Rayz Reviewz Volume 1, Number 14
This issue includes links to resources for nature and arts enthusiasts. The review focuses on The Lost Woods: The Discovered Writings of Rachael Carson. Previous editions of Rayz Reviewz are archived on Ray’s web page at https://www.rayzimmermanauthor.com/the-rains-come Please send your events and announcements to ray2z@outlook.com
Announcements
Barking Legs Theater has shown true innovation during trying times. Current offerings include a backyard concert by Ben van Winkle on July 23 https://barkinglegs.org/events/ On August 7, Barking Legs will offer a live stream with guitarist and composer Peppino D’Augustino. Drive in Dances are postponed for now.
Earth and Sky offers many features, including one on the Summer Triangle, not a constellation in its own right, but a pattern formed by the bright stars, Vega, Deneb, and Altair, each a star in Lyra, Cygnus, and Aquila respectively. Follow the link for a star map and look up (after dark, of course). Find full information at https://earthsky.org/ the Earth and Sky web page.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution continues plans for a virtual book festival this year. Their festival has been called the nation's largest independent book festival, with attendance as high as 80 thousand and taking place traditionally on Labor Day weekend. They are sponsoring several online author conversations https://decaturbookfestival.com/ this summer.
Bird Note https://www.birdnote.org/ offers a daily two-minute podcast with a brief story about birds. If you’re a real birdbrain, the web page has more in-depth information.
Poet Laureate Tracy Smith hosts a daily podcast on all things poetic. Visit “The Slowdown” https://www.slowdownshow.org/ for full information.
Star Date offers an informational web page https://stardate.org/ and a daily podcast for those who want to know more about astronomy.
Humanities Tennessee sponsors the Southern Festival of Books each year. The 2020 festival will be online, October 1-11. Expect a big reveal of the participating authors at their July 16 online event. .
Congratulations to The Chattanooga Writers Guild on receipt of a Cares grant via Humanities Tennessee. They have moved their meetings online for the present. See their web page for full information. They will announce winners of their recent writing contest on July15, Al winners will be included in this year’s edition of their anthology.
Shameless Self Promotion
I will present Nature’s Writing Workshop at Lula Lake on the morning of July 18. Attendance is limited to 10 participants with social distancing and masks required.
Not a Review
I am rereading portions of The Lost Woods: The Discovered Writings of Rachael Carson. Most of these works precede her publication of Silent Spring, and the book includes many lyric passages about oceans and shorelines.
Carson had studied at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and received a master's degree in zoology from Johns Hopkins before joining the U.S Fish and Wildlife Services and rising to be the person in charge of all publications. Her book, The Sea around us was the basis for a documentary film and launched her literary career, reviving interest in her earlier work Under the Sea Wind.
The Lost Woods includes the text of her remarks on receipt of the National Book Award and her speech on receiving the John Burroughs medal, the most prestigious award for a nature author. Carson later alerted the public to the dangers of the indiscriminate use of pesticides and was promptly attacked by representatives of the pesticide industry and their political allies. Those attacks continue today.
A few years ago, I wrote an article about Rachael Carson for the Hellbender Press of Knoxville, Tennessee. Following is a copy of the sidebar published with that article. It lists works by and about Rachael Carson.
Sidebar - Works by and About Rachel Carson
Under the Sea Wind
Simon and Schuster, 1941
Oxford University Press, 1952
This book was initially well received. Shortly after its issue, the United States entered World War II, and promotion of the book was cut short. It was reissued after publication of the Sea Around Us.
The Sea Around Us
Oxford University Press, 1951
This book established Rachael Carson’s literary career. Income from the book allowed her to resign her position at the US Fish and Wildlife Service and become a full-time writer. Some of her most stunning prose appears in this book.
The Edge of the Sea
Houghton – Mifflin, 1955
This book is a tour of the Atlantic coast. A chapter is devoted to each of three types of shorelines, specifically “The Rocky Shore,” “The Rim of Sand,” and “The Coral Coast. “
Silent Spring
Houghton – Mifflin, 1962
This book alerted the nation to the dangers of the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Business interests immediately attacked it, and an unrelenting smear campaign has continued into the present day. The book continues to sell approximately 25,000 copies per year.
The Sense of Wonder
Harper and Row, 1965 (posthumous)
This book began as a magazine article; “Help your Child to Wonder,” published in The Women’s Home Companion. Miss Carson’s death cut short her plan to expand the article into a book length text. The published book contains the text from the article and photographs by Charles Pratt.
Lost Woods: The Discovered Writings of Rachel Carson
Edited by Linda Lear
Beacon Press, Boston, 1998
This book contains speeches, articles, and letters, many of which are otherwise not currently available elsewhere.
Always, Rachel: The letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman, 1952 - 1964
Edited by Martha Freeman
Beacon Press, Boston, 1995
Turning the Tide, How Rachel Carson Became a Woman of Letters
William Louis Howarth
American Scholar, Volume 74, Issue 3
Not So Fast With the DDT: Rachel Carson’s Warnings still Apply
Reed Karaim
American Scholar, Volume 74, Issue 3
The House of Life: Rachel Carson at Work
Paul Brooks
Houghton Mifflin Company, 1972
Mr. Brooks was Miss Carson’s Editor, and well-qualified to describe the author and her work.
Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature
Linda Lear
Henry Holt, 1997
This book is a biography by the editor of The Lost Woods. The depth of research essential for this project obviously involved a substantial investment of time and effort on the part of the author.
This issue includes links to resources for nature and arts enthusiasts. The review focuses on The Lost Woods: The Discovered Writings of Rachael Carson. Previous editions of Rayz Reviewz are archived on Ray’s web page at https://www.rayzimmermanauthor.com/the-rains-come Please send your events and announcements to ray2z@outlook.com
Announcements
Barking Legs Theater has shown true innovation during trying times. Current offerings include a backyard concert by Ben van Winkle on July 23 https://barkinglegs.org/events/ On August 7, Barking Legs will offer a live stream with guitarist and composer Peppino D’Augustino. Drive in Dances are postponed for now.
Earth and Sky offers many features, including one on the Summer Triangle, not a constellation in its own right, but a pattern formed by the bright stars, Vega, Deneb, and Altair, each a star in Lyra, Cygnus, and Aquila respectively. Follow the link for a star map and look up (after dark, of course). Find full information at https://earthsky.org/ the Earth and Sky web page.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution continues plans for a virtual book festival this year. Their festival has been called the nation's largest independent book festival, with attendance as high as 80 thousand and taking place traditionally on Labor Day weekend. They are sponsoring several online author conversations https://decaturbookfestival.com/ this summer.
Bird Note https://www.birdnote.org/ offers a daily two-minute podcast with a brief story about birds. If you’re a real birdbrain, the web page has more in-depth information.
Poet Laureate Tracy Smith hosts a daily podcast on all things poetic. Visit “The Slowdown” https://www.slowdownshow.org/ for full information.
Star Date offers an informational web page https://stardate.org/ and a daily podcast for those who want to know more about astronomy.
Humanities Tennessee sponsors the Southern Festival of Books each year. The 2020 festival will be online, October 1-11. Expect a big reveal of the participating authors at their July 16 online event. .
Congratulations to The Chattanooga Writers Guild on receipt of a Cares grant via Humanities Tennessee. They have moved their meetings online for the present. See their web page for full information. They will announce winners of their recent writing contest on July15, Al winners will be included in this year’s edition of their anthology.
Shameless Self Promotion
I will present Nature’s Writing Workshop at Lula Lake on the morning of July 18. Attendance is limited to 10 participants with social distancing and masks required.
Not a Review
I am rereading portions of The Lost Woods: The Discovered Writings of Rachael Carson. Most of these works precede her publication of Silent Spring, and the book includes many lyric passages about oceans and shorelines.
Carson had studied at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and received a master's degree in zoology from Johns Hopkins before joining the U.S Fish and Wildlife Services and rising to be the person in charge of all publications. Her book, The Sea around us was the basis for a documentary film and launched her literary career, reviving interest in her earlier work Under the Sea Wind.
The Lost Woods includes the text of her remarks on receipt of the National Book Award and her speech on receiving the John Burroughs medal, the most prestigious award for a nature author. Carson later alerted the public to the dangers of the indiscriminate use of pesticides and was promptly attacked by representatives of the pesticide industry and their political allies. Those attacks continue today.
A few years ago, I wrote an article about Rachael Carson for the Hellbender Press of Knoxville, Tennessee. Following is a copy of the sidebar published with that article. It lists works by and about Rachael Carson.
Sidebar - Works by and About Rachel Carson
Under the Sea Wind
Simon and Schuster, 1941
Oxford University Press, 1952
This book was initially well received. Shortly after its issue, the United States entered World War II, and promotion of the book was cut short. It was reissued after publication of the Sea Around Us.
The Sea Around Us
Oxford University Press, 1951
This book established Rachael Carson’s literary career. Income from the book allowed her to resign her position at the US Fish and Wildlife Service and become a full-time writer. Some of her most stunning prose appears in this book.
The Edge of the Sea
Houghton – Mifflin, 1955
This book is a tour of the Atlantic coast. A chapter is devoted to each of three types of shorelines, specifically “The Rocky Shore,” “The Rim of Sand,” and “The Coral Coast. “
Silent Spring
Houghton – Mifflin, 1962
This book alerted the nation to the dangers of the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Business interests immediately attacked it, and an unrelenting smear campaign has continued into the present day. The book continues to sell approximately 25,000 copies per year.
The Sense of Wonder
Harper and Row, 1965 (posthumous)
This book began as a magazine article; “Help your Child to Wonder,” published in The Women’s Home Companion. Miss Carson’s death cut short her plan to expand the article into a book length text. The published book contains the text from the article and photographs by Charles Pratt.
Lost Woods: The Discovered Writings of Rachel Carson
Edited by Linda Lear
Beacon Press, Boston, 1998
This book contains speeches, articles, and letters, many of which are otherwise not currently available elsewhere.
Always, Rachel: The letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman, 1952 - 1964
Edited by Martha Freeman
Beacon Press, Boston, 1995
Turning the Tide, How Rachel Carson Became a Woman of Letters
William Louis Howarth
American Scholar, Volume 74, Issue 3
Not So Fast With the DDT: Rachel Carson’s Warnings still Apply
Reed Karaim
American Scholar, Volume 74, Issue 3
The House of Life: Rachel Carson at Work
Paul Brooks
Houghton Mifflin Company, 1972
Mr. Brooks was Miss Carson’s Editor, and well-qualified to describe the author and her work.
Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature
Linda Lear
Henry Holt, 1997
This book is a biography by the editor of The Lost Woods. The depth of research essential for this project obviously involved a substantial investment of time and effort on the part of the author.
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