Drift Smoke

Loss and Renewal in a Land of Fire

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Nature, Environment, Natural Disasters, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book Drift Smoke by David J. Strohmaier, University of Nevada Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: David J. Strohmaier ISBN: 9780874176544
Publisher: University of Nevada Press Publication: March 28, 2009
Imprint: University of Nevada Press Language: English
Author: David J. Strohmaier
ISBN: 9780874176544
Publisher: University of Nevada Press
Publication: March 28, 2009
Imprint: University of Nevada Press
Language: English

David Strohmaier’s long career as a firefighter has given him intimate knowledge of wildfire and its complex role in the natural world of the American West. It has also given him rare understanding of the painful losses that are a consequence of fire. Strohmaier addresses our ambivalence about fire and the realities of loss to it—of life, human and animal, of livelihoods, of beloved places. He also examines the process of renewal that is yet another consequence of fire, from the infusion of essential nutrients into the soil, to the sprouting of seeds that depend on fire for germination, to the renewal of species as the land restores itself. Ultimately, according to Strohmaier, living with fire is a matter of choices, of “seeing the connection between loss on a personal scale and loss on a landscape scale: in relationship with persons, and in relationship to and with the land.” We must cultivate a longer perspective, he says, accepting that loss is a part of life and that “humility and empathy and care are not only core virtues between humans but are also essential virtues in our attitudes and actions toward the earth.” Drift Smoke is a powerful and moving meditation on wildfire by someone who has seen it in all its terror and beauty, who has lost colleagues and beloved terrain to its ferocity, and who has also seen the miracle of new life sprouting in the ashes. The debate over the role and control of fire in the West will not soon end, but Strohmaier’s contribution to the debate will help all of us better appreciate both the complexity of the issues and the possibilities of hitherto unconsidered solutions that will allow us to inhabit a place where fire is a natural, and needed, part of life.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

David Strohmaier’s long career as a firefighter has given him intimate knowledge of wildfire and its complex role in the natural world of the American West. It has also given him rare understanding of the painful losses that are a consequence of fire. Strohmaier addresses our ambivalence about fire and the realities of loss to it—of life, human and animal, of livelihoods, of beloved places. He also examines the process of renewal that is yet another consequence of fire, from the infusion of essential nutrients into the soil, to the sprouting of seeds that depend on fire for germination, to the renewal of species as the land restores itself. Ultimately, according to Strohmaier, living with fire is a matter of choices, of “seeing the connection between loss on a personal scale and loss on a landscape scale: in relationship with persons, and in relationship to and with the land.” We must cultivate a longer perspective, he says, accepting that loss is a part of life and that “humility and empathy and care are not only core virtues between humans but are also essential virtues in our attitudes and actions toward the earth.” Drift Smoke is a powerful and moving meditation on wildfire by someone who has seen it in all its terror and beauty, who has lost colleagues and beloved terrain to its ferocity, and who has also seen the miracle of new life sprouting in the ashes. The debate over the role and control of fire in the West will not soon end, but Strohmaier’s contribution to the debate will help all of us better appreciate both the complexity of the issues and the possibilities of hitherto unconsidered solutions that will allow us to inhabit a place where fire is a natural, and needed, part of life.

More books from University of Nevada Press

Cover of the book Grand Canyon by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book The City That Ate Itself by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book The New Politics of Indian Gaming by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book Bodie’s Gold by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book Shrubs Of The Great Basin by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book Sand In A Whirlwind, 30Th Anniversary Edition by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book John Mackay by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book Glacier National Park by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book The Archaeology Of The Donner Party by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book Left in the West by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book Mapping And Imagination In The Great Basin by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book The Peoples Of Las Vegas by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book In The Desert Of Desire by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book Alzheimer’s and Dementia by David J. Strohmaier
Cover of the book Race And Homicide In Nineteenth-Century California by David J. Strohmaier
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy