Reading the Landscape
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Updated: July 21, 2009 12:36 PM
“We live in beauty”, says local writer J.M. Bridgeman, referring to the natural surroundings enjoyed by residents of Hope. On August 8th and 9th, Bridgeman will be leading a weekend of field trips and classroom workshops, teaching the art of nature writing to the general public. Hosted by the Hope Mountain Centre, the program will use Hope’s rivers, mountains, and forests as the inspiration for creative writing that celebrates the natural world.
Bridgeman's book Here in Hope: A Natural History describes many fascinating aspects of Hope’s human and natural history, including its unique geology. Bridgeman will take participants to some of her favourite nature spots in the area, use those experiences to engage the senses and emotions, then focus on writing skills that enable those sensations to be better expressed. The skills learned can be applied to a variety of writing forms — journal entries, poems, letters, creative non-fiction or fiction pieces.
Bridgeman says, “Participants will learn to read the landscape and use the geological concepts and nature vocabulary to make connections, to explore the relationships between inner and outer worlds”. Expert examples of the craft will be plucked from the work of great nature writers of this region, including Bowling, Carver, Dillard, Douglas, Kerouac, Rhenisch, and Snyder.
Participants have the option of registering for a one-day session on Saturday, or the entire two-day weekend. Contact Hope Mountain Centre at 604-869-1274 or at http://www.hopemountain.org
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