Writing about Nature : A Creative Guide

by Murray, John A.

• ISBN13: 9780826330857
• ISBN10: 0826330851
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780826330864
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-10-01
• Publisher: Univ of New Mexico Pr
• More Book Details

Summary

Originally published by the Sierra Club in 1995, this handbook has already helped thousands of aspiring writers, scholars, and students share their experiences with nature and the outdoors. Using exercises and examples, John Murray covers genres, techniques, and publication issues. He uses examples from such masters as Barry Lopez, Annie Dillard, Larry McMurtry, Edward Abbey, Ernest Hemingway, and Henry David Thoreau. Also included are recommended readings, a directory of creative writing programs, professional organisations for writers, and a directory of environmental organisations. This revised edition includes a new chapter on nature writing and environmental activism.

Author Biography

John A. Murray is the author or editor of forty books, including Cinema Southwest, which received the Southwest Book Award, and Mythmakers of the West, recipient of the Colorado Book Award. His book The Gila Wilderness: A Hiking Guide is available from UNM Press. He lives in Denver.

Table of Contents

Revised Preface to the 2003 Edition	ix
Chapter One: The Journal	1	(10)
Chapter Two: The Essay	11	(12)
Chapter Three: The Writing Process	23	(12)
Chapter Four: The Opening	35	(12)
Chapter Five: The Closing	47	(12)
Chapter Six: Word Pictures	59	(14)
Chapter Seven: Figurative Language	73	(14)
Chapter Eight: Character and Dialogue	87	(8)
Chapter Nine: Story-Telling	95	(10)
Chapter Ten: Stye	105	(10)
Chapter Eleven: Fiction and Poetry	115	(14)
Chapter Twelve: Revision	129	(8)
Chapter Thirteen: Research	137	(12)
Chapter Fourteen: Workshopping	149	(10)
Chapter Fifteen: Publication	159	(12)
Chapter Sixteen: Nature Writing and Environmental Activism	171	(8)
Appendix:
Recommended Readings	179	(1)
Creative Writing Programs	180	(2)
Environmental Organizations	182	(2)
Writing Conferences	184	(4)
References Cited	188	(4)
Index:	192