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Water Falling in the Cannon
A Sense of PlaceWhether writing about the space fabric of the universe, the coral reefs of the Caribbean Ocean, the sand grains of Sahara desert, or the complexities of Cannon River Region, science writing grounds itself in place.
Many of the great science and nature writers are masters of place. Take Annie Dillard, Wendell Berry, Mary Oliver, John McPhee, Barbara Kingsolver, Terry Tempest Williams, Wallace Stegner, William Wordsworth, Mark Twain, and Barry Lopez (to name a few) for example. These authors understand place, and find ways to brilliantly weave science into their essays, poems, and stories. I share their goals.
Michael Mansur, a writer for the Society of Environmental Journalists, authored a wonderful article, "Writing About Home: Learning About Place Can Make Stories Come Alive." Of the five W's of journalism --the who, what, when, why, and where--he believes the "where" receives too little attention. So he dedicates his work to the "where" in his stories. He learns about his place, community, and home. He goes into the field. He emphasizes detail. And then he writes (Mansur 15-16). Taking his lead, I write.
To see my place-based writing about the Cannon River Region continue on to Writing about Place...