The Audubon Reader

by Audubon, John James; Rhodes, Richard; Rhodes, Richard

• ISBN13: 9781400043699
• ISBN10: 1400043697
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-04-11
• Publisher: Everyman's Library

Summary

This unprecedented anthology of John James Audubon's lively and colorful writings about the American wilderness reintroduces the great artist and ornithologist as an exceptional American writer, a predecessor to Thoreau, Emerson, and Melville. Audubon's award-winning biographer, Richard Rhodes, has gathered excerpts from his journals, letters, and published works, and has organized them to appeal to general readers. Rhodes's unobtrusive commentary frames a wide range of selections, including Audubon's vivid "bird biographies," correspondence with his devoted wife, Lucy, journal accounts of dramatic river journeys and hunting trips with the Shawnee and Osage Indians, and a generous sampling of brief narrative episodes that have long been out of printengaging stories of pioneer life such as "The Great Pine Swamp," "The Earthquake," and "Kentucky Barbecue on the Fourth of July." Full-color reproductions of sixteen of Audubon's stunning watercolor illustrations accompany the text. The Audubon Reader allows us to experience Audubon's distinctive voice directly and provides a window into his electrifying encounter with early America: with its wildlife and birds, its people, and its primordial wilderness.

Author Biography

John James Audubon was an American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his extensive studies documenting all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. xii
Introduction: America's Rare Bird	p. xiii
Select Bibliography	p. xxiii
Chronology	p. xxiv
Going West
The Pewee Flycatcher	p. 3
William Bakewell to Euphemia Gifford, 17 April 1808	p. 12
Lucy Audubon to Euphemia Gifford, 27 May 1808	p. 14
Episode: Kentucky Barbecue on the Fourth of July	p. 17
Episode: Journey Up the Mississippi	p. 21
Episode: The Earthquake	p. 37
The Pinnated Grouse	p. 40
Episode: A Wild Horse	p. 54
Episode: The White Perch and Its Favorite Bait	p. 59
The Passenger Pigeon	p. 64
Jean Audubon to John James Audubon, 24 September 1817	p. 73
The American Crow	p. 77
A Reader's Response: The Adventures of Buck Crow	p. 84
The Republican or Cliff Swallow	p. 88
Henderson House Inventory	p. 93
The American Woodsman
The Least Bittern	p. 97
The Carolina Parrot	p. 101
The Ivory-billed Woodpecker	p. 106
Lucy Audubon to Euphemia Gifford, 1 April 1821	p. 112
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 24 May-1 June 1821	p. 114
The Fair Incognito	p. 120
The Swallow-tailed Hawk	p. 127
The White-throated Sparrow	p. 130
The Purple Martin	p. 133
The Barred Owl	p. 139
Chuck-will's-widow	p. 143
The Little Screech Owl	p. 148
Episode: A Tough Walk for a Youth	p. 151
The Baltimore Oriole	p. 156
Episode: Niagara	p. 161
John James Audubon to Charles-Lucien Bonaparte, 14 April 1825	p. 164
John James Audubon to Charles-Lucien Bonaparte, 1 October 1825	p. 166
Mr. Audubon Arrives
Ann Bakewell Gordon to Euphemia Gifford, 5 August 1826	p. 171
John James Audubon to Victor Gifford Audubon, 1 September 1826	p. 172
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 21 December 1826	p. 174
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 27 December 1826	p. 182
The Great-footed Hawk	p. 189
The Alligator	p. 194
Victor Gifford Audubon to John James Audubon, 17 April 1827	p. 204
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 20 June 1827	p. 205
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 20 September 1827	p. 211
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 5 December 1827	p. 213
Prospectus to The Birds of America	p. 215
Lucy Audubon to Victor Gifford Audubon, 15 June 1828	p. 217
John James Audubon to John Woodhouse Audubon, 10 August 1828	p. 219
John James Audubon to William Swainson, 13 August 1828	p. 221
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 17 November 1828	p. 222
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 23 December 1828	p. 224
Lucy Audubon to Victor Gifford Audubon, 19 January 1829	p. 226
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 20 January 1829	p. 229
Lucy Audubon to Victor Gifford Audubon, 30 January 1829	p. 231
Lucy Audubon to John James Audubon, 8 February 1829	p. 234
Lucy Audubon to John James Audubon, 20 February 1829	p. 236
Lucy Audubon to John James Audubon, 22 March 1829	p. 238
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 6 May 1829	p. 240
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 10 May 1829	p. 241
John James Audubon to Victor Gifford Audubon, 18 July 1829	p. 246
Episode: The Great Pine Swamp	p. 250
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 28 August 1829	p. 257
The Wild Turkey	p. 258
Lucy Audubon to John James Audubon, 29 August 1829	p. 274
Lucy Audubon to John James Audubon, 29 September 1829	p. 276
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 11 October 1829	p. 278
Lucy Audubon to John James Audubon, 30 October 1829	p. 280
"Once More We Were Together..."	p. 282
Underway for Old England
John James Audubon to Robert Havell, Jr., 29 January 1830	p. 287
John James Audubon to Charles-Lucien Bonaparte, 5 May 1830	p. 288
Lucy Audubon to Victor Gifford and John Woodhouse Audubon, 15 May 1830	p. 290
Lucy Audubon to John James Audubon, 18 June 1830	p. 292
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 21 June 1830	p. 294
Lucy Audubon to John James Audubon, 27 June 1830	p. 296
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 28 June 1830	p. 298
Episode: The Opossum	p. 299
Episode: Improvements in the Navigation of the Mississippi	p. 304
Lucy Audubon to Victor Gifford and John Woodhouse Audubon, 30 August 1830	p. 310
John James Audubon to Charles-Lucien Bonaparte, 2 January 1831	p. 313
Lucy Audubon to Victor Gifford Audubon, 26 February 1831	p. 316
John James Audubon to Robert Havell, Jr., 20 September 1831	p. 318
Florida
Lucy Audubon to John James Audubon, 12 October 1831	p. 321
The Barn Owl	p. 322
Lucy Audubon to Robert Havell, Jr., 15 December 1831	p. 328
Lucy Audubon to John James Audubon, 22 January 1832	p. 329
Episode: Spring Garden	p. 330
John James Audubon to Edward Everett, 1 February 1832	p. 335
Episode: St. John's River in Florida	p. 337
John James Audubon to Richard Harlan, M.D., 1 March 1832	p. 343
Lucy Audubon to John James Audubon, 19 March 1832	p. 344
Episode: The Turtlers	p. 347
The Booby Gannet	p. 355
The White Ibis	p. 360
Labrador
John James Audubon to Edward Harris, 14 August 1832	p. 369
Lucy Audubon to Euphemia Gifford, 7 October 1832	p. 370
John James Audubon to Richard Harlan, M.D., 20 March 1833	p. 372
Labrador Journal	p. 374
The Great Black-backed Gull	p. 451
John Woodhouse Audubon to Thomas Lincoln, 9 January 1834	p. 462
John James Audubon to Victor Gifford Audubon, 22 January 1834	p. 464
Lucy Audubon to Victor Gifford Audubon, 26 January 1834	p. 467
John James Audubon to Edward Harris, 15 April 1834	p. 468
Hope for Great Things
John James Audubon to Richard Harlan, M.D., 20 August 1834	p. 471
John Woodhouse Audubon to Thomas Lincoln, 24 August 1834	p. 472
John James and Lucy Audubon to John Bachman, 25 August 1834	p. 474
Dialogue in a House in London (John Bachman to John James Audubon, 4 October 1834)	p. 479
John James Audubon to Edward Harris, 5 November 1834	p. 482
John James Audubon to Richard Harlan, M.D., 16 November 1834	p. 484
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 10 December 1834	p. 486
John James Audubon to Charles-Lucien Bonaparte, 14 January 1835	p. 490
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 20 July 1835	p. 492
The Bluebird	p. 494
John Bachman to John James Audubon, 22 January 1836	p. 497
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 22 January 1836	p. 499
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 9 March 1836	p. 501
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 23 October 1836	p. 502
John James Audubon to the John Bachman Family, 24 February 1837	p. 504
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 3 March 1837	p. 507
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 22 March 1837	p. 510
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon, 23 March 1837	p. 512
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 29 March 1837	p. 513
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 6 April 1837	p. 516
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 18 April 1837	p. 519
American White Pelican	p. 520
A Meeting with Sam Houston	p. 528
John James Audubon to Mrs. John Bachman, 2 July 1837	p. 534
John James Audubon to Lucy and Victor Gifford Audubon, 8 July 1837	p. 537
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 16 July 1837	p. 539
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 14 August 1837	p. 544
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 20 December 1837	p. 547
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 14 April 1838	p. 552
John Bachman to John James Audubon, 16 April 1838	p. 556
John James Audubon to Lucy Audubon and Family, 5 July 1838	p. 557
Lucy Audubon to Euphemia Gifford, 29 September 1838	p. 558
Lucy and John James Audubon to Victor Gifford Audubon, 30 June-2 July 1839	p. 560
John Bachman to John James Audubon, 13 September 1839	p. 562
Eliza Bachman Audubon to Mrs. I. M. Davis, 21 January 1840	p. 564
John James Audubon to Maria Martin, 29 February 1840	p. 566
John Bachman and John James Audubon to Victor Gifford Audubon, 10 May 1840	p. 568
John James Audubon to Daniel Webster, 8 September 1841	p. 570
Audubon's Progress: Three Letters from Will Bakewell	p. 571
The American Bison	p. 574
John James Audubon to John Bachman, 12 November 1843	p. 598
John Woodhouse Audubon to Thomas Lincoln, 11 March 1845	p. 600
John Bachman to His Family, 11 May 1848	p. 602
Victor Gifford Audubon to Maria Martin, 29 January 1849	p. 604
"The Task Is Accomplished..."	p. 606
Index	p. 611
Acknowledgments	p. 631
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