In the Garden of the Lords of War

[vaneramos]

Barry Lopez:

It is the determination and desire of each Lord to have at the end of three months enough of an understanding of the culture in which he is reading to be able to make up a single story, one that gives evidence of his study and reflects his respect, but demonstrates no enthrallment.

~~~~~~~~~~

Four years ago upstreamdream, a friend of mine and missprune’s, told me about nature writer Barry Lopez (b. 1945). I explored a book of his excellent essays, which I subsequently loaned out, lost, forgot the title of.

Two years ago I found Light Action in the Caribbean in The Bookshelf’s bargain bin. It is a book of short fiction. It’s strange reading fiction written by a naturalist, because he is doing what I like to do. It took me five tries in two years to get into the first story. But suddenly, discovering it was only seven pages long, I finished it. In recent weeks I have read the next four. They’re like meditations: mostly contemporary, mainstream fiction, surprising for their profound gentleness and beauty, and sense of time and place best understood by anyone who spends extended time communing with the land.

I was startled by the fourth story, "In the Garden of the Lords of War." It is science fiction, set in a post-Apocalyptic world reminiscent of Ursula K. LeGuin’s Always Coming Home. And in only nine breathtaking pages he cuts to the heart of what is broken about our world, and what genuine government ought to do.

Comments

[missprune.livejournal.com]

I need to read some of this guy! I sell used books on Amazon and some of his works have passed through my hands without lingering long enough to be read. Must try harder, upon your recommendation.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I think you'll enjoy his writing. There's quite a bit out there. This fiction is charming, but his essays are even stronger.