Recommendations

Here's the page for recommending green readings from McPhee as per [|Prompt #24]. Like this:

"The Control of Nature: Farewell to the Nineteenth Century -- The Breaching of Edwards Dam." //The New Yorker// 75:28 (27 September 1999), 44-53. I think we should read this one because of the way McPhee presents the conflicting and inconsistent interests in the central issue. In "In Virgin Forest" he called them "a paradox of interested parties"; in this piece he describes the variety of people gathering to watch a dam breached: "the crowd gathered in suits, ties, and combat fatigues, sandals, sneakers, boots, and backpacks-- babies in the backpacks." The way McPhee presents the variety of factors that contributed to the destruction of the dam focuses directly on the fact that environmental issues are never simple ones. Did the Edwards Dam get taken out because it was environmentally bad, or economically bad? You decide. -- Russ Hunt I enjoyed the diversity of thought, this might be interesting to read. It's a roller coaster of right and wrong. It starts by going from people who are overwhelmed about how this damages the eco-system, but before the Cean Water Act in 1972 came into play the water would eat the side off a building.The surge of words explaining the Kennebec River Dam in Augusta and the way it was let go from 162 years of capture creates a picture in ones mind of a mighty river and a title wave with "blowout sediments". I can almost pull out the mixed emotions of the people standing in the "Tree-Free-Parking-Lot"(52). The distruction of the man made eco-system has created an unsettling feeling amoung the crowd gathered, not to mention the people who travelled acrossed four time zones just to witness this event. Then on the other hand John Mcphee goes on to say how 100's of dams have been deconstructed all over United States almost trying to make you think what makes this one so important. Amy Lawson

I also agree with Shannon and Mackenzie for recommeding reading Sunken City for the whole class. I have not yet read it myself, but based on the descriptions by other students in the class who have already read it, I find this would be an real eye opener for us all to read. I find that this would be an interesting and intriguing article to read, as we all know about hurricane Katrina, now reading this article which ( correct me if im wrong) is a prediction of what is going to happen/ is currently taking place to New Orleans. By reading this it will give us all an insight on what is going on in the nature of our world and partricularly in the New Orleans area. I am certainly interested in reading this based on what others have previously said about it, and because I have not yet had the opportunity to read it myself and I also feel it would be a good read for the rest of the class.-- Jessica Marr--
 * "The Sunken City ." The New Yorker 81:27 (12 September 2005), 38-39. I think we should read this one because of the way McPhee predicts that a natural disaster is bound to happen in New Orleans. Even before Hurricane Katrina, the citizens of Louisiana could see that the water levels were rising and that water was constantly having to be pumped out of the levees. He predicted that the city was going to flood and it was just a matter of time until it would. Hurricane Katrina simply sped up the sinking process. People were having to build up the lawn because their lawn was shrinking due to the water having to be pumped out of the levees; therefore, the level of the water table decreased. In "Whiff," he made predictions about the future but he was completely wrong about everything; however, in this piece his prediction about New Orleans sinking was right on the money. This article definitely sparks environmental concern and it makes me wonder: "If John McPhee predicted that New Orleans was going to sink then what preparations (if any) were made before it sunk? Were there any evacuation plans that were designed in case this happened? Could the people of New Orleans have done anything to reduce the devastating effects that the disaster caused?" -- Shannon Billings **
 * I agree with Shannon on reading The Sunken City. It is a short read, yet a powerful one. As she says it really does predict the coming of Hurricane Katrina. McPhee discusses in great detail the devastating erosion New Orleans was experiencing even before Katrina. It seems the world saw New Orleans sinking, and only ever used quick fixes to keep the city afloat. I guess what it really comes down to is that humanity cannot possibly defy nature, because nature will always push back harder. I think this is an important issue even now, the fact that humanity loves to push the natural world to its breaking point and does not stop until disaster occurs. - - Mackenzie Heckbert **

I also recommend reading "Sunken City", because unlike in many other McPhee pieces I've read, the consequences of the environmental issue discussed (in this case water), is really highlighted as progressing rapidly. McPhee demonstrates the effects of ground erosion with the use of a very accessible example with a car port, and the way in which he depicts the effects of erosion on people's lawns as so large that a _yearly_ spring-time ritual-like dumping of a truckload of soil is needed to level it out again. Over the course of just one year... It was tremendously powerful in making me realize this was serious business New Orleans should have paid attention to. The piece really communicates a sort of urgency. McPhee also sneaks in some neat humour, and some social commentary. Both are incredibly efficient in keeping the reader in touch with the voices in the text. As a reader, I also found that because this piece is so short, that it was more equally distributed in "concrete" and "light-bulb"- inducing moments, than some of his longer work, in which he jumps around more. This one is a well-paced, instant gratification sort of thing. The fact that //The New Yorker// republished this piece after Katrina is a monumental "McPhee had told you so", that is worthy of thinking about in more depth too, I think. -- Andréa Peters.

Its seems that The Sunken City is an article that has peaked some interest. When I came to write on this page I did not even realize that other people would have chosen the same one. I found that when it came to class discussions that The Sunken City was brought up alot. When discussing enviromental issues facing New Orleanes McPhee seemed to be right on the nose when it came to predictictions. I think that Mcphee makes it obvious within this article that man has nothing against nature and that in due time something catastrphic was inevitable for the city of New Orleans. I think this would be a great article for everyone to read because it kind of makes you realize the small hints being given by the enviroment which everyone ignored, which eventually lead to the devastation of Katrina - Jessica Bruce

** " ** Atchafalaya ." //The New Yorker // 63 (23 February 1987), 39-44. I think this would be an interesting article for the whole class because it really showcases McPhee's balanced writing. What I found very interesting is how you could read a small part of the article and form one opinion from that and read a different section and form a completly different opinion. What surprised me was how at the end of the article I was neutral. McPhee had succeeded in showing me enough of both sides so that I could not choose one over the other, nature and humanity both had valid claims to what they were doing and now I understood both sides to the point were I didn't want one to win or lose. - - Alex Nowicki

I agree with Alex in that I also want to recommend Atchafalaya for the whole class. Though it isn't a long article I think his writing in this one is solid and interesting. I think it would be good for the whole class to read because of the opinions people form, Alex found himself being neutral but I found that I thought people were interrupting nature. His descriptions of the Mississippi river and New Orleans and whatnot are interesting because of how he writes about them. I found that I kept reading it as McPhee was against trying to stop the Mississippi from flowing freely and that he was hinting at the readers to feel the same way. It is also a good read because the New Yorker reprinted part of it as "The Sunken City" (which Shannon is reccomending up there). The difference is what part they chose to reprint and why, I think that would be good to look into as well. It could give us good insight on how certain parts of stories are able to give readers different opinions. -Ianic Roy Richard

I feel that "Atchafalaya" would be great for the rest of the class even though a lot of people have seemed to already read it. I did not read the piece until last class when a lot of people discussed it, and it seemed as if every person had a different opinion of it. It intruiged me to look into it and I myself had mixed feeling that didn't seem to relate to any that I heard in class. I like how McPhee lays out both sides (as Alex described) at the same time being very descriptive pointing out the negatives and positives. -- Matt McGrath

I am recommending this article for the class to read as well. I think that it is fantastically written and I agree with Ianic that it is solidly written. I think that it's a piece that's an easy read, it's short and concise. It's a great example of McPhee's style that can be picked up on early on in the read. He is using a descriptive style just like his other pieces, putting the reader right there. -Deanna Gamble I agree with both these reflections about "Atchafalaya". I originally was assigned to this article by John McPhee at the beginning of the semester and I found it interesting from the beginning, how John McPhee describing a river and how it has changed over the years, not because of nature but because of mankind. While reading this article, it had made me think about some of the problems that consist of environmental troubles and how much we are to blame. I love how McPhee switches opinions throughout the article, and keeps one thinking. I highly recommend this article not just because it discusses the environment but as well an interesting story. -- Kayla Lawrence I agree with the comments above. It seems like a very interesting article and although I haven't read it, I would certainly like to see what McPhee has to offer this time, and if all the patters I noticed in his writing are mirrored in this article too. -- Devika Dadhe

​ I agree with Andrew. This story is not one that I have read yet, but it has been one on my list to read since the beginning. From what people have said it seems like this article is not only an entertaining read (ie. how much firewood will fit in a pinto) but also has a interesting ecology side to it. Being from New Brunswick where foresty is a big industry and having visited the Irving forest and lumber mill before, I think it would be interesting to hear McPhee's take on it as well as the points of view of the New Yorkers. I think this one would be a good one to end with having started with the piece "In Virgin Forest" because it would be interesting to compare both and see if and how McPhee tackles these pieces differently.--Allyson Gorham
 * //"Firewood."//** ** The New Yorker ** **// 50 (25 March 1974), 81-2ff. //** I think that we should look at this article because it shows how McPhee writes about one topic, but is telling you about another topic at the same time. In this article he has you set up thinking that he is going to tell you about the people of New York and how they don’t know anything about the production of firewood or how you get it. What he really is doing is trying to get his readers aware of the problems that arise when people don’t think about the environmental impact their daily lives can cause on the earth. This article is written at the time of the oil shortage in America, which is why everyone is looking for another cheap source of fuel to heat their homes with. What McPhee wants you to get out of this is that just because one source is gone and there is another to fall back on their may come a time when there is nothing left to fall back on. So, we need to learn to conserver what we have and think about the future and not just about right now. -Andrew Bartlett

I agree with Andrew and Allyson. I, too, have not yet read this article but I have heard others talk about it in class, and it does sound both informative and amusing. Andrew pointed out that he believes one of McPhee's strategies was for readers to understand that just because one resource is taken up doesn't mean you can begin relying on another and completely ignore what is happening. I also think it'll be fascinating to see this story about the use of firewood evolving around New Yorkers, being that they live in a major city and probably aren't very environmentally conscious... which seems to be portrayed through McPhee's humour. -- Jody McIntyre I also think we should read Firewood. It displays the many style charactersitics we have noticed about McPhee, including his sublte sense of humour, which is my favorite thing about him. Also, the idea of selling firewood on the streets of New York, really seems to me, unbelievable, but I guess it has happened. The fact that McPhee writes for a New York audience, and in this article he is sarcastically making fun of them, really interests me. I mean, who can get away with this, besides McPhee? He is making fun of New Yorkers, in the New Yorker (wow). I have only read the first half of the article, and it has captivated me ever since, so I would like to finish it. Its lengthy but I think its worth it. ---Brittany Douthwright

"Duty of Care ." //The New Yorker // 69:19 (28 June 1993) 72ff I think we should all look at this article here because McPhee's thoughts on environmentalism and environmental organizations can be clearly looked at by what he says in this article. The article itself is a really good read, follows every other John McPhee form and style of journalism that I have read, but it surprised me to see how "non-eco nut" he really is and that he isn't necessarily pushing an agenda. I felt, after reading this article, that McPhee does care for the environment and enjoys nature but is more concerned with how humans interact with nature and not how humans are ruining nature forever. He doesn't put blame on specific people but understands that we are all a part of the problem and that the environment is a very large picture that cannot be fixed over night. In this article, particularily, McPhee looks at old tires and how it is legal to dump them in rivers across the United States and how people actually section off parts of their property to sell space to throw away used tires. McPhee seems fascinated with this concept but not just in an environmental perspective, but also in social and health aspects as well which I think would be important for us to read as well if we are to consider McPhee an "ecology-writer". - Joanne Goodall  I think the class should take a look at this article collectively because of the depth, insight, and the interest I experienced as I read it for the first time. This article is a bit longer than most but it is a very good read, it has McPhee's characteristic jumpy writing style, and his camouflage-esque display of facts that make it a bit more difficult to read but there are very good examples of humanity being overbearing of nature within. This article should be considered for the class to read mainly because of the story it tells, not only is it an interesting story about a display of human charisma, but there is also the lesson that we must know when to give in when we have met our match. From an environmental perspective this story is a good example of McPhee's ability to display to the reader his concern for the environment, as well as show to the reader how we abuse it sometimes without realizing.--Garrett Derrah**
 * " The Control of Nature: Cooling the Lava -- II <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">." //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The New Yorker //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> 64 (29 February 1988)

This was the first environmental piece that I read by McPhee. I think it succinctly sums up some of McPhee's ideas on the environment. He's talking about the trees in California and how they are susceptible and almost crave forest fires. McPhee doesn't mention many people in this article, but instead focuses solely on the environment. McPhee doesn't directly tell the reader what he/she should glean from this piece. He isn't being an overly dramatic advocate for the environment. He is just telling a story from the position of the environment. We get a clearer idea of how McPhee views the environment, as something living and growing in its own way. McPhee touches on the cyclical process of nature, something that we talked about with "In Virgin Forest". It also points out a common idea in ecological matters, that humans and nature often need totally different things to survive. What is good for the trees of California means havoc to the city of Los Angeles. I think the class would enjoy this simple but profound article by McPhee. It shows us themes that we've touched upon already, but does something different by leaving out people's side of the story. It is a perfect example of how McPhee writes about environmental issues without labelling himself as an environmentalist.-- Emma Smith
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Los Angeles Against the Mountains -- I. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">" //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The New Yorker //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> 64 ( <span style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: #ffffff none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">26 <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">September 1988), 45-8 **

"<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Annals of the Former World: Assembling California -- I <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">." //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The New Yorker //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> 68:29 (7 September 1992), 36ff. I'm recommending this piece, by process of elimination, because it is the only "environmental article" of McPhee's that I have read. Having said that, I do think the article lends itself well to class discussion. The way McPhee tackles the environmental issue underlying the piece is through subtlety, and I think getting numerous takes on the effect the piece of writing has on our class would be interesting in deciding whether McPhee communicates his message well, or if beating around the issue ends up making it ineffective. There are many layers to this story that would better be explored through many different takes of it, so I think each student would benefit from the group reading. -- Evan Bower

This is a very interesting article, in that it is just about as balanced a piece about an important enviornmental issue can be. We are given the perspective of both a major conservationist and a geologist who discovers mineral deposits for mining complany. Some members of the class have spoken about how they enjoy how balanced McPhee's pieces are, so many may enjoy this article. It is certianly an interesting way to read a profile-perhaps we learn more about someone when they are facing adversity than when they are in an ordinary interview process. In Brower's case this may be an especially revealing way to do a profile, since much of his life has centred around endless battles. Beyond this, it is a beautifully written, descriptive tour through the Cascades mountains, through which we learn much about the area's ecology. -- Katrin MacPhee
 * " <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Profiles: Encounters With the Archdruiid I: A Mountain- **

I am recommending this one even though I have not read it, or maybe because I have not read it. It's come up in our class discussions a few times and it has always sounded interesting to me, and I have tried to get it from the library a couple of times and it was checked out, and I can't find it online. I don't really know what it's about other than McPhee travelling around Georgia and somehow ending up eating various kinds of roadkill, but that alone is enough information for me to say I want to read it. -- Darcy Cameron
 * "<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Profiles: Travels in Georgia <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">." //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The New Yorker //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> 49 (28 April 1973) 44-6ff. **