In these nine evocative essays, Barbara Hurd explores the seductive allure of bogs, swamps, and wetlands. Hurd's forays into the land of carnivorous plants, swamp gas, and bog men provide fertile ground for rich thoughts about mythology, literature, Eastern spirituality, and human longing. In her observations of these muddy environments, she finds ample metaphor for human creativity, imagination, and fear.
This final volume in the author's trilogy, which began with Stirring the Mud and Entering the Stone gives nature writing a human dimension and throws light on the mysterious and overlooked wonders on beaches as far-flung as Morocco, St. Croix, or Alaska, and as familiar as California and Cape Cod.
In this exhilarating work, Barbara Hurd explores some of the most extraordinary places on earth, from sacred caves in India to secret caves in Arizona. With passionately informed prose, Hurd makes these strange dark spaces come to light, illuminating the natural history and spiritual territory of caves as powerfully as Kathleen Norris portrayed the Dakotas. Entering the Stone provides an awe-inducing tour through a fragile and beautiful subterranean world.
A long-lost letter arriving at its destination fifty years after it was sent lures Edie Burchill to crumbling Milderhurst Castle, home of the three elderly Blythe sisters, where Edie's mother was sent to stay as a teenager during World War II.
Documents governmental and political corruption in the Deep South through the story of a daughter who seeks justice when her parents are slain in Mississippi.
A collection of “artful, emotional” and “manly” short stories from the acclaimed author of The Wake of Forgiveness (Dallas News). From the critically acclaimed author of The Wake of Forgiveness—“a mesmerizing, mythic saga,” as described by the New York Times—come ten remarkable stories that uncover unexpected beauty in the struggles of the modern American male. Like Richard Russo, Bruce Machart has a profound knowledge of the male psyche and a gift for conveying the absurdity and brutality of daily life with humor and compassion. Whether they find themselves walking the fertile farmland of south Texas, steering trucks through the suffocating sprawl of Houston, or turning logs into paper in the mills just west of the Sabine River, the men of these stories seek to prove themselves in a world that doesn’t always welcome them. Here are men whose furrows are never quite straight and whose hearts are near to bursting with all the desires they have been told they aren’t supposed to heed. “Bruce Machart is one of our most ambitious and fearless young writers. With Men in the Making, he has composed a remarkable paean to the complex fragility of the American male. I read these stories in a state of tender amazement.”—Steve Almond, author of Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life
MUD FLOWER BLOOMING portrays the life journey of Jewelle, the heroine in this event-filled saga. In Jewelle's voice the vicissitudes of her life are presented unveiled while childhood memories, mysteries, and magical experiences lurk ever present beneath her words. As she chronicles her trek from South Florida toSouth Dakota and all of the geographic settings en route, life lessons bearing moments of joy and suffering leap from her graphic portrayal, revealing transformative encounters sparked by love in various forms, resolute faith, aspectrum of relationships, and a host of challenging life issues, including aging, later-life coupling, violence, colorism, secrets, family conflicts, and matters of forgiveness. Failure as a mother is a persistent hurdle for Jewelle as she struggles with the mishaps in her life -- and their untoward effects on her adult offspring -- while walking a tightrope in providing guidance to her grandchildren. Still, intergenerational relationships have a vital place in Jewelle's narrative, particularly with her elders, as she navigates uncertainty involving spiritual, cultural, and historic manifestations. With vigor she reveals her faith, interests, and passions, enhancing her story with portraits of stimulating people and extraordinary circumstances. Ultimately, with assurance, Jewelle's voice calls the reader to join her on a life-changing expedition.
Stimulate your child’s senses—right in your own backyard! Steer your little ones away from their screens and into the outdoors with projects designed to spark their insight, dexterity and imagination: Just add mud! With parenting blogger Sophie Pickles’s expert guidance, you’ll transform your backyard into a lively space where your children can experiment with different textures—there’s even a taste-safe alternative!—and understand the wonderful world around them. Using natural ingredients that are on-hand or easily obtainable, you’ll help your kids explore concepts like environmentalism, culinary science, creativity and math, while never losing sight of all the delightful sensory stimulation. Bond over the sheer fun of Shape Play, or try out Muddy River for an introduction to physics. Watch them delight in creating their own food station, with projects like Juice Bar and Mud Café. Better yet, help them build the blocks of critical thinking and observational skills, with activities like Mud Investigation and Mini Beast Hunt. With Mud Kitchen Crafts, education meets fun in a major way.
Literary Nonfiction. Hurd's brilliant book about climate change is also a book about storytelling, about paying attention to little, most invisible things that manage to survive without heroics, or the help of heroes. There are many books about climate change, but none like hers that deliver the bad goods with such unsentimental empathy.
