Wow, Amy. Loved this. My visit to the headwaters of the Mississippi two weekends ago and my many walks in St. Paul have given me a deep appreciation of the power of that mighty waterway. Living near the Lock and Dam, with its implications of control and danger has been sobering. Thank you for this fascinating guided tour through the history, geology, and culture associated with water. I hope you are writing a book.
Thank you Mary! I used to live a couple blocks from the river when I lived in Minneapolis and the way MSP folks engage with the river is really different than where I grew up, though it's changing. The river is also a lot dirtier down there,though I think that is changing too. I LOVE the idea of writing a book and I know sustained attention on a single project is very difficult for my brain. Maybe someday I can gather enough essays and or poems, be sort of a poor man’s Robin Wall Kimmerer :)
Amy, you are right up there with Robin Wall Kimmerer as a writer and naturalist. I always look forward to your thoughtful essays. If you keep posting essays at this level, you’re not undisciplined. You’re prolific. You should do this.
Oh wow, I'm more excited about that feedback than when my drunk friend told me I looked like Penelope Cruz! I'm very disciplined but I have the attention span of an ER doctor (nearly non-existent), which means I am interested in nearly everything so can make cinnections others don't, but long works like novels or a 400 page non-fiction book about a single topic would not play to my strengths. Perhaps we'll have to chat in real life to dream more about what it could be.
Possibly. I have thought about turning my plant pieces from reference to something a little livelier that incorporates the healing benefits, but is maybe more story/folklore focused. I also like the idea of having several different styles of writing (poetry, essay, and short story) all in the same book, maybe with a unifying theme like rivers. I don't know enough about publishing to know if anyone would go for that.
Thank you, Amy, quite fascinating. There are examples - the acequias in New Mexico, for example - of irrigation governance without a hierarchical organization.
Thanks John! How many people are involved in the acequias? That is one thing I really value about that book The Dawn of Everything. It challenges our preconceived notions about when and how agriculture and hierarchical government started, which allows us to be open to other ways things could be/have already been in places we didn't know to look.
Yeah John O'Donohue always brings it. I had intended to weave it into the text of the main essay, but then found the piece took a bit of a right turn from where I was expecting it to go :)
Yes! The thing that surprised me most was how far down the river/how many cultures the mishibizhi/neshipeshwa vs thunderers story travels and maintains a pretty consistent form. I think once you get to southern Illinois and Missouri you reach Piasa bird territory and I don't know that story as well. Still mulling over if I have the ovaries to try a magical retelling from Tiamat's perspective :)
Thanks Sarah! So glad it resonated. It was definitely a piece where I started in one place and ended up somewhere different than expected, so I'm glad you were able to follow along.
Wow, Amy. Loved this. My visit to the headwaters of the Mississippi two weekends ago and my many walks in St. Paul have given me a deep appreciation of the power of that mighty waterway. Living near the Lock and Dam, with its implications of control and danger has been sobering. Thank you for this fascinating guided tour through the history, geology, and culture associated with water. I hope you are writing a book.
Thank you Mary! I used to live a couple blocks from the river when I lived in Minneapolis and the way MSP folks engage with the river is really different than where I grew up, though it's changing. The river is also a lot dirtier down there,though I think that is changing too. I LOVE the idea of writing a book and I know sustained attention on a single project is very difficult for my brain. Maybe someday I can gather enough essays and or poems, be sort of a poor man’s Robin Wall Kimmerer :)
Amy, you are right up there with Robin Wall Kimmerer as a writer and naturalist. I always look forward to your thoughtful essays. If you keep posting essays at this level, you’re not undisciplined. You’re prolific. You should do this.
Oh wow, I'm more excited about that feedback than when my drunk friend told me I looked like Penelope Cruz! I'm very disciplined but I have the attention span of an ER doctor (nearly non-existent), which means I am interested in nearly everything so can make cinnections others don't, but long works like novels or a 400 page non-fiction book about a single topic would not play to my strengths. Perhaps we'll have to chat in real life to dream more about what it could be.
Maybe a collection of essays then?
Possibly. I have thought about turning my plant pieces from reference to something a little livelier that incorporates the healing benefits, but is maybe more story/folklore focused. I also like the idea of having several different styles of writing (poetry, essay, and short story) all in the same book, maybe with a unifying theme like rivers. I don't know enough about publishing to know if anyone would go for that.
As a matter of fact, you do look like Penelope Cruz.🙌
OK, well now you better brace yourself for being my favorite person :) Flattery will get you everywhere ;)
Thank you, Amy, quite fascinating. There are examples - the acequias in New Mexico, for example - of irrigation governance without a hierarchical organization.
Thanks John! How many people are involved in the acequias? That is one thing I really value about that book The Dawn of Everything. It challenges our preconceived notions about when and how agriculture and hierarchical government started, which allows us to be open to other ways things could be/have already been in places we didn't know to look.
I love the poem and I think it absolutely fits the overall theme of the post!
Yeah John O'Donohue always brings it. I had intended to weave it into the text of the main essay, but then found the piece took a bit of a right turn from where I was expecting it to go :)
I write about that a little here: https://johnlovie.substack.com/p/pueblos-acequias-and-dams
Awesome, looking forward to checking it out!
Thunderers!!
Yes! The thing that surprised me most was how far down the river/how many cultures the mishibizhi/neshipeshwa vs thunderers story travels and maintains a pretty consistent form. I think once you get to southern Illinois and Missouri you reach Piasa bird territory and I don't know that story as well. Still mulling over if I have the ovaries to try a magical retelling from Tiamat's perspective :)
Amy - I really enjoyed this. You made learning interesting and engaging!
Thanks Sarah! So glad it resonated. It was definitely a piece where I started in one place and ended up somewhere different than expected, so I'm glad you were able to follow along.