Synopses & Reviews
Out of the Woods: A Bird Watcherandrsquo;s Year is a journey through the seasons and a joyous celebration of growing old. In fifty-nine essays and poems, Ora E. Anderson, birder, bird carver, naturalist, and nature writer, reveals the insights and recollections of a keen-eyed observer of nature, both human and avian. The essays follow the rivers and creeks, the highways and little-known byways of Appalachia, and along the way we become nearly as familiar with its numerous bird, plant, and animal species as with the author himself.
These are not the memories of a single year, however, but of a long lifetime spent immersed in the natural world. Out of the Woods, presented with humor and passion, is an account of a well-lived, productive, and satisfying life. The essays offer an intimate portrait of a half century of life on Andersonandrsquo;s beloved old farm (more nearly a nature preserve), where he lived in harmony with birds and nature and followed the rhythm of the seasons. We are invited to share the joysandmdash;and the disappointments and sorrowsandmdash;inherent in such a life.
Generously illustrated with Julie Zickefooseandrsquo;s detailed drawings and evocative sketches, this book will delight bird watchers, artists, naturalists, backyard gardeners, and anyone who is sometimes tempted to take a rutted, overgrown, and unused path just to see where it leads.
Review
and#147;To read these pages is to walk once again in the woods of southeastern Ohio with the one person who knew these hills and hollows better than anyone, drinking in their beauty, cherishing their diversity, rejoicing in the simple miracles of nature.and#147;
and#151; William H. Thompson, III, Editor, Bird Watcher's Digest
Review
and#147;Reading this book makes me regret that I never had an opportunity to know Ora Anderson in person.... I would have liked him very much and I think most readers will share this view.and#8221;
and#151;and#160;Ohioana Quarterly
Review
and#147;Attention readers! Before you crack open
Out of the Woods: A Bird Watcherand#8217;s Year, you might want to go ahead and lace up your hiking boots and dust off your binoculars. Once you dip into this pool of essays, youand#8217;re going to want to be prepared to strike out on your own adventures in nature.and#8221;
and#151;and#160;Northwest Ohio History
Review
and#147;Anderson left a passionate love letter to Mother Nature and these Appalachian hills in the just-published book,
Out of the Woods: A Bird Watcherand#8217;s Year.and#8221;
and#151;and#160;Huntington Herald-Dispatch
Review
and#147;Whether wading in beaver ponds to see what birds were attracted to the impoundments, listening to the muted song of a brown thrasher on her nest, seeing the first flight of Canada goslings from his pond, or watching the ever-changing cast of birds attracted to his feeders, the author relates the connection between his spirit self and the natural world. Beautifully illustrated with Julie Zickefoose's pencil drawings.and#8221;
and#151;and#160;Booklist
Review
and#147;Undeniably pleasurable reading....(Anderson) riffs charmingly on a number of different species and varieties in prose that's generously peppered with rueful observations and bemused wonder.... This book is a joy to read and rewards subsequent revisits with stylistic wit and wild beauty.and#8221;
and#151;and#160;Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Out of the Woods: A Bird Watcherandrsquo;s Year is a journey through the seasons and a joyous celebration of growing old. In fifty-nine essays and poems, Ora E. Anderson, birder, bird carver, naturalist, and nature writer, reveals the insights and recollections of a keen-eyed observer of nature, both human and avian. The essays follow the rivers and creeks, the highways and little-known byways of Appalachia, and along the way we become nearly as familiar with its numerous bird, plant, and animal species as with the author himself.
About the Author
Ora E. Anderson was a journalist, conservationist, naturalist, and artist. He was named honorary lifetime director of the Ohio chapter of The Nature Conservancy and was the recipient of the Ohio Arts Council Governor's Award for Arts in 1999. He passed away in August 2006 at the age of ninety-four.
Deborah Griffith is managing editor of Bird Watcher's Digest and other publications from BWD Press.