiercely and without embarrassment I love you， and to embrace fearlessly the burning world。" （Essay， "Love in the Time of Terror"） Lopez died in 2020， living 50 years on the McKenzie River。 This is his final collection of essays， most of them published before， but not in book form。 Lopez mesmerizes because he is so deeply personal， no matter what he chooses to write about。 His adventures and research in Alaska and Antartica， his reflections on the climate crisis we all face， his remembrances of dear friends and colleagues are profound， but it is his recounting of his childhood in the San Fernando Valley and New York City which are the most vivid。 He experienced horrific sexual abuse as a child which he didn't resolve until the 1990s。 He closes with reflections on the McKenzie River， his home and his health。 。。。more
Kyle
，
NYT book review
Allen
，
There are only two types of books this man ever wrote， those that are perfect and those that make you cry because they are so perfect。 This， his last book， is the latter。 I weep at the beauty of this man I’ve come to know through his books and I weep at his message。 Barry Lopez just might be the best writer I’ve ever read and that’s because he wrote the truth， the life he lived， the world he encountered and the meaning he uncovered - the likes of which the greatest fictions writers aim to do in There are only two types of books this man ever wrote， those that are perfect and those that make you cry because they are so perfect。 This， his last book， is the latter。 I weep at the beauty of this man I’ve come to know through his books and I weep at his message。 Barry Lopez just might be the best writer I’ve ever read and that’s because he wrote the truth， the life he lived， the world he encountered and the meaning he uncovered - the likes of which the greatest fictions writers aim to do in their magnum opus。 。。。more
Cody
，
The most candidly personal of his work， Lopez's final collection prizes witness over achievement and experience over meaning。 And while facing， head on， the extinction before us he manages to remind us that the "。。。spirit remains intact。 The oblivion is an illusion。" The most candidly personal of his work， Lopez's final collection prizes witness over achievement and experience over meaning。 And while facing， head on， the extinction before us he manages to remind us that the "。。。spirit remains intact。 The oblivion is an illusion。" 。。。more
Pamela
，
The approach Lopez takes towards the natural world is of observation: listening and paying attention。 He talks about this in some of the early essays in the collection。Further along in the book the essays become more autobiographical， more personal to him， what his life was like growing up， the sexual trauma he endured， his house， and finally his health。 In the earlier sections he writes about people he’s met and who made a great impression on him， friends and other naturalists， native peoples h The approach Lopez takes towards the natural world is of observation: listening and paying attention。 He talks about this in some of the early essays in the collection。Further along in the book the essays become more autobiographical， more personal to him， what his life was like growing up， the sexual trauma he endured， his house， and finally his health。 In the earlier sections he writes about people he’s met and who made a great impression on him， friends and other naturalists， native peoples he was honored to spend time with， mostly in the far north in Alaska。 Lopez has travelled around the world， but always says the place he most wants to be is at his home。 His home is in deep in a forest， near a large river with many acres of woods in Oregon。 I haven’t read his entire cannon， but I suspect these personal biographical essays are the only ones he writes deeply about himself。 He does share his childhood trauma and states that he told very few people about this。 This will be the last book from Lopez， as he passed away， and the essays he included in this book have that sense of leaving his last words， his legacy。 Although， perhaps some of these essays were published elsewhere， as there is some repetition of the material， particularly one right after another。 I listened to the audiobook version of this title， and the narrator was a perfect fit for these essays。 。。。more
Jane
，
Barry Lopez was an amazing person and beautiful writer。 This book of essays published after his death helps to explain how he became that person。 Like all of his work， it is partly autobiographical and in this book he details the sexual abuse he suffered as a young boy。 It is devastating to read， but he managed， with the help of therapy， to overcome it and become an incredibly empathic person who paid attention in the deepest sense to the world and his place in it。 "Whatever our individual faili Barry Lopez was an amazing person and beautiful writer。 This book of essays published after his death helps to explain how he became that person。 Like all of his work， it is partly autobiographical and in this book he details the sexual abuse he suffered as a young boy。 It is devastating to read， but he managed， with the help of therapy， to overcome it and become an incredibly empathic person who paid attention in the deepest sense to the world and his place in it。 "Whatever our individual failings might be， many of us in the end， I think， wish only this， to make some simple contribution。。。to be recalled as having done something worthy and dignified with our time。" The book is full of Lopez's insights: "It is more important to live for the possibilities that lie ahead than to die in despair over what has been lost。。。Only the misled can insist that heaven awaits the righteous while they watch the fires on Earth consume the only heaven we have ever known。" 。。。more
Maura
，
I’m not usually a reader of essay collections （though I want to be）， but I’m glad I read （listened to） these。 Barry Lopez lived an incredible life， traveling all over as a writer for National Geographic。 My main takeaways are 1） I have to go to the arctic and Antarctica before I die， 2） I should try to get a job with Nat Geo ASAP。 FYI: major trigger warning for descriptions of sexual assault of a child — mentioned in passing in various essays and then described in great detail in one of the late I’m not usually a reader of essay collections （though I want to be）， but I’m glad I read （listened to） these。 Barry Lopez lived an incredible life， traveling all over as a writer for National Geographic。 My main takeaways are 1） I have to go to the arctic and Antarctica before I die， 2） I should try to get a job with Nat Geo ASAP。 FYI: major trigger warning for descriptions of sexual assault of a child — mentioned in passing in various essays and then described in great detail in one of the later ones。 The essay that focused on it was hard to get through。 。。。more
Cassandra
，
Always enjoyable to read Lopez， a bit spotty but always brillant
Susan Tunis
，
4。5 stars。
Lea
，
Requested on Overdrive
Elaine
，
While reading the last three pages of this powerful book， I learned that a lovely friend had just passed。 I wasn't sure if I should write this review now or wait a few days until the emotions have settled in my heart。 I have chosen to finish this review so that I can tell you two things: #1。 It is a wonderful book， full of stories that made me want to always take a closer look at everything， just as I felt after reading "Arctic Dreams。" #2 - A warning -- the subject matter in the chapter， "a Sli While reading the last three pages of this powerful book， I learned that a lovely friend had just passed。 I wasn't sure if I should write this review now or wait a few days until the emotions have settled in my heart。 I have chosen to finish this review so that I can tell you two things: #1。 It is a wonderful book， full of stories that made me want to always take a closer look at everything， just as I felt after reading "Arctic Dreams。" #2 - A warning -- the subject matter in the chapter， "a Sliver of Sky" is quite serious and may not be suitable for all souls。 It is about the sexual abuse he experienced as a child。 My respect for him as a writer and person is more profound than ever。 。。。more
Francisco Valdes
，
Barry Lopez is a masterful writer。 You get drawn to his beautiful prose that kindles and stirs your feelings in a profound and meaningful wayThis， his last collection of essays is as clear-eyed and passionate and full of writing skills as anything he ever wrote。Barry Lopez will be really， really missed
Ula Tardigrade
，
Barry Lopez is one of my favorite writers。 I remember how anxious I was when I learned about his illness， how devastated when I heard about the wildfire that destroyed his home， and how I grieved when the news of his death came。 His Horizon is one of the most beautiful and profound books that I have ever read。 I am glad that he lived long enough to leave it behind as a gift for us all。 And here is another gift from him， the last one – this collection of his essays。It is a pleasure to be able onc Barry Lopez is one of my favorite writers。 I remember how anxious I was when I learned about his illness， how devastated when I heard about the wildfire that destroyed his home， and how I grieved when the news of his death came。 His Horizon is one of the most beautiful and profound books that I have ever read。 I am glad that he lived long enough to leave it behind as a gift for us all。 And here is another gift from him， the last one – this collection of his essays。It is a pleasure to be able once more to accompany him on his travels and be inspired by his writing。 I think that every fan of Barry Lopez will appreciate it but it can also be a good entry point for someone who doesn’t know his books and was perhaps intimidated by the sheer scale of Horizon， for example。 Thanks to this volume a reader can begin with small doses， relishing his words and getting to know him as a human。 Thanks to the publisher， Random House， and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book。 。。。more
Laura Rogers
，
Barry Lopez was a humanitarian， environmentalist， world traveler and a National Book Award winning writer。 His books （including Artic Dreams， Of Wolves and Men， Horizon， and Crossing Open Ground） have deservedly earned him something of a cult following。 His last book， Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World is a collection of essays， mostly about nature and culture with some personal stories （warning: includes sexual abuse）。 In all of his works Barry Lopez shared with us his spiritual reverence for Barry Lopez was a humanitarian， environmentalist， world traveler and a National Book Award winning writer。 His books （including Artic Dreams， Of Wolves and Men， Horizon， and Crossing Open Ground） have deservedly earned him something of a cult following。 His last book， Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World is a collection of essays， mostly about nature and culture with some personal stories （warning: includes sexual abuse）。 In all of his works Barry Lopez shared with us his spiritual reverence for the natural world and everything in it。 His expertise across disparate fields was remarkable。In Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World， Lopez is forthcoming about the dangers we are facing and reminds of us of the need to be better stewards of everything found in nature。 I particularly enjoyed his respectful portrayal of indigenous populations， recognizing all they have to offer in terms of wisdom and ways of being in the world。I highly recommend this beautiful memoir of a life well-lived， We can all benefit from following his example focusing on the journey rather than the destination and immersing ourselves in nature as often as possible。 Thank you to Random House for a drc。 。。。more
Nancy
，
When they first came out， I had read Barry Lopez’s award winning books Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape and Of Wolves and Men。 I knew the beauty and insight of Lopez’s writing， but had not read him in decades。Prepared by Lopez before his death， these essays include autobiographical accounts of his childhood that wrecked me。 He endured years of sexual abuse by a family friend。 And yet， his love of where he grew up never left him。 I understand the longing for one’s fir When they first came out， I had read Barry Lopez’s award winning books Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape and Of Wolves and Men。 I knew the beauty and insight of Lopez’s writing， but had not read him in decades。Prepared by Lopez before his death， these essays include autobiographical accounts of his childhood that wrecked me。 He endured years of sexual abuse by a family friend。 And yet， his love of where he grew up never left him。 I understand the longing for one’s first world， our natal landscape， and how it shapes us。You can never have the childhood again though the desire for the innocence of those days overwhelms you from time to time to time。 And then you learn to love what you have more than what you had。 Or thought you had。from Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World by Barry LopezRemarkably， he had considered entering the priesthood， inspired by Teilhard de Chardin， “leading a life of inquiry into secular and sacred mystery。” Then， he considered aeronautical engineering before turning to the arts as his major。 For which I am thankful， for his writing combines a reverence and deep insight into our connection to the world and each other。 His keen observation and scientific and historic and literary knowledge is married to spiritual depth and mysticism。Lopez asks us to pay attention。 “Each place it itself only， and nowhere repeated。 Miss it and it’s gone，” he wrote。 He traveled to eighty countries and in the essays he writes about how he went into the land to experience it wholly， becoming ‘intimate’ with the Earth。 He warns that understanding should not be our goal as much as experiencing， being present。 When I was young， when outdoors I would just stop and listen and watch， like an animal does。 After paying attention， and being patient， he asks us to be attentive。Lopez writes about ‘the failure to love’ evidenced all around us， the way we use and destroy the world and each other。 In light of warfare and all the social and political ills of our world， in light of the degradation of the environment， Lopez queries， “is it still possible to face the gathering darkness and say to the physical Earth， and to all its creatures， including ourselves， fiercely and without embarrassment， I love you， and to embrace fearlessly the burning world？”I was reminded again of the remarkable vision and gift of Barry Lopez。I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley。 My review is fair and unbiased。 。。。more
Dennis
，