Sundial of the Seasons

by Hal Borland

A selection of outdoor editorials from The New York Times.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

344 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Harold Glen Borland was a nature journalist. During World War II he wrote radio programs for the government and served as special magazine correspondent. He had written several documentary movies, two volumes of poetry, a volume of essays, has collaborated on a play, and has contributed many non-fiction articles, short stories and novelettes to leading magazines here and abroad.

Mr. Borland was graduated from the Columbia School of Journalism. He also attended the University of Colorado and received a Litt.D. from there in 1944.

Reviews

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional volume. Borland wrote short essays daily on nature for the NYT for many years and this is a collection of 365 of those that can be read as musings each day. His love of the physical world and his ability to express himself in almost pure poetry are rewarding to the reader. I obtained this through an inter-library loan and knew I didn't want to turn it in so I began a search for my own copy. It is out of print, so I was able to find a used copy but there are few to be had. Although I live in a region that experiences winter on a milder basis than his home of Connecticut, I have always admired the northern winters from afar, and those who endure them and enjoy them. The other seasons are also rewarding subjects when handled by Hal Borland. If you can find a copy you will be smiling, too.

[Briget Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read this volume again. My mother had several of Hal Borland's nature books, and I loved to read them years ago. This one held up to the test of time. Beautiful nature writing, and takes me back to my youth--wandering and exploring the woods and meadows and old country backroads in rural Pennsylvania. His vivid, descriptive, and almost poetical nature observations soothe my soul. Nature never disappoints.

I'll be reading more of his books.

[Sarah Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being one who grew up near the equator I am still becoming intimate with the four seasons. This book gives such elaborate descriptions to feed my nature loving soul. I was also unaware of how many fun facts I would come away from the text with. Hal Borland has an observant eye, a witty nature, and a poetic grace. I would love someone to now take it upon themselves to add illustrations!

[Leslie Ferrari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this more or less daily over a year. I did a good bit of traveling in March and did not take it with me, so I'm late finishing. A nice little essay each day about nature.

[Peter Strauss · Rating 3 out of 5]

For many years, The New York Times editorial page ran brief mediations on our passages through the natural world to which we are rooted. Each day, these essays brought balance to the paper's views on the fraught issues of the day by taking the reader away to a more fundamental perspective on the life we pass through. For many years these pieces were written by Hal Borland.

In this volume, Borland reprises one of his mediations for each season, month and day of the year (though the vignettes themselves appeared throughout his career at the Times). Through this time in his life, Borland owned a country farm far removed from the likes of our factory farms today. It is from that life, and observations on the natural world, that his essays are drawn. What he has made is in effect a day book meant to remind us that in every day there are occasions for taking a longer view of our condition and our history.

I have several quibbles, however. Some of his observations are made repeatedly: for instance he seems to hear haunted, plaintive barks from unseen foxes frequently. The next has to do with language. Believe me I am not one of the language police, and these writings come from the 1940'-1960's, but ...

Now is the time when the countryman has the country to himself....[A] man has time to survey his
his world and understand his own place in it

Man needs to know these things .....

The countryman realizes that snow nourishes and protects his fields ... and even helps to insulate
his house and barns .....

This used to be the season when the farmer did his chores...

Farm work couldn't be done without [the kerosene lantern]. The farm wife knew it well. She saw
that its tank was kept filled with kerosene, that the wick was trimmed....She hated it but
respected it.

It's not that I want to judge the language's commonplaces from decades ago. But the use of the term 'man' to stand for human being, the use of 'he' and 'his' to stand for what any individual might do or own ( for me at least ) clangs, and repeatedly ; for the work is replete with the generic male construction. I don't judge the author on this basis, it's just that I feel distracted by my unavoidable response. It's as if someone is hiccuping beside you while you read. In this work, this aspect of the author's language is frequent annoyance.

And while we may think this bit of male hubris is insignificant, look at the 'countryman's' good little wife. Isn't she a big help.

[Lori Holladay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful descriptions of nature