Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World: Essays

Barry Lopez, a passionate advocate for the environment, a daring explorer, and a keen observer of nature and culture, passed away in 2020 after a protracted illness. This outstanding collection of essays, which includes previously unpublished pieces written in the months before his death, enhances Lopez's legacy. They explore his childhood in New York and California, expeditions to study animals and sea life, travels to Antarctica, and meditations on finding oneself in vast, dramatic landscapes. The book is introduced by Rebecca Solnit, who highlights Lopez's attention to the world, including its spiritual dimensions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 02 May 2023
Publisher: Notting Hill Editions

A passionate advocate for the environment, intrepid explorer, and unparalleled observer of nature and culture, Barry Lopez passed away on Christmas Day in 2020, following a protracted illness. The preceding summer, a devastating wildfire had claimed a significant portion of his beloved home and the surrounding community, serving as a poignant reminder of the climate change he had long cautioned about. This remarkable compilation of essays, encompassing previously unpublished works, adds an indelible dimension to Lopez's legacy, and includes pieces written in the months preceding his passing. They unravel memories, both personal and political, encompassing tender, sometimes painful anecdotes from his childhood in New York and California, accounts from expeditions to study animals and marine life, recollections of travels to Antarctica and other extraordinary destinations on Earth, and meditations on finding oneself amidst vast, awe-inspiring landscapes. He reflects on the individuals who shaped his journey, including Indigenous elders and scientific mentors who honed his keen appreciation for the natural world. We witness poignant returns to his Oregon backyard, accompanied by prose of searing candor, as he grapples with the cyclical nature of life, encompassing his own existence and, as he has done throughout his career, the threats posed by the Earth and its inhabitants.

Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World, with an introduction by Rebecca Solnit that speaks to Lopez's profound attentiveness to the world, including its spiritual dimensions, opens our minds and ears to the significance of being fully present to the beauty and complexity of life.

Dimension: 216 x 135 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781912559558