Scott Russell Sanders speaks on behalf of a life rooted in the
commonplace, in what is becoming paradoxically rare: a sense of
“at-homeness” in the natural world. In The Country of Language, Sanders
recalls the stories and experiences that have guided him as a writer.
Emerging from all his work is the conviction that moments of
interaction with the nonhuman world—whether one is transfixed in a
silent stare down with a great blue heron or listening to the voice of
a creek while bombs threaten far-off countries—restore the sanity and
courage needed to address the griefs of the human community.
Quotes:
“In
his usual articulate and well-crafted prose, Sanders, author of over 20
books and numerous essays, continues to relate everyday and natural
experiences to greater meanings.... His writing, he says, is his way of
asking questions.”—Library Journal
“Sanders tells the stories
that have helped shape his career as a writer, giving a particular
focus on interaction with the nonhuman world. Includes a biographical
profile and useful bibliography.”—ISLE
“The link between
language and ‘nonhuman nature' is the thread that draws together this
set of graceful, autobiographical essays, works as simple, elegant, and
enduring as Shaker furniture. Sanders shares his earliest memories of
the Midwest countryside, and of learning the alphabets of animal
tracks, tree bark, flowers, and plants just as avidly as he learned to
read and write.”—Booklist
“Sanders' many fans will enjoy the unadorned prose and guarded introspection of this memoir."—Minnesota Monthly
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