Coming Up with north cascades institute....

The nature of writing series * winter 2012

As the days grow shorter and nights longer, head into winter with new books that explore and celebrate the natural wonders of the world! Join Village Books and North Cascades Institute in welcoming Institute instructors to Bellingham to share their latest works. From intrepid explorers to mountaineers, cairns to the interconnectedness of nature, you'll learn more about our wondrous planet through the voices of our country's most gifted nature interpreters.

David Douglas: A Naturalist at Work with Jack Nisbet, November 9

Nick O'Connell's The Storms of Denali, November 30

The Tangled Bank: Writings from Orion with Robert Michael Pyle, December 7

David Williams' Cairns: Messengers in Stone, December 11

All readings are free and take place at 7 pm at the Readings Gallery at Village Books, 1200 11 Street, Bellingham.

David Douglas: A Naturalist at Work

A reading by Jack Nisbet

Teacher, naturalist & winner of the 2010 Pacific Northwest Book Award

Friday, November 9

From Jack Nisbet, author of the award-winning bestseller The Collector comes David Douglas, a Naturalist at Work. This gorgeous hardcover volume delves into the Pacific Northwest explorations of celebrated botanist David Douglas. During a meteoric career that spanned from 1825 to 1834, Douglas made the first systematic collections of flora and fauna over many parts of the greater Pacific Northwest. Despite his early death, colleagues in Great Britain attached the Douglas name to more than 80 different species, including the iconic timber tree of the region.

David Douglas, a Naturalist at Work is a colorfully illustrated collection of essays that examines various aspects of Douglas's career, demonstrating the connections between his work in the Pacific Northwest of the 19th century and the place we know today. From the Columbia River's perilous bar to luminous blooms of mountain wildflowers; from ever-changing frontiers of technology to the quiet seasonal rhythms of tribal families gathering roots, these essays collapse time to shed light on the people and landscapes as David Douglas first saw them.

Jack Nisbet is a teacher, naturalist, and nonfiction writer who focuses on the intersection of human and natural history in the Pacific Northwest. His award-winning books include the essay collection Visible Bones, the short stories of Purple Flat Top, and treatments of contact-era explorers David Thompson (Sources of the River) and David Douglas (The Collector).

Nick O’Connell’s The Storms of Denali

Friday, November 30

A disaster epic in the tradition of Into Thin Air and The Perfect Storm, Institute writing instructor Nick O’Connell’s first novel follows four young men as they attempt to climb a new route on the highest and coldest summit in North America. They battle avalanches, fierce winds, and mind-numbing cold to ascend a classic new line up the south face. Like Into Thin Air, The Storms of Denali includes expert descriptions of the climbing, allowing non-climbers to understand and identify with what’s happening on the mountain. It features sharply-etched portraits of the team members and gives full and vivid treatment to these characters — their strengths, weaknesses and how they combine into a volatile mix on one of the most dangerous mountains in the world.

O’Connell is the author of three nonfiction books: On Sacred Ground: The Spirit of Place in Pacific Northwest Literature, Beyond Risk: Conversations with Climbers and At the Field’s End: Interviews with 22 Pacific Northwest Writers. He contributes to National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Hooked on the Outdoors, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sierra, Rock + Ice, and is an experienced climber with ascents of Denali, Mt. Rainier, the Matterhorn, Mt. Blanc, the Marmolada and Island Peak in the Himalayas.

The Tangled Bank: Writings from Orion

A reading by Robert Michael Pyle

Author, teacher, naturalist & lepidopterist

Friday, December 7, 7 pm

In The Tangled Bank, Robert Michael Pyle explores Charles Darwin’s contention that the elements of such a bank, and by extension all the living world, are endlessly interesting and ever evolving. Pyle’s “Tangled Bank” column appeared in fifty-two consecutive issues of Orion and Orion Afield magazines over eleven years. In each concise piece, Pyle refutes “the idea that the world is a boring place,” sharing his meticulous observations of the fascinating details of the living earth.

Free presentation at the Readings Gallery at Village Books, 1200 11th St, Bellingham. No advanced tickets required.

David Williams’ Cairns: Messengers in Stone

Tuesday, December 11, 7 pm

Writing messages with rocks is an ancient gesture that continues to speak to our imaginations. In Cairns: Messengers in Stone, Institute geology instructor David Williams explores the history of cairns — those seemingly random stacks of rock — from the moors of Scotland, the pathways of Iceland, all the way to the peaks of the Himalaya. For thousands of years, cairns have been used by people to connect to the landscape and communicate with others, and are often an essential guide to travelers. These manmade rock piles can indicate a trail, mark a grave, serve as an altar or shrine, reveal property boundaries or sacred hunting grounds, and even predict astronomical activity.  Hikers, climbers, travelers, gardeners and nature buffs alike will delight in this quirky, captivating collection of stories.

David Williams is a freelance natural history writer and author of The Street-Smart Naturalist: Field Notes from the City and the highly-praised Stories in Stone: Travels Through Urban Geology. His work has appeared in Smithsonian, Popular Mechanics, California Wild and High Country News, and he is a contributing writer for Earth magazine. An avid hiker, biker, and former national park ranger in Utah and Boston, Williams currently lives with his wife in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. Visit him online at www.geologywriter.com.