After Life as a Human

In After Life as a Human, we join Laura Valeri on Dog Island—remote, amenity-deprived, hurricane-prone. Where pelicans rule, residents are resourceful, and human ambition is suspect. With uncanny observation and lyrical reflection, these essays explore the persistence, fragility, and connectedness of life on the island and off. Located off of Florida's Forgotten Coast, Dog Island is a wild twin of St. George Island, the popular resort destination. Unlike St. George, however, Dog Island is mostly nature preserve, with only a few residents left. Accessible only by airplane or boat, the island attracts seekers of a reprieve from modern life, drawn to an ancient paradise that remains untouched by commercial enterprises, but with sea levels rising, industrial spills poisoning the wildlife, and climate change causing more frequent hurricanes, Dog Island is slowly becoming a "paradise lost." ​The seven short memoirs in this collection link local history, environmental research, and spiritual meditations to reflect on the island's wild beauty while coming to terms with the heartbreaking destruction of its fragile ecology and humanity's hesitance to acknowledge our inexorable connection to all living beings.