A history of walking by rebecca solnit online at alibris. Through landscapes of pleasure, over the hills and dales of politics, wanderlust is a long, sweet walk through history in very good company. With all due regards to the subtitle of this book, historys the least of it. Jun 01, 2001 rebecca solnit is the author of numerous books, including hope in the dark, river of shadows. Expansive and engaging, rebecca solnits wanderlust explores the history of walking in the west. A passionate, thought provoking exploration of walking as a political and cultural activity, from the author of the memoir recollections of my nonexistence drawing together many historiesof anatomical evolution and city design, of treadmills and labyrinths, of walking clubs and sexual moresrebecca solnit creates a fascinating portrait of the range of possibilities. At times, you may wonder what you have gotten yourself into, but you happily trek on. Arguing that the history of walking includes walking for pleasure as well as for political, aesthetic, and social meaning, solnit.
In a series of well written essays, the author explored the contemplative, practical, and literary experiences of many who have. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The extraordinary communities that arise in disaster. A passionate, thought provoking exploration of walking as a political and cultural activity, from the author of the memoir recollections of my nonexistence drawing together many historiesof anatomical evolution and city design, of treadmills and labyrinths, of walking clubs and sexual mores. As can be expected, this is a complex topic, covering not only the details of geographic locale but the sociological and historical context of the subject as well. Rebecca solnit is author of, among other books, wanderlust, a field guide to getting lost, the nbcc awardwinning river of shadows and a paradise built in hell.
A passionate, thought provoking exploration of walking as a political and cultural activity, from the author of. Rebecca solnit is the author of fourteen books about civil society, popular power, uprisings, art, environment, place, pleasure, politics, hope, and memory, most recently the faraway nearby, a book on empathy and storytelling. With the hindsight of a decade and a half, solnits book emerges as triply timely. In 2003, she received the prestigious lannan literary award. Drawing together many historiesof anatomical evolution and city design, of treadmills and labyrinths, of walking clubs and sexual moresrebecca solnit creates a fascinating portrait of the range of possibilities presented by walking. I was very much looking forward to reading wanderlust, as i had recently enjoyed rebecca solnits the faraway nearby and a field guide to getting lost. Starting with rousseau and the romantics, solnit argues, walking became selfconscious, and against the backdrop of the french revolution and industrialization, the act started to accrue dynamic, democratic, and subversive cultural meanings it had never before held in western societies. Her book captures, in the ease and cadences of its prose, the rhythms of a good walk. Eadweard muybridge and the technological wild west, wanderlust. The structure of the book carries the reader from the early eighteenth centurywhen walking was. The author, most recently, of the essay collection call them by their true names. Aug 16, 2018 the author, most recently, of the essay collection call them by their true names. Wanderlust is astonishingly more than that, including digression, celebration, and a certain amount of excess that lifts the mundane practice of walking out of the everyday world into close competition with philosophy, art.
Along the way, the book catches your attention with a beautiful point of insight or tak. Oct 23, 2015 rebecca solnit is the author of numerous books, including hope in the dark, river of shadows. In this book about walking, what it means to walk, changing views about walking, different kinds of walking, she has created a beautiful weaving together of all sorts of topics, from evolutionary development which came first, being bipedal, or cognition. Rebecca solnit books list of books by author rebecca solnit. She is also the author of men explain things to me and many essays on feminism, activism and social change, hope, and the climate crisis. Rebecca solnits wanderlust a history of walking is an entertaining read, an erudite guide for pilgrims, promenaders, and wanderers, for all those who walk for travel and leisure, health and pleasure.
Solnit was born in bridgeport, connecticut, to a jewish father and irish catholic mother, and in 1966 her family moved to novato, california, where she grew up. A history of walking by rebecca solnit and think it is one of the greatest books ever written. Sep 12, 2017 rebecca solnits facebook page is its own little world, a forum for her more than 100,000 followers to keep up with what matters most to the acclaimed american writer. May 01, 2014 rebecca solnit is author of, among other books, wanderlust, a field guide to getting lost, the nbcc awardwinning river of shadows and a paradise built in hell. She has written on a variety of subjects, including feminism, the environment, politics, place, and art. Walking is natural, or rather part of natural history, writes essayist solnit a book of migrations, 1997, etc. Read wanderlust a history of walking by rebecca solnit available from rakuten kobo. Rebecca solnit discusses walking as a political, social, and aesthetic act, exploring its history and how famous walkers such as wordsworth, socrates, and jane austens characters used it, and explains the. Rebecca solnit is the author of more than twenty books, including the memoir recollections of my nonexistence and the nonfiction a field guide to getting lost, the faraway nearby, a paradise built in hell, river of shadows, and wanderlust. On the back cover, will self describes the book as magisterial.
Wanderlust is a much bigger and more ambitious bookso much bigger that i often struggled to read the very small print in the granta paperback edition. In a series of well written essays, the author explored the contemplative, practical, and literary experiences of. In wanderlust rebecca solnit weaves together myriad facets of the human experience to chronicle the role of walking. American crises keeps an eye on the daily eruptions of the internet. On landscape, gender, and art, which was nominated for the national book critics circle award in criticism. Digital rights management drm the publisher has supplied this book in encrypted form, which means that you need to install free software in order to unlock and read it. Rebecca solnit is the author of numerous books, including hope in the dark, river of shadows. A history of walking, rebecca solnit writes that he. A history of walking 2000 is a lot like talking a hike. Rebecca solnit is the author of more than twenty books, including a field guide to getting lost, the faraway nearby, a paradise built in hell, river of shadows, and wanderlust.
Arguing that the history of walking includes walking for pleasure as well as for political, aesthetic, and. A history of walking, and as eve said to the serpent. She copypastes twitter exchanges, shares articles, and replies to comments from fans and friends. The ultimate problem, she shows in her comic, scathing essay, is female selfdoubt and the silencing of women. Born the summer the berlin wall went up, the author reminds us that in 1961 the cold war seemed neverending, civil rights for africanamericans a long way off, equal pay for women laughable, and laws to protect the environment a fantasy.