A Backyard Year (the book)

 

The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year is a new book by Margaret Renkl. While I usually read her essays in The New York Times where she is a guest columnist, I was interested in reading this because it is a seasonal compilation of many of those essays as well as new ones. Many of you may have noticed that my own blog is a seasonal effort, and I have considered publishing some of my favorites in a similar compilation.

With that perspective in mind, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I like the way she groups the essays into the seasons as well as mixing in new bits called ‘Praise Song’ (some of these inserts are only a paragraph, so ‘bits’ seems like a good description). The NY Times describes her as a “writer who covers flora, fauna, politics and culture in the American South,” and her flora/fauna essays often mix in some of that Southern culture because, well, life is so very intertwined. As a result, I find the stories to be a pleasure to read on several levels, including with humor (in particular, see page 39).

One of the review comments on the jacket is worth repeating: “Margaret Renkl has the mind of a naturalist and the soul of a poet. Let this magnificent devotional be your eye-opening, heart-expanding daily companion, and it will change how you see the world.” We need more of that “change how you see the world” inspiration in our life. The monthly #momentinnature posts that I started in January 2021 have been an attempt to inspire readers to see the everyday world around us. [I was in turn inspired by a friend who has been doing it for much longer (we should all pass along inspiration!).]

Margaret Renkl's stories illustrate that nature can be such a part our daily lives. If we let it be. If we cultivate it. If we notice it. And that is the way it should be. In our yards.

Here is a nice interview with the author about the book.