Enchanted Forests: The Poetic Construction of a World Before Time

Boria Sax inherited a forest in New York State from his Russian, Jewish Communist grandparents in 1985. The forest represented a link with those who lived and had lived there, including Native Americans, settlers, bears, deer, turtles, and migrating birds. Sax explores the meanings and cultural history of forests from prehistory to the present, combining lyricism with contemporary scholarship to open new emotional, intellectual, and environmental perspectives on the storied history of the forest.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 01 October 2023
Publisher: Reaktion Books

In 1985, Boria Sax received a parcel of forest in upstate New York, a legacy inherited from his Russian and Jewish Communist grandparents. They had acquired this land as a protective measure against what they perceived as a hostile world. For Sax, the woodland became a profound connection to the past, encompassing the lives of Native Americans, settlers, bears, deer, turtles, and migrating birds. Through this personal and captivating narrative, Sax delves into the profound meanings and rich cultural history of forests, spanning from prehistoric times to the present. His exploration encompasses a diverse range of sources, including the epic of Gilgamesh, the writings of Virgil, Dante's Divine Comedy, the works of the Gawain poet, medieval alchemists, the Brothers Grimm, the Hudson River School painters, Latin American folklore, contemporary African novelists, and many more. By seamlessly blending lyricism with contemporary scholarship, Sax offers fresh emotional, intellectual, and environmental insights into the storied history of the forest.

Weight: 848g
Dimension: 241 x 165 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789147902