David George Haskell is a writer and biologist whose latest book, Sounds Wild and Broken, was nominated for a 2022 Pulitzer prize for general nonfiction. He has spent his career reminding us to pay attention to nature. Join him Sun., Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. at the Avalon Theatre for a book talk incorporating recordings of nature’s most wondrous sounds. This event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 1:30. The first 35 arrivals will receive a free copy of the book.
Sounds Wild and Broken is an Editor’s Choice at The New York Times and explores the story of sound on Earth. Starting with the origins of animal song and traversing the whole arc of Earth’s history, he illuminates and celebrates the emergence, diversification, and loss of the sounds of our world, including human music and language. It has been described as “captivating” and as offering “one delight after another” by Scientific American and as meditative and celebratory by The Spectator.
“All Shore Lit events are designed to explore relevant ideas, foster literary conversation, and build inclusive community. I am particularly excited for this program because it presents some of the environmental issues that are so critical to our community through David Haskell’s incredible nature writing. I expect we will all walk away from his talk energized and newly alert, with a fresh perspective on our local landscape,” says Shore Lit Founder Kerry Folan.
Haskell is also author of The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature, The Songs of Trees: Stories from Nature’s Great Connectors, Thirteen Ways to Smell a Tree and guest essays for The New York Times, Emergency Magazine, Scientific American and other media. With colleagues at Emergence Magazine, he has created multimedia experiences with the emphasis on integration of text and sounds from the more-than-human world.
He holds degrees from the University of Oxford and Cornell University and is the William R. Kenen Jr. professor of biology and environmental studies at the University of the South. Haskell’s classes have received national attention for the innovative ways they combine action in the community with contemplative practice. His teaching has been profiled in USA Today, The Tennessean and other newspapers.
The program is presented in partnership with Shore Lit and the Avalon Foundation. Registration is required at adkinsarboretum.org.
Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org.
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