Apr. 30: Annie Dillard, American writer

BORN APRIL 30:

Annie Dillard (1945 - ) is an American writer whose Pilgrim at Tinker Creek won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. It is a first-person account of the narrator's explorations near her home with various contemplations on nature and life. It is divided into four sections, each indicating a season of a single year. It is based on Dillard's personal journals; it should come as no surprise to learn that her master's thesis was about Thoreau's Walden. Tinker Creek itself is outside Roanoke, Virginia, in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She taught for over 20 years at Wesleyan University; in addition to Pilgrim she has written poetry, two novels, essays, prose, literary criticism, and one memoir.

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Apr. 21: John Muir, Scottish-born Californian conservationist

BORN APRIL 21:

Name John Muir (1838-1914) was a Scottish-born Californian conservationist who was called "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks" for his influence on the wilderness preservation policies of the U.S. He was a self-taught botanist, zoologist, glaciologist, naturalist, author, and environmental philosopher. According to one article, "at least one high school, 21 elementary schools, six middle schools, and one college" have been "named after him, as well as a glacier, a mountain, a woods, a cabin, an inlet, a highway, a library, a motel, a medical center, a tea room and a minor planet." He helped preserve the Yosemite Valley and Sequoia National Park, and co-founded The Sierra Club, a prominent American conservation organization. His letters, essays, and books have been read by millions. Alas, in recent years his racism toward Native Americans and Blacks has emerged, and the Sierra Club has found itself apologizing for his views and taking steps to correct the harm done by this part of his legacy. Notable books include The Mountains of California; Our National Parks; My First Summer in the Sierra; and The Yosemite.

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Jan. 29: Edward Abbey, American environmental writer

BORN JANUARY 29:

Edward Abbey (1927-1989) American novelist and essayist who became an icon of the environmental movement. Desert Solitaire, based on his experience as a ranger at Arches National Monument (now a national park) is a model of "nature autobiography"; his novel The Monkey Wrench Gang depicts the use of sabotage to protest environmentally damaging activities in the Southwest.

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Jan. 11: Aldo Leopold, American naturalist

BORN JANUARY 11:

Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) American naturalist. His A Sand County Almanac is a delight to read; a professor at the University of Wisconsin, he influenced the development of modern environmental ethics and the movement for wilderness conservation.

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Nov. 25: Joseph Wood Krutch, American writer

BORN NOVEMBER 25:

Joseph Wood Krutch (1893-1970) American writer, critic, and naturalist whose nature books on the American Southwest include The Desert Year; he also wrote The Twelve Seasons and The Measure of Man.

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