Current: Essays on the Passing of Time in the Woods

by Robert McGowan, Jeffrey Stoner (Photographs)

Having spent his entire life exploring the woods and hills of Tennessee, writer and artist Robert McGowan wrote these short essays to pay homage to the natural world he so loved. In essays such as "Bee," "Beetle," and "Turtles," McGowan marvels at the curious behaviors of small creatures. In "Tops," "Fences," and "Maple," he writes about trees-young trees he has seen grow and old trees he has watched rot and disappear into the earth. Be it animals, trees, ferns, flowers, or rocks, McGowan passionately and tenderly recounts his close observations of nature, often wondering about the woods of olden time and imagining the woods of tomorrow. The fine, unbreakable thread that winds through the book is the passing of time-life in the woods begins, grows, and dies. Through it all, McGowan shows the reader he is a man sustained by his sense of peace and contentment, for he knows that despite his concerns about yesterday and tomorrow, "there is only the current." The beautiful photography of Jeffrey Stoner adds vibrance and vitality to this inspiring collection of nature essays.

120 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2013