Even so, this is a valuable document in the continuing battle over wilderness preservation. Writers workshop along the rocky mountain front at the dogfriendly bunkhouse inn in augusta, montana. The yaak does have one trick up its sleeve, though. But its magic may not be enough to save it from the forces threatening it now. Fifty north american stories since 1970, and winter. To read his books winter and the book of yaak is to know the flora and fauna of bass own homesteadhow it settles and ripples in his mind, how living there has. See all books authored by rick bass, including the scribner anthology of contemporary short fiction. Bass, a geologist turned naturalist and short story writer, is one of only a hundred people who call the yaak home. But only around the dirty shame do the human inhabitants. Rick bass the yaak valley of northwestern montana is one of the last great wild places in the united states, a land of black bears and grizzlies, wolves and coyotes, bald and golden eagles, and even a handful. Ancient forests will be clear cut in core grizzly habitat with. Rick bass, the pacific northwest trail, and his yaak.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or. Author rick bass was born on march 7, 1958 in fort worth, texas, but he grew up in about four hours south in houston. Rick bass was born in fort worth, texas, and grew up in houston, the son of a geologist. Bass cut cords and cords of wood throughout much of the book, as a fitness routine. Rick bass is the author of over twenty books of fiction and nonfiction, including winter, the deer pasture, wild to the heart, and the book of yaak. Its a small valley, bass, a texas transplant, writes in the book of yaak. In the book of yaak he captures the soul of the valley itself, and he shows how, if places like the yaak are lost, we too are lost. It is also a prime target for the logging industry, which now seeks to open the yaak to clearcut logging. The true story of the best dog i ever hadhoughton mifflin, 2000. Its apparently a relatively unspoiled place and a bit of a garden of eden for our times. May contain limited notes, underlining or highlighting that does affect the text. The chapterreally more of a prose poemis called waterfall, occurs a. The book of yaak is rick bass desperate plea, there for anyone who is willing to hear the message, to save this place of wild mystery known as the yaak.
Long considered one of the most gifted practitioners of the short story, rick bass is unsurpassed in his ability to perceive and portray the enduring truths of the human heart. Rick bass, the acclaimed fort worthborn, houstonraised author of 30 books, has spent much of his life in montanas yaak valley, where he advocates. He studied petroleum geology at utah state university and while working as a petroleum geologist in jackson, mississippi, began writing short stories on his lunch breaks. Possible ex library copy, thatll have the markings and stickers associated from the library. Bass says, a love of place can fuel art, can fuel the. The yaak valleys 25 grizzlies are threatened by a 60 million board feet logging proposal black ram.
He wasnt born there, but he came to love the place and has made it his home. Rick bass stories of people and nature chicago tribune. An urgent plea by a longtime resident to preserve one of the lower 48s remaining wilderness areas. Written in 1996, the book pleads for people to save the regions few remaining roadless areas. Rick bass has never been a writer to hold back, but the book of yaak is his most passionate book yet, a dramatic narrative of a man fighting to defend the place he loves. This is the first sentence of the shortest chapter in the book of yaak, the most recent offering from rick bass. I think the book speaks to anyone who cares about the natural world. In the book of yaak rick bass captures the soul of the valley itself, and he shows how, if places like the yaak are lost, so too will be the human riches of mystery and imagination. The son of a geologist, bass took an early interest in the natural world.
Rick bass the yaak valley of northwestern montana is one of the last great wild places in the united states, a land of black bears and grizzlies, wolves and coyotes, bald and golden eagles, wolverine, lynx. His father was a geologist who passed on his passion to his son. Spine creases, wear to binding and pages from reading. In this, his tenth book, bass takes the reader on long walks through what can. When bass and elizabeth moved in, the locals told him them they needed to cut firewood. The yaak valley of northwestern montana is one of the last great wild places in the united states, a land of black bears and grizzlies, wolves and coyotes, bald and golden eagles, and even a handful of humans. Henry awards and his most recent nonfiction book was a finalist for the national book critics circle award. Rick bass, activist and storyteller yaak valley forest. Rick bass has never been a writer to hold back, but the book of yaak is his most passionate book yet. Dubbed nature writer by bookstores and critics, rick basss works are concerned with the nature of the human heart and the heart of nature. Rick bass and the yaak valley forest council marsh.
The book of yaak is a collection of essays describing, examining and defending yaak valley. Rick bass lives in the yaak valley of northwest montana. In addition to being the writerinresidence at montana state university in bozeman, the texas native teaches creative writing across the country, gives readings and lectures when he can, and does battle at every turn to protect montanas yaak valley, his home since 1987. And one more thing, if rick bass is so concerned about overuse the yaak, why has he made a career of popularizing the area to his massive readership. The chapterreally more of a prose poemis called waterfall, occurs a little less than halfway through the book and serves as a kind of a synecdoche, a restatement of purpose for the book as a whole. Bass argues that the yaak deserves to be saved, both for its beauty and for its role in a biological system that stretches through much of north america. Much of this will be familiar territory to readers who know basss work, for he has written about the yaak before in books like winter 1991 and the ninemile wolves 1992.
Rick bass, a prolific writer of considerable merit, has crafted an elegant plea to save the ecosystem of the yaak valley in northwestern montana. The people of the valley make a small, isolated community, with only weak versions of the infrastructure most americans expect such as roads, telephone service, and shopping opportunities. Everything is all crammed in on top of everything else. Rick bass katy helgeson may 31, 2017 june 2, 2017 rick bass is seen on the porch of his home in yaak, montana. Rick bass 1958 american short fiction writer, novelist, and essayist the following entry presents an overview of basss short fiction career through 2002. Rick bass, a national book critics circle award finalist for his memoir why i came west, was born and raised in texas, worked as a petroleum geologist in mississippi, and has lived in montanas yaak valley for almost three decades. Accessories such as cd, codes, toys, may not be included. The valley has been described as a noahs ark of diversity, with mountain lions, moose, elk, bobcats, grizzly and black bears, lynx and wolverines. Winter, as in the season, starts about september and goes clear through to march. Essays on art and activismmilkweed editions, 1999 colter. Almost all of the yaak valley is in the kootenai national forest. Basss father was a geologist, which is likely what.
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