Environmental and Nature Writing: A Writer's Guide and Anthology

Bloomsbury Writer's Guides and Anthologies

by Sean Prentiss, Joe Wilkins

Offering guidance on writing poetry, nonfiction, and fiction, Environmental and Nature Writing is a complete introduction to the art and craft of writing about the environment in a wide range of genres. With discussion questions and writing prompts throughout, Environmental and Nature Writing: A Writers' Guide and Anthology covers such topics as:

· The history of writing about the environment
· Image, description and metaphor
· Environmental journalism, poetry, and fiction
· Researching, revising and publishing
· Styles of nature writing, from discovery to memoir to polemic

The book also includes an anthology, offering inspiring examples of nature writing in all of the genres covered by the book, including work by: John Daniel, Camille T. Dungy, David Gessner, Jennifer Lunden, Erik Reece, David Treuer, Bonnie Jo Campbell, Alyson Hagy, Bonnie Nadzam, Lydia Peelle, Benjamin Percy, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Nikky Finney, Juan Felipe Herrera, Major Jackson, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, G.E. Patterson, Natasha Trethewey, and many more.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Nature, Environment

400 pages, Hardcover

First published November 17, 2016

About the author

Sean Prentiss is the author of Finding Abbey: A Search for Edward Abbey and His Hidden Desert Grave, which won the National Outdoor Book Award. He is also the author of Crosscut: Poems. He is the co-editor of two anthologies about creative nonfiction, The Science of Story and The Far Edges of the Fourth Genre. He is the co-author of Environmental and Nature Writer: A Writer's Guide and Anthology. Forthcoming is Advanced Creative Nonfiction: A Writer's Guide and Anthology.

Reviews

[Wendy Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing advice in this will be very useful for any writer just starting to write--in any genre. There is some advice and exercises more tailored to environmental/nature writing, and they are very interesting (and also probably very useful to writers across the board). The real standout in this book, though, is the fantastic selection of essays in the mini-anthology. Worth the price for these selections alone!

[Julius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jedes Kapitel hat die Elemente Relevant readings (alle im Anhang, unterteilt in Creative Nonfiction, Fiction und Poetry), eine free write Übung, ein Beispiel von einem der Autoren und dann Erklärungen, zum Beispiel anhand einer Deutung des Beispiels.

Wie der Titel verrät, geht es in diesem Buch ums selber schreiben von Nature und Environmental Writing. Es gibt sicherlich strukturiertere Bücher zum kreativen Schreiben sowie solche zur Geschichte der Kategorie. In der Verbindung, gerade mit den Texten der beiden Autoren selber, ist es aber nett zu lesen und gut nachzuvollziehen. Da Gefühl von fehlender Vollständigkeit nervt mich aber.

[Bryanna Plog · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introductory text to improve one's nature writing. I enjoyed the background information, suggestions, cited examples, and more this book offers. The anthology was also great though thought the fiction section was not as relevant to more nature writing than the nonfiction and poetry sections. I read this book by myself, but it might be even more valuable as part of a writer's group or class.

[A. _____ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most “textbook” like writing book I’ve read lately. The book has a lot of interesting insights, but I’m afraid the format is a bit lost on me. I couldn’t work with it as a textbook, stopping to do the writing exercises before getting to the discussion. I’m sure I’ve missed some valuable lessons by not using it the way it’s meant to be used. I hope I can revisit it (properly) sometime soon.

[Joy Reinbold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-named. This really is a great introduction to environmental and nature writing. I'd recommend this for your college classroom! I felt like it was a very effective textbook.

[Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Stephen King's On Writing, this is the most useful book I have read to hone my craft. Read for my Nature Writing Class.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great guide for any writer--inclusive, diverse, and a great selection of works and exercises. I use this book as text for the Nature Writing course I teach.

[Kay Miller Temple · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an unexpected joy! I appreciated not only its "how-to-write-well" advice, but the specific, clear approach to nature and environmental writing. Regarding the former, I think it's one of the best in that category.

I read a lot of books, but re-read but few. You'll likely be able to assume that by looking at my bookshelf for those few that appear to be loved.