Self-Portrait with Turtles: A Memoir

by David M. Carroll

Self-Portrait with Turtles is a book in the spirit of Walden and Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, but it is also unique, as David Carroll himself is. Driven by a passion for art and turtles, Carroll has lived a Walden-like life for decades, although he is married, with family. In Self-Portrait he tells the story of that remarkable life. He writes about his early encounters with turtles, which led to a lifelong fascination with them and their swampy habitats, and about the high school teacher who told him that, contrary to everything he had been taught before, art is the only thing that matters, the only thing that lasts. During his years at art school in Boston, he got to know the turtles of the Fenway, including one giant snapper he wrestled to shore and carried to his studio for a portrait session. After a brief career as a teacher, Carroll has spent decades scraping out a living as an artist and naturalist, raising three children on a shoestring with his artist wife.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 11, 2004

Reviews

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Carroll won the John Burroughs medal, the highest award for nature writers, for his book Swampwalker's Journal. This book is a combination of art book, nature stories, and memoir. Didn't need as much memoir, but I loved the nature stories, mostly about turtles. I totally identified with the author because the first job I ever wanted as a boy was to be a herpetologist. I just didn't follow through. So this was a vicarious experience for me about what might have been.

Making pets of wild animals can be very destructive. That includes pet stores. Hopefully, you are not supporting the industry that encourages the capturing and often the death of our declining wildlife. Like Mr. Carroll, I learned that lesson when I was young. It takes someone to tell us to keep wild animals in the wild.

Saving land for "open space" often is as destructive as developing it. Between joggers, dog owners, snowmobilers, and just about anyone else, the end result is often the same. We need to preserve wild lands for the wildlife. They become "ecological and spiritual graveyards."

Since box turtles live on land, their habitat has been destroyed. They are also easy to catch for pets. All of the places I saw box turtles as a boy are gone.

As we watch extinction take place slowly before our eyes, do we see our own?

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I'm not the audience for this book?
I had a hard time really enjoying it much aside from the last chapter (which was gorgeously written and felt like it brought the rest of the memoir full-circle in a lovely way). I think because I'm not necessarily very interested in nature, it just wasn't very appealing to me, and I'd expected the book to explore Carroll as an artist in his process but it focused heavily on his love for nature. This made sense, but I just wish I'd gotten to see more connection to his creative work. Like, *why* the interest in turtles? *Why* the constant documentation of them and desire to create art and write about them? The final chapter is where I got a better answer to those why's, which is great! But I wish there had been more breadcrumbs leading me to that final thought, keeping me invested. I don't think I would've finished this if not for wanting to give the book the benefit of the doubt. I'm glad I did, but I still just didn't really enjoy it.

[Rusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a peaceful and charming read about an individual's love of those areas that nurture turtles. The author is an artist whose connection to the wet areas around him are a necessary part of his life. I found this reading incredible relaxing and I pictured myself walking beside the author as he searched for his beloved turtles. Carroll won the John Burroughs Medal for Best Natural History of the Year for Swampwalker's Journal: A Wetlands Year which I added to my WL because of the joy I found in this book.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carroll's autobiography reads like a more contemporary Walden. Carroll retells his life story in relation to his study turtles, which started at a very young age, art, and nature preservation. Picked up this book when his works were on display in a Manchester, NH art gallery. Little did I know at the time, that I would relocate to the central part of New Hampshire where Carroll currently lives. This was a good introduction to his work, and I fully plan on reading his wet sneakers series.

[Laura Craner · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, I really didn't get this book. When it comes to nature writing I always struggle with the lack of human story. I think that our environments/ecologies and our lives are inextricably bound so it is weird to me that nature writers separate them. Carroll was no exception. Also, he had a paragraph supporting "Zero population" and, well, good little Mormon that I am, that phrase set off all sorts of alarms in my brain :)

[JodiP · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose if I'd been in a different mood, this book would ahve been fine. However, I found after reading the jacket, the intro, and the first chapter, the story did n't draw me in. He gets obsessed with turtles as a child, becomes a naturalist and lives this amazing life with his family, all of whom do nature-relatied artistry. Got it.

[Patsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, but I also LOVE turtles! The funny thing is I hardly ever see them. So it was nice to read about someone who was fortunate enough to grow up seeing and searching for them, studying them, and drawing them so detailed!

I think you'd probably have to be a turtle lover to love this book. But I think it is also a great memoir!

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful art.

[Maryanne]

Self-portrait with turtles : 04112010 a memoir by Carroll, David M.