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Title: Writing Naturally: A Down-To-Earth Guide to Nature Writing by David Petersen, H. Emerson Blake ISBN: 1-55566-273-0 Publisher: Johnson Books Pub. Date: July, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.75 (4 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: A Mixed Bag
Comment: Petersen's book is a mixed bag. The informaton is very good but, in places, the writing is clunky and breaks from commonly accepted standards (Petersen repeatedly refers to Edward Abbey as "Ed," which grated me.) He has a number of good observations and also brings in some good examples, but, as a previous reviewer pointed out, the book is far from flawless.
Peterson conveys an attitude in this book of being 100% right, which is important in an instructional book. In places, however, divergant opinions are just as valid as Petersen's.
Basically, if you have an idea about nature (or any type) of writing and want some additional keen insights, get this book. But, when reading it, be prepared to hold on to the ideas of yours which you feel are more apt than Petersen's.
Rating: 5
Summary: Petersen Knows His Stuff
Comment: I just read Dave Petersen's "Writing Naturally" and loved every page. OK, so I am more partial to Ed Abbey and Ernest Hemingway than HD Thoreau or Diane Ackerman. OK, so I like Dave's down-home style and lack of pretension, and am impressed by his years of free-lance nature writing experience. So what?
Petersen reviews all the key topics, from title selection and journal-keeping to revision to making sales, with vivid, colorful anecdotes. The section comparing two essays on the porcupine, one drab, one brilliant, alone was well worth the price of admission. No matter how successful or jaded you may be as a writer, Dave's book will buck you up and get you in love with writing - and nature - again.
Rating: 2
Summary: Don't waste your money!
Comment: This one was a huge disappointment. I've read Petersen's essays and they're not bad. But in Writing Naturally the prose is clumsy and cliched; the chapters focus on the most elementary writing topics. He makes absurd and insulting suggestions. For example, he advises readers to avoid Thoreau because the "archaic" prose is "a tough row to hoe." I expected content on how to use natrual imagery for metaphic purpose, or techniques on observation and description. Instead I got a chapter on tense and point of view. He puts down other authors who load their writing books with their own writing, then he does exactly that himself! If you are a beginning writer who needs good, concrete information, I suggest you spend your money on a subscription to Writer's Digest or another monthly magazine that deals with the basics. You'll get much more value for your money!
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Title: Writing About Nature: A Creative Guide by John A. Murray ISBN: 0826330851 Publisher: University of New Mexico Press Pub. Date: October, 2003 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: American Nature Writing 2003 (American Nature Writing, 2003) by John A. Murray ISBN: 1555913539 Publisher: Fulcrum Pub Pub. Date: March, 2003 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: Leaf Bird Days & Firefly Nights: Personal Renewal Through Nature Journaling by Beverly J. Letchworth ISBN: 0966567285 Publisher: Pen Central Pr Pub. Date: 01 March, 2001 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: A Crow Doesn't Need a Shadow: A Guide to Writing Poetry from Nature by Lorraine Ferra, Diane Boardman ISBN: 0879056002 Publisher: Gibbs Smith Publisher Pub. Date: March, 1994 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You by Clare Walker Leslie, Charles Edmund Roth ISBN: 1580174930 Publisher: Storey Books Pub. Date: 01 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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