Barry Lopez at Antioch

Acclaimed writer of fiction and non-fiction, Barry Lopez spoke at Antioch University New England on Thursday, November 16th. He presenting from the just published 'Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape.' As editor of the volume, Lopez invited 45 poets and writers to craft definitions for terms that intimately describe America's land and water forms. Comprising over 850 descriptions, 100 line drawings, and 70 quotations selected from seminal nature writers, this work connects us with place through language that evocatively arises from the land.

Of Home Ground, author Michael Pollan says: "[This] is a treasure house of a book, chocked with gems of the American vernacular. To learn these terms for features of the landscape is like putting on a new pair of glasses-the land comes more vividly into focus. But to call this a reference work is to shortchange it-the entries are written by some of our best writers, and the result is an unexpected page turner."

Lopez's work deals with issues ranging from human-nature relationships, to identity, ethics, and intimacy. He has been decorated with awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the John Hay Medal, Guggenheim, Lannan, National Science Foundation fellowships, Pushcart Prizes in fiction and nonfiction, among many others. Mr Lopez is an artist of broad talent, having worked as a landscape photographer, and collaborated on theater and concert productions.

For a complete listing of Barry Lopez and Home Ground events, see: www.homegroundproject.com/authortour.html

Barry's web site: www.barrylopez.com

The event was sponsored by the Antioch New England Environmental Studies Department and Whole Terrain, Journal of Reflective Environmental Practice

Please post any comments, thoughts, reflections, or reactions to Lopez' presentation.