A Wild Neighborhood - Softcover

Henricksson, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0816630178 ISBN 13: 9780816630172

Publisher: University of Minnesota Press, 1997

Synopsis

An entertaining portrait of the creatures that share our place in the woods.

John Henricksson’s neighbors stop by to chat or to have a bite to eat or just to sit and watch. But in his Wild Neighborhood the visitors are the black bear, gray jay, timber wolf, owl, white-tailed deer, raven, and the moose.

A Wild Neighborhood is a collection of elegantly written essays about these creatures. From kitchen-table gossip about the black bear’s recent attempts to raid the bird feeder, to the retelling of Native American myths about the mischievous raven, Henricksson shows a love and understanding of the residents with whom he shares the narrow wedge of the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota.

Henricksson writes of the personal relationships that develop while living in the woods. He tells of the joy of helping a deer survive a tough winter and the mystery of animals he calls “ghosts”—species that are extinct or near extinct but still have a fleeting presence in the area.

Award-winning artist Betsy Bowen, author of Antler, Bear, Canoe: A Northwoods Alphabet Year, beautifully depicts the denizens of the forest. Her twenty-four woodcuts reflect, often humorously, Henricksson’s respect for and love of northwoods creatures.

This personal account of a vibrant community in the woods will appeal to readers of all ages and make a beautiful gift for everyone who has admired the creatures of his or her own wild neighborhood.

About this title

About the Author

John Henricksson is a writer and editor who divides his time between his home in Mahtomedi, Minnesota, and his Gunflint Lake cabin. He is editor of North Writers: A Strong Woods Collection (Minnesota, 1991) and North Writers II: Our Place in the Woods (Minnesota, 1997).

Betsy Bowen is an award-winning illustrator who lives in Grand Marais, Minnesota. She is author and illustrator of Antler, Bear, Canoe: A Northwoods Alphabet Year (1991), Tracks in the Wild (1993), and Gathering: A Northwoods Counting Book (1995).

From the Back Cover

John Henricksson's neighbors stop by to chat or to have a bite to eat or just to sit and watch. But in his Wild Neighborhood the visitors are the black bear, gray jay, timber wolf, owl, white-tailed deer, raven, and the moose. A Wild Neighborhood is a collection of elegantly written essays about these creatures. From kitchen-table gossip about the black bear's recent attempts to raid the bird feeder, to the retelling of Native American myths about the mischievous raven, Henricksson shows a love and understanding of the residents with whom he shares the narrow wedge of the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota.

Reviews

The northeast Minnesota neighborhood "where the great white pines were mature when the Declaration of Independence was signed" is Henricksson's domain. As the title implies, his dozen essays are loosely sketched portraits of his rather eccentric neighbors--black bear, moose, loons, eagles, marten, Canada jays, beaver. The editor of North Writers and North Writers II, Henricksson scatters his chapters with factual tidbits: the barred owl has "the keenest hearing of any bird," enabling them to hear a mouse running on hard-packed earth 50 yards away; biologists consider ravens to be among the most intelligent of all wild creatures, while the seven-foot-tall moose have baseball-sized brains and aren't exceptionally bright. His sympathy extends to the large fuzzy wolf spider, the only spider to carry her eggs and hatchlings on her body. The chapter that rises among the rest is the last, "Ghosts." Here Henricksson, describes the traces--a sighting, a set of tracks, a body--of largely extirpated cougars, fishers, wolverines and caribou. Although there's a rather once-over-lightly quality to this book, Henricksson does manage to capture the psychological rush of encounters with wildlife.

Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The neighborhood in question is Gunflint Lake in the International Boundary Waters area of northern Minnesota. This delightful collection of essays portrays the unique personalities of various northern woodland natives: the owl, bear, moose, purple marten, beaver, spider, deer, and raven, to name just a few. Henricksson divides his time between his Mahtomedi, Minnesota, home and a wilderness cabin at Gunflint Lake, where he is in a perfect position to observe the antics of his wild neighbors. Fascinating anecdotes describe the almost personal relationships that develop between humans and other animals?bears who raid the bird feeder, an injured raven who joins a family and strikes up a friendship with their dog, deer who appear for their daily treats throughout the long winter months. These tales of the north woods are enhanced with woodcuts by award-winning artist Betsy Bowen. This will be enjoyable reading for anyone who has an interest in the wilderness and its native inhabitants.?Deborah Emerson, Monroe Community Coll. Lib., Rochester, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0816630178
• ISBN 13: 9780816630172
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192