American Birds

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This landmark anthology showcases America’s literary imagination through the lens of its fascination with birds. Compiled by literature professor and avid birder Andrew Rubenfeld, alongside acclaimed writer Terry Tempest Williams, this collection features a diverse array of genres, including poems, journals, memoirs, short stories, essays, and travel accounts. The writings capture the profound connection between Americans and birds, offering a literature rich in depth and beauty, with whimsical elements interspersed. Readers will encounter Native American songs celebrating birds, join Lewis and Clark on their explorations of new species, and witness Audubon sketching near New Orleans. Emerson and Thoreau’s shared birdwatching experiences at Walden Pond provide a reflective backdrop, while Sarah Orne Jewett’s poignant tale of a snowy egret in Maine and Florence Merriam’s depiction of a winter wren in Central Park evoke vivid imagery. Rachel Carson observes skimmers along the Atlantic coast, and Roger Tory Peterson studies snail kites in the Everglades. The anthology also features modern and contemporary poets such as Robert Frost, Elizabeth Bishop, and Mary Oliver, who capture the magic and haunting beauty of America's avian life, making this collection a unique tribute to the enduring bond between literature and nature.