Writing Wild: Women Poets, Ramblers, and Mavericks Who Shape How We See the Natural World

by Kathryn Aalto

In Writing Wild, Kathryn Aalto celebrates 25 women, both historical and current, whose influential writing helps deepen our connection to and understanding of the natural world. These inspiring wordsmiths are scholars, spiritual seekers, conservationists, scientists, novelists, and explorers. They defy easy categorization, yet they all share a bold authenticity that makes their work both distinct and universal. 

Featured writers include:
Dorothy Wordsworth, Susan Fenimore Cooper, Gene Stratton-Porter, Mary Austin, and Vita Sackville-West, Nan Shepherd, Rachel Carson, Mary Oliver, Carolyn Merchant, and Annie Dillard, Gretel Ehrlich, Leslie Marmon Silko, Diane Ackerman, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Lauret Savoy, Rebecca Solnit, Kathleen Jamie, Carolyn Finney, Helen Macdonald, and Saci Lloyd, Andrea Wulf, Camille T. Dungy, Elena Passarello, Amy Liptrot, and Elizabeth Rush.

Part travel essay, literary biography, and cultural history, Writing Wild ventures into the landscapes and lives of extraordinary writers and encourages a new generation of women to pick up their pens, head outdoors, and start writing wild.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Poetry, Essays, Writing, Feminism, Womens

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2020

About the author

Kathryn Aalto is a writer, designer, historian and lecturer. For the past twenty-five years, her focus has been on places where nature and culture intersect: teaching literature of nature and place, designing gardens, and writing about the natural world. Her work explores historic and horticultural themes with a contemporary twist. She is the author of The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh: A Walk Through the Forest that Inspired the Hundred Acre Wood (2015) and Nature and Human Intervention (2011).

Reviews

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this was a pleasure - short profiles of women writing about science, nature, the environment - from a wide range of time periods, backgrounds, etc. I had read quite a few of the women (some are favorites close to my heart - Annie Dillard, Mary Oliver, etc) but still my TBR grew exponentially!

For each writer profiled, there is an overview, at least one excerpt, an artistic rendering of her face, and a bibliography. Often short lists of additional similar writers finishes a longer profile.

Originally this was slated to come out April 14 from Timber Press, who provided me an eARC in NetGalley, but is now coming out in June.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me this was an extended bibliography that was well written. Aalto briefly introduces women nature writers dating back as far as Dorothy Wordsworth and including some of our most contemporary English language women writers.

After reading this I feel encouraged to revisit some golden oldies such as Vita Sackville-West and Mary Austin. I was surprised to be introduced to so many writers old and new that I haven’t heard of before.

This is a good jumping off point with just enough information to get one started.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poet, Rambler, Maverick. Wouldn't that make a great epitaph?

I love when books live up to their titles and cover art. This nonfiction read contains mini biographies of women who have shaped how we see the natural world. Each mini section starts with an illustration of a woman and has excerpts from her writing. There are also pages after each section with complete lists of her works, or lists of other women to look up.

I loved dipping in and out of this collection. Turns out the men known for their nature writing - I'm looking at you Thoreau - were preceded by women nature writers. Why am I not surprised? Most of the women were not ones I'd heard about, and since I returned my copy to the library, will need to get a personal copy so I can refer back to all the women and books referenced. The only reason this didn't get the additional star is that I wasn't as keen on the parts that were memoir - this new trend of authors inserting themselves into non-fiction books is not one I am on board with. That's what the introduction or appendix is for, just my opinion. Still, it's a light enough touch here.

If you are interested in the natural world, and how women, past and present, write about it, I'd highly recommend this one.

[Flybyreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received an advanced readers copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

I have to admit I am a sucker for pastoral themes as a born and raised city girl.
I have never been a green thumb, living so isolated from mother nature and I feel like I have completely severed my connection with the earth.
My observation skills are deeply curbed by the hectic life I lead and this book has opened up a window I've been avoiding for some time. I loved the way Kathryn Aalto created this book and I am dumbfounded by the way poets and authors observed the nature and environment. They really see the beauty of nature and have a keen eye on everything that is alive around us. These women whisper to trees, to bushes, flowers and mountains, read the nature, understand their environment while I stand still, perceptions weakened by concrete, blind and deaf to all signs of the earth.
Here we have a collection of strong female authors and poets, who derive their power from nature itself.
I have to admit I am quite ignorant when it comes to poetry but this book has opened up a new path for me. Leaving behind my prejudices, I have learned a lot, started enjoying poetry and prose on nature more and my TBR list has grown after reading this.

Interesting highlights from the book:

*Susan Fenimore Cooper wrote “Rural Hours” 4 years before Thoureau’s Walden, which is inaccurately considered as the first book of American nature writing. (Suck it Thoureau, women have conquered that field much earlier than you had even though you get the credit) (P.S. It came as a shock to learn that she is also the author of the timeless classic “The Last of the Mohicans.” Way to go Cooper!
*Gene Stratton-Porter, whom I’ve never heard of before, is apparantly the J. K. Rowling of the previous century in terms of fame as the author compares the two by saying “whose bestselling books are not set in a school of witchcraft and wizardry but in an Indiana swamp.” Hilarious!
*Vita Sackville-West, of whom I’ve never heard before, is the muse of Virginia Woolf and the inspiration behind Orlando, which is one of my favorite books. Enlightened by the connection and a new meaning attributed to the novel itself. West has produced brilliant examples of garden writing and plants.
*I am awestruck by Nan Shepherd, the author of “The Living Mountain”. She describes mountaineering as a journey into Being and says “Often the mountain gives itself most completely when I have no destination but have gone out merely with the mountain as one visits a friend, with no intention but to be with him”.
*The book written by Rachel Carson, “Silent Spring” on nature and pesticides was quoted by the POTUS Kennedy on a press conference, I mean how cool is that?
*The biggest hit of the book is the moment when I got introduced to Rebecca Solnit. I am in love with her right now and want to read everything that she’s written.

[PVLD Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women writing about nature, gardens environmental justice, climate change, bird and animal life. The first lines of the book -- "When I was a child, I ran away from home a lot..."This is goodbye," I would lisp-whisper to my parents." 25 female nature writers are profiled and their own words shared. Many other writers and their writing is shared at the end of each profile. Fabulous reading on women and nature.

Reviewed by Librarian Deb. Find it at the library here.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I returned this book today, one of my coworkers brought it to me and was like "Have you seen this?" I'm glad this is my reputation. The second I saw it I also knew it was right up my alley. Especially when I saw there was a chapter about Mary Oliver. <3

I came out of this book with a hefty reading list that I'm excited about!

[Melanie Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing Wild by landscape-designer Kathryn Aalto is a field guide to 25 influential British and North American female nature writers. Among them: scientists, poets, novelists, explorers, gardeners, and journalists. Aalto describes the context within which they wrote, and key works, influences, and legacies. Chapters are illustrated with writer portraits and include excerpts from their texts. Prepare to be heart-broken by Kathleen Jamie’s poem At the end of my winter.

For Kathryn Aalto, the “beating heart of the nature-writing genre” is the personal essay - and many of the chapters begin with an exploration of the writer's natural habitat: combing the undergrowth for a Mary Oliver pencil; pottering in Vita Sackville-West’s garden, and ascending Scafell Pike in Wordsworth country - Dorothy, that is. There are pretty passages with wild honeysuckle and sassafras, and serious passages on racial and gender heritage.

Writing Wild has put at least half-a-dozen new writers on my radar and in particular has inspired me to read Diane Ackerman, Kathleen Jamie, and Elizabeth Rush. Other writers examined include Gretel Ehrlich, Carolyn Finney, Helen Macdonald, Rebecca Solnit, and Annie Dillard.

Writing Wild is an informative introduction for those looking to discover the best of women’s environmental narrative nonfiction, cli-fi, and nature-inspired prose and poetry. It’s also a reminder to be well-read regarding contemporary social and climate issues. Lovely design details as well.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This enjoyable book travels in the classic manner from historical to recent times, then to present day. We meet women writers, poets, scientists, naturalists - all are nature lovers and some devote their lives to nature writing.

I was pleased to read the backgrounds of those I knew, and to meet those I didn't know. I recommend this book to anyone interested in nature study, literature, the environmental movement or just good reads. The drawings of the writers are also lovely and the artist is German, which may play a part in a German writer being featured. Otherwise the ladies are mainly from UK or America. Maybe find an Irish writer next time?

I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

[Megan Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

I now have about 50 more books to read because of reading this book, but I don’t even mind. It was fun to read someone else’s awe and likewise appreciation of some of my favorite authors.

[Chrystopher’s Archive · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a bit rounded down.

This is a great book. It is to women nature writers what I really wanted Monster, She Wrote to be to women horror writers. Detailed profiles with lengthy direct quotes and some deep analysis combines really well with the author's smart, conversational tone that makes the book feel much more personal and immediate. My TBR has become the richer for it.

An excellent and diverse collection of writers from the past to the present.

[Julie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

From this book I’ve expanded my reading list of females writing about the natural world enough to last my lifetime. I’m seriously excited to read about 50 writers that are new to me. Although it focuses on American and British writers it is diverse in race representation, topics, and genres.

I liked the writing and voice of Kathryn Aalto too. I hope to see more of her writing in the future.

[Janisse Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I assumed this was an anthology. So I was super-surprised to find that Kathryn Aalto has written short biographies of 22 (I think) women nature writers. I wish I were one of those that she visited! (Kathryn, take this as an invitation for your next volume. Please come see me and I'll take you to some gorgeous swampy southern places.)

I very much admire all of those women writers that are featured, especially Nan Shepherd, my favorite of favorites! And I am very honored that she gave my work a shout-out.

This volume is long overdue. Thank heavens Kathryn is forcing all of us to focus on women in this male-dominated field.

I wish so much that Kathryn had the space to feature even more women writing about nature, especially Willa Cather and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Also Joni Tevis, Susan Cerulean, Linda Hogan, and so so many more.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* rounded up to 4*

I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, but I do enjoy reading books about nature, so Writing Wild appealed to me. Kathryn Aalto’s reason for writing her book was to highlight what these 25 women writers have written, their historical significance and the barriers, biases and bullying they overcame to write. It covers two hundred years of women’s history through nature writing, including natural history, environmental philosophy, country life, scientific writing, garden arts, memoirs and meditations and does not aim to dismiss men’s contributions. Gisela Goppel’s portraits of each writer head each chapter. Aalto writes an introduction to each writer and includes excerpts of prose, poems and essays with added recommendations for further reading, plus a list of sources and an index.

Predominantly American and British, some of these women writers are familiar to me, such as Dorothy Wordsworth, Vita Sackville West, Nan Shepherd, Rachel Carson, Mary Oliver, Annie Dillard and Helen Macdonald. Others are new to me, but I would like to read several of their works, such as Andrea Wulf’s book The Brother Gardeners in which she explores how England became a nation of gardeners. Wulf, a design historian, writes horticultural and historical history through narrative nonfiction, borrowing techniques from fiction to make nonfiction come alive. Elena Passarello’s Animals Strike Curious Poses essay collection, which Aalto describes as written with laugh-out-loud humour and depth of empathy, also particularly appeals to me.

One of the things I learned reading this book is the name ‘Cli-fi’. I hadn’t come across it before but of course, it is not a new genre. As Aalto points out it goes back at least to Jules Verne’s 1889 The Purchase of the North Pole. Contemporary examples including Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood and Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behaviour. The writer she chooses to illustrate this genre is Saci Lloyd, an acclaimed writer of cli-fi, whose vivid and action packed books include The Carbon Diaries, about the effects of carbon reduction policies. They are gritty eco-thrillers featuring Laura Brown a 16 year old trying to manage life with a carbon deficit card. (3.5* rounded up to 4*)

[Anatl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer, I've received a copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautifully rendered and curated book about nature writing by women. Years ago I took a course on Women Regionalists which I thought would figure prominently in this book, surprisingly there was little to no paralells. There were some familiar names like Geneva Grace Stratton the author of Limberlost, Dorothy Wordsworth, Vita Sackville-West and Helen Macdonald author of "H is for Hawk" (a book that has been languishing for years in my TBR list). But also many authors who I've never heard of like Gretel Ehrlich an American travel writer who was struck by lightning and wrote about her experience.

These type of books usually wreck havoc on my TBR lists and this was no exception. I've add some notable mentions to my ever growing list, such as Saci Lloyd's The Carbon Diaries, a Cli-fi that sounds right up my alley or Elena Passarello whose "Animals Strike Curious Poses" sounds extraordinary. The highlight of the book for me were the chapter on Rachel Carson who wrote "Silent Spring" which raised a debate leading to the ban on DDT. And the chapter about Nan Shepherd, a Scottish Modernist writer and poet, whose work "The Living Mountain" is both poetic and philosophical.

However, some of the profiles felt rather sparse. Each of the women featured is given a few pages of biographical in bibliographical information as well as some prominent book quotes that exemplify their style. Sometimes this felt a little insufficient and too much like a wikipedia page. If I could rate a 3.5-star this would be a more accurate rating.

My thanks to #NetGalley and Timber Press for a digital ARC of #WritingWild.

[Giulia Zzz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read for those who love nature writing and are frustrated that this space has historically been occupied by white men. Each chapter of this collection is dedicated to one author, giving the reader a short glimpse into her work (with great snippets from their actual writing for a little taste) and life, as well as suggestions for similar types of work by other (women) authors. It was delightful, both to discover new names, and to re-encounter known ones (Nan Shepherd, Mary Oliver, Kathleen Jamie, Amy Liptrot etc.).

Be warned: your reading list will inevitably become longer.

“The stars we are given. The constellations we make. That is to say, stars exist in the cosmos, but constellations are the imaginary lines we draw between them, the readings we give the sky, the stories we tell.” - Rebecca Solnit

[Linda Rowlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The book is a collection of essays about 25 women who have written and/or are writing about nature. Aalto provides interesting details about each of the women and long quotations from their work. After each essay, Aalto includes brief information about other writers of similar ilk or a list of other works written by the subject of the essay. The women are discussed in roughly chronological order, beginning with Dorothy Wordsworth, sister of the poet. Dorothy kept a journal that is the subject of Aalto’s essay about her, and I was surprised to learn how much her brother “borrowed” from her writings!

Aalto’s book acquainted me with many new writers. I’ve purchased several of the books she mentioned as gifts and added some to my reading list.

[Honey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A kickstarter of a backgrounder from those who have pioneered nature writing for women and then some.

Quite a lot of good takeaways learning about the authors but also lots of key books to read to educate oneself more.

I found this book fairly eye opening knowing I’ve read less than 30% of these women growing up, which goes to show how much some of them have been silenced and how much of them need more attention. Definitely a good book for those who want to read more women and more nature books written from a female perspective.

[Angie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

My primary complaint about this book is that it has significantly made my to-read list much longer. I’ve already put two books on inter library loan thanks to this book 😉 While reading about Carolyn Merchant I sent a text to my UC Berkeley student if she has talked about her in her classes. Then I put this boom down, picked up a Naomi Klein book I was reading and turned the page to find Carolyn Merchant mentioned in her book too. I loved learning about many of these amazing women, many of whom I had never heard of before.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring. A great introduction to writers I'd never heard of and new, unique ways of seeing and writing about nature. I've got a lot of new books to add to my re-read pile now!

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to view the world around us like a Naturalist a careful observer of nature.
I love this book. All the characters are memorable. And they are all women who are not well known, but should be. These are poets, novelists and activists who contributed a great deal of insight into the world around us from very unique and fresh perspectives. I know I will read more literature by these authors. If you only read one book this year about the world around us, this would be a good choice.

[Gretchen Lida · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I taught a nature writing class this would be one of my text books.

[olivia]

gave me insights to female authors who i hope to be listed among one day!

[Kalina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a while to finish it but I’m glad I did and I thank the writer for introducing me to many more writers and work.

[Jessica Yopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing wild is a beautifully written celebration of women nature writers. The collection of writers Aalto discusses is wonderfully curated, featuring women from diverse backgrounds, professions, races, and time periods. Each section is punctuated by a list of further works to explore, such as a list of works by the writer just discussed, or other writers/works that are similar. I loved reading about the writers I'm already familiar with, like Annie Dillard and Mary Oliver, and loved even more discovering writers like Robin Wall Kimmerer and Janisse Ray. My TBR pile easily doubled by the end of the book! I love how the author writes about her own outdoor adventures in connection with the women she's discussing, whether she's hiking in England, or canoeing in New York. Reading this book felt like having a conversation in nature.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Judi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this free ARC from the publisher. This is my honest review.

An exploration of female nature writers spanning from the late 1700s to the present day, Writing Wild uses a broad stroke covering the hill rambling of Dorothy Woodsworth (yep - Williams' sister) to the cli-fi writings of Saci Lloyd. Each writer is notably different from her peers yet they are all groundbreakers in their own right.

Each profile gives the reader a good summary of the writer including historical context and how her work was unique and often groundbreaking. Each writer's work is discussed in the context of her time and it's current impact. Aalto also includes her thoughts on each writer's impact on her.

There was a lot I really liked about this book. I loved the beautiful drawings at the beginning of each profile giving the reader a visual introduction to the highlighted writer. I loved the paper and the formatting of the text. I even loved holding the book because of the material of the cover. This was one of the best quality ARCs I've received. I also found that I was consistently adding books to my "to be read" list as I read about each writer.

I also enjoyed the writing for the most part. I found though that it was uneven to the point I could guess which of the profiled writers Aalto connected to the most. I almost always felt unsatisfied when each profile ended. Most times I wanted to learn more about each writer's contribution to their particular genre when I was introduced to another.

This was very close to a 3.5-star rating that would have been rounded up to a 4-star. It's well worth the read if you're interested in getting a broad introduction to the history of women nature writers.

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book of essays focusing on women who have written about nature over the past couple of centuries and their perspectives on nature. 25 essays of about 6-8 pages each focusing on each woman's oeuvre was written in such an engaging way that I found myself going down rabbit holes searching online maps and animal and flower names, further researching each author, either finding the 19th century author's work either on Project Gutenberg, the Poetry Foundation, or simply reserving library copies of the contemporary authors' works. This book serves as a gateway to further explorations of the body of women writing about nature, the changes that have occurred over the centuries, the ecological impact of the industrial and modern ages, and the engagement with the urban and rural landscape. I just loved this book. Though I borrowed it from the library, I will definitely be buying my own copy. It is a keeper.

[K.C. Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book as a resources of potential authors to read (and a celebration of some I already love... hey, Camille T. Dungy!). I liked the list, but the best parts of the book were the borrowed quotes of the authors' works. I was more tepid on Aalto's entries.

For one thing, they're not that consistent. Some are biographies, and/or provided context about the author. I enjoyed that. But some of the entries are Aalto's anecdotes about places they'd been, or her personal experience about the author, and they were often uncomfortably trite. Here's what I think my problem was: Aalto sometimes makes statements/assumptions about the reader, and assumes things that about the reader that are true about HER. In sections where she was writing about authors with different backgrounds (mostly, but not exclusively, in the context of race) I was pretty lukewarm. If the entries had been more consistent in tone or topic, I'm not sure I would have noticed this as much.

I had hoped to encounter more authors I'd never heard of, including authors whose focus isn't exclusively Western. Almost all the authors she selected were from the US or the UK, with a few others from European countries. She talks in the notes about how nature writing is a very specific genre, and to some degree I see what she means, but a lot of books have a heavy focus on nature and humanity's relationship to it, so I felt like her scope ended up being narrower than it could have been based on her definitions.

All this to say: I wanted more from this book, and there were a few lines in here that gave me the ick. However, I did end up noting a lot more books that I'd like to read. For people who haven't read many female authors in the genre, and who think of Thoreau and Muir when the topic of nature writing comes up, this would be a much more useful book. Within her definition, she did make an obvious effort to include authors across time, race, class, and sexuality, including one small segment mentioning a trans author in this field. Since the presumed goal of this book is to point readers in the direction of authors they might like to pursue later, I appreciated that she included notes and comments on authors she either was less enamored with, less familiar with, or that she felt too closely matched the style and focus of the other entries.

I know that this is quite a long and mixed review, but for me, 3-star ratings can be quite murky. Sometimes they mean "I liked it enough to finish it but I had no real feelings." In this case, I didn't feel like I got what I wanted from this book, but I still learned something and will follow up on referenced works I'm not familiar with.

Time to reread "Girl of the Limberlost!"

[cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book of short profiles of female writers about nature (in many forms) who have not always been the nature writers we read about in school. These are some of my favorite writers (Gene Stratton-Porter, Terry Tempest Williams, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Diane Ackerman, Leslie Marmon Silk0, Mary Oliver) as well as many others that I was thrilled to discover and have already added to my 'to be read' list!

One of the quotes from Robin Wall Kimmerer (PLEASE READ her books! Especially 'Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants' which was one of my favorite books of the last 5 years or more!) seems to sum up why this book full of women writers we *should* know is an important one for us to read : "I come here to listen, to nestle in the curve of the roots in a soft hollow of pine needles, to lean my bones against the column of white pine, to turn off the voice in my head until I can hear the voices outside it: the shhh of wind in needles, water trickling over rock, nuthatch tapping, chipmunks digging, beechnut falling, mosquito in my ear, and something more—something that is not me, for which we have no language, the wordless being of others in which we are never alone. After the drumbeat of my mother’s heart, this was my first language. I could spend a whole day listening. And a whole night. And in the morning, without my hearing it, there might be a mushroom that was not there the night before, cream white, pushed up from the pine needle duff, out of darkness to light, still glistening with the fluid of its passage. Puhpowee. Listening in wild places, we are audience to conversations in a language not our own. I think now that it was a longing to comprehend this language I hear in the woods that led me to science, to learn over the years to speak fluent botany. A tongue that should not, by the way, be mistaken for the language of plants. I did learn another language in science, though, one of careful observation, an intimate vocabulary that names each little part. To name and describe you must first see, and science polishes the gift of seeing. I honor the strength of the language that has become a second tongue to me."

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is another case of selecting a book by its cover. I am in an ecopsychology facebook group with the author who one day posted about her book.

this book took me four months to read and my feelings about it changed a lot over that time. the structure was never going to be my favorite. there are 25 different nature writing women described in little 5-8 page sections. I didn't realize until the end how they were organized - chronologically, lol, over the past 200 years (dorothy wordsworth is the first entry). after each woman come three sort of honorable mentions - women who wrote on related subjects without a whole entry of their own.

so yes, it's not my favorite, reading little short bits. I don't like short story collections, and I'm not a huge fan of essay collections either. that's why it took me so long to read. however, I became so impressed with the amount of research the author did. there is a lot of variety - poets, novelists, literary journalists, scientists, women in recovery, BIPOC women. when I first started reading, I figured I would read it and then give the book away - as I try to winnow down my books to ones I really love, that are really significant to me, one important piece of that is being very discerning about what actually makes it onto my shelves. as I read, though, this book became more valuable to me than just a pretty cover. there are different particular landscapes written about, there is theory, there is thinking about, would I have stood up for myself 200 years ago enough to escape some cultural binds? it is quite a resource, this book, and it's already led me to at least three other books I want to read. it would work well as an introduction to nature writing, a jumping off point to see what you want to explore further.

[Brenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you feel the need to escape to the woods or a wide open field, to sink your toes into sand or hike up a mountain, this book will give you plenty of reading material to soothe your soul.

Summary

Writing Wild: Women Poets, Ramblers, and Mavericks Who Shape How We See the Natural World gives a glimpse of 25 women who write about nature. Kathryn Aalto covers a range in terms of culture and writing genre from the poetry of Dorothy Wordsworth to the activism of Rachel Carson to the poetry and activism of Camille T. Dungy. Aalto talks about European women, American women, African-American women, and Indigenous women to show nature writing from different perspectives.

Review

Each section of the book is fairly short, but Aalto packs in enough information and examples to leave the reader wanting more. I enjoyed the illustrations of each author at the beginning of each section, and I liked how Aalto incorporates excerpts of their work so their writing can stand for itself.

Aalto has clearly done her research for Writing Wild; she speaks of each author's backstory, and she travelled to many of the places the authors wrote about. I enjoyed seeing her perspective of landscapes combined with what each nature writer said. My favourite part of the book is how Aalto shows that nature writing applies to so much of life: environmentalism, spirituality, mental health, gender, sexuality, etc.

The one thing I wish the book had more of is BIPOC writers. Although there is some diversity in Aalto's choice of nature writers, there could be more; Writing Wild is missing Asian and Latinx perspectives, which I think would be fantastic additions. I do appreciate, though, how almost every chapter ends in a list of other women nature writers for further reading, and there's an extensive list of sources at the end of the book.

Rating: 4/5 stars
Publication Date: June 23, 2020

Thank you NetGalley and Timber Press for the ARC!