Perhaps America's best environmental idea was not the national park but the garden cemetery, a use of space that quickly gained popularity in the mid-nineteenth century. Such spaces of repose brought key elements of the countryside into rapidly expanding cities, making nature accessible to all and serving to remind visitors of the natural cycles of life. In this unique interdisciplinary blend of historical narrative, cultural criticism, and poignant memoir, Aaron Sachs argues that American cemeteries embody a forgotten landscape tradition that has much to teach us in our current moment of environmental crisis.
Until the trauma of the Civil War, many Americans sought to shape society into what they thought of as an Arcadia—not an Eden where fruit simply fell off the tree, but a public garden that depended on an ethic of communal care, and whose sense of beauty and repose related directly to an acknowledgement of mortality and limitation. Sachs explores the notion of Arcadia in the works of nineteenth-century nature writers, novelists, painters, horticulturists, landscape architects, and city planners, and holds up for comparison the twenty-first century's—and his own—tendency toward denial of both death and environmental limits. His far-reaching insights suggest new possibilities for the environmental movement today and new ways of understanding American history.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
"A fascinating exploration of a neglected environmental tradition, Arcadian America is a timely and important book."—Jackson Lears, author of Rebirth of a Nation: The Making of Modern America, 1877-1920
(Jackson Lears)"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0300176406
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0300176406
Book Description Condition: New. Book is in NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 0300176406-2-1
Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. Seller Inventory # 353-0300176406-new
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0300176406
Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover0300176406
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # Abebooks22635
Book Description Condition: New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 2.1. Seller Inventory # Q-0300176406
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. Buy for Great customer experience. Seller Inventory # GoldenDragon0300176406
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Brand New. 496 pages. 9.25x7.50x1.50 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # 0300176406