Audubon on Louisiana: Selected Writings of John James Audubon

Category: Books,Biographies & Memoirs,Arts & Literature

Audubon on Louisiana: Selected Writings of John James Audubon Details

Review Audubon’s avian watercolors really took flight in Louisiana! One of the better-kept secrets is that the artist is also one of America’s greatest and most eloquent nature writers―a raconteur―and a natural storyteller. Audubon on Louisiana spreads the word and captures his heady intoxication in this birding paradise. (Roberta Olson, curator of drawings, New York Historical Society)Edited by a skilled compiler and elucidator of the great man’s writings on his time in Louisiana, this fine book is a vital addition to the literature on Audubon. Both a work of scholarship and a great read, it will, I am sure, remain the standard title on a vitally important aspect of this preeminent American ornithological artist’s life and work. (Jonathan Elphick, author of Birds: The Art of Ornithology)Audubon on Louisiana illuminates the shaping influence of ‘Louisiana’ on Audubon’s development as a writer and an artist. The introductions provide deeply informed, creative, and original insights into Audubon’s vivid, compelling writings, as well as deepen our understanding of Audubon the man and artist. This is a welcome, important contribution to the recent renaissance in Audubon studies. (Daniel Patterson, editor of The Missouri River Journals of John James Audubon)Audubon on Louisiana is almost a misleading title for such a grand selection. This book is a portrait of the great artist, naturalist, explorer, and author, and of his times. Indispensable to a true understanding of his art, this lively volume is a faithful bedside companion and a trove of surprising stories. Adventurous fun! (Fred Chappell, author of I Am One of You Forever) Read more About the Author A retired professor of English, Ben Forkner has published three books on Audubon: John James Audubon: Journaux et Récits; John James Audubon: Selected Journals and Other Writings; and John James Audubon Portfolio. He has also published Louisiana Stories, Cajun, and a dozen books on writers of Ireland and the American South. Read more

Reviews

I gave this as a gift to my daughter who has many books and paintings by John James Audubon. Being from Louisiana she especially loved receiving this book and truly jumped up and down for joy. She can hardly wait to start reading. Thrilled beyond words.

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