"The seashore is a sort of neutral ground, a most advantageous point from which to contemplate this world.”
– Henry David Thoreau, Cape Cod
In This Kit You’ll Find:
- 3 copies of The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson
- 3 copies of Chesapeake by James Michener
- 3 copies of American Primitive by Mary Oliver
- 3 copies of Cape Cod by Henry David Thoreau
- Book sign-up sheet to keep track of books (you may keep)
Themes for Discussion:
- The Sea Around Us: Oceanography, marine biology, marine animals, oceans
- Chesapeake: The Chesapeake Bay, Maryland history, immigration & emigration, race relations, plantation life
- American Primitive: Renewal, humanity, nature, the natural world, wilderness
- Cape Cod: Natural history, coastal towns, nature, beachcombing, travel, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
About the Book:
The Sea Around Us: The story of the earth's ocean from its gray beginnings to today with an emphasis on ocean life past and present. (Novelist)
Chesapeake: The Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia evolves from prehistory into the 20th century and influences the lives of Native Americans, African Americans, and Irish immigrants who live there. (Novelist)
American Primitive: Pultizer Prize-winning collection of poetry glorifying the natural world and American's fascination with pastoral life.
Cape Cod: Presents essays from the author's three trips to Cape Cod, detailing a journey of discovering and understanding the complex relationship between the sea and the shore. (Novelist)
Further Your Discussion:
- Read: This insightful essay by Maria Popova of Brainpickings.org about Rachel Carson's ability to marry literature and science:
- Listen: Hear Mary Oliver read 5 of her poems, including The Summer Day, collected together within this article about the life and work of Mary Oliver in Open Culture:
- Listen & Explore: The Talbot County Free Library in Easton is home to the James A. Michener Chesapeake Collection which includes all of the papers connected to the writing and publication of his novel, Chesapeake. The site also includes an interview of Michener about the novel from the year of its initial publication in 1978.
- Watch: This short documentary of a young environmentalist recreating Thoreau's walk around Cape Cod: