The book I cannot recommend and the origin of Nature Book Guide

Nature Book Guide really began when I realized I could no longer recommend a book I'd loved. Originally published in 1942, Cross Creek, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings wrote descriptions of her rural Florida orange grove, swamp, creek. and neighbors so rich, that in the 1990s I planned a detour during a family trip to experience the place myself. I have to credit it—at least in part—for inspiring a life-changing move from Iowa to the border region of Texas in 2005; Cross Creek was about a woman pursuing a creative life in an unfamiliar place. Yet when I finally picked my ragged paperback copy last year, I was horrified to realize I'd dismissed Rawlings' overt racism as an outdated relic of her time. It was painful to read. I couldn't overlook or excuse it any longer, nor could I recommend Cross Creek to anyone.

Some background
It was the movie that drew me to the book. The 1983 film, starring Mary Steenburgen as Rawlings, was far more romantic than the book; and it was well received, garnering four Academy Award nominations including acting nods for Rip Torn (supporting actor) and Alfre Woodard (supporting actress). Woodard portrayed Rawlings’ employee “Geechee” with depth and much more dignity than the book provides. A not insignificant side note: In the 1990s, the Cross Creek movie appeared on television with Woodard’s character—the only black character in the film—edited out entirely. It was a shocking omission, and the film suffered from it.

Finding good books beyond the “500” shelves in the library

I find myself drawn to memoirs and fiction, and it is tough to find nature-based books by browsing my library’s fiction and biography stacks. There’s nothing to distinguish them, identify them as having the content I’m seeking.

How did I find them? Word of mouth, reviews, publications, social media including some terrific resources like Rocky Mountain Land Library.

Locally, the situation became more challenging when much of the collection was put into storage during a major renovation, and only a handful of the nonfiction books (the “500” stacks as organized by the Dewey Decimal System) remained on the shelf.

There had to be a way to champion great books, publishers, booksellers and other resources dedicated to the natural world in a way that made them easier to find.

Inspiration and role models

Last year, I retired as the Executive Director of the Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership, a nonprofit that supports an urban trail in the Denver metro area;and it was a great joy to realize I suddenly had much, much more time to read. Through the years, I’d met wonderful friends and colleagues who were readers and were dedicated to the health of communities and ecosystems in their work as naturalists, scientists and stewards of the earth. And though I was older than most, they continued to inspire me with their energy, intellect, and their work. They’re not just interested in studying, preserving and protecting the earth’s resources, they’re also dedicated to providing opportunity for all. The outdoor community in Denver was engaged in productive conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion; and it was clear, with all the challenges ahead of us with climate change, we can benefit from engaging a wide circle of people with different experiences, perspectives, and cultures.

So, I set out to get nature book recommendations from my personal role models. They’re smart and enthusiastic and dedicated, and they jumped onboard to join our volunteer Book Recommendation Panel. Read about them here.

I would love to send myself back in time and have these folks as role models when I was in high school. I had no women role models in my first work outdoors; in 1975 when I was working in Illinois state parks in the Youth Conservation Corps, I knew there were serious, thoughtful women out in the field, I just wasn't exposed to them.

Representation does, indeed, matter; and I hope you'll find Nature Book Guide reflects that in our selections of authors, books, publishers, and our volunteer Book Recommendation Panel. We want to widen this community, so we'll add more voices to the Panel in upcoming issues.

This Nature Book Guide became a way to include people and ideas, particularly those from underrepresented communities, rather than exclude them. We are ready to send our first issue out into the world on September 30. I’ve read every book in the first issue, I hope they will inspire you as well. —Beth Nobles