Singing to the Sound: Visions of Nature, Animals and Spirit [Hardcover]

Brenda Peterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2000

For two decades now I have cleaved to the misting, mysterious shores of Washington's Puget Sound...

From wolves to salmon, from the great blue Heron to the gray whale, Singing to the Sound is Brenda Peterson's eloquent refrain to the American West. In this her latest book of personal and journalistic essays, Brenda Peterson explores and illuminates the complicated, but essential relationship between humans and animals, between humans and nature. Whether describing her swims with dolphins in the wild; the healing benefits of animal play; or the ongoing battles over hunting wolves and whales, Peterson gives her readers the opportunity to become "other" as she muses and envisions nature, animals and spirit in new ways.

A treaty has been kept and a treaty broken

Brenda Peterson unravels the complexities of the highly controversial Makah whale hunt, the first off U.S. mainland shores in nearly a century. Since 1996, Peterson's essays on the Makah have appeared in The Seattle Times. For the first time in book form, Peterson, who helped mediate between the Makah and environmentalists, gives an in-depth view of this dramatic and complex story.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From the watery Northwest corner of the United States comes this exquisite collection of nature stories by renowned author Brenda Peterson. Like a misty Seattle weekend, Peterson's contemplative prose invites readers to go inward, to a landscape of rivers, sounds, and oceans, places that host mythical shape-shifters and mer-people, as well as seals, whales, gulls, and salmon.

Whether she is discussing her wind-rattled studio on the shore of Puget Sound or her deep relationships with marine and land animals, Peterson writes with spiritual maturity and environmental authority. Each passionate story examines the way humans commune or collide with the natural world, so that a pearl of wisdom is always found beneath the surface. This gift of wisdom is especially appreciated in the section on the Makah whale hunt, where Peterson takes huge risks as a narrator, willing to delve into the spiritually and politically complicated issues of native whale hunting. When negotiations between Makah representatives and moderate environmentalists (including Peterson) tragically faltered and a 2-year-old gray whale was killed in May 1999, Peterson writes, "We hear only of the wars--the winners and losers. But what of those who battled most to understand themselves and reconcile seeming opposites? What about those who allowed themselves troubling ambivalence and soul searching, without an easy answer?" Indeed it is her willingness to dive into this underworld of ambivalence and soul searching that makes her nature writing so resonant and influential. --Gail Hudson

About the Author

Brenda Peterson is the author of three novels, one of which Duck and Cover was selected by The New York Times as a "Notable Book of the Year." Her four works of nonfiction include Nature and Other Mothers and Sister Stories. She has co-edited two anthologies, the groundbreaking Intimate Nature: The Bond Between Women and Animals and The Sweet Breathing of Plants. Her memoir, Build Me an ArkA Life with Animals, will be published spring 2001.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: NewSage Press; 1st edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0939165406
• ISBN-13: 978-0939165407
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,791,103 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"TOP TEN BEST NON-FICTION BOOKS OF 2010" BY CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

AN INDIE NEXT "GREAT READ" BY INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS NATIONWIDE

WATCH Brenda's BOOK LUST "You Tube" excerpt on this page below or see the full interview with Nancy Pearl at this link: http://www.seattlechannel.org/schedule/programDetails.asp?title=3031103

Brenda's new website: www.IWantToBeLeftBehind.com and Brenda's Blog is at: http://www.iwanttobeleftbehind.blogspot.com/

LISTEN to an audio excerpt from the new book on National Public Radio read by the author at: http://kuow.org/program.php?id=19037

"Unusually affecting and radiant...Peterson seeks a meeting of church and earth in this witty, enrapturing account of a spiritual journey of great relevance to us all." BOOKLIST, starred review

"A tender, lyrical account, Peterson expresses genuine love for her family and gratitude for their gifts. Peterson always seeks common ground." LIBRARY JOURNAL

"Blends her unique autobiography with compassionate and level-headed observations about family, food, religion, life and our relationship with living things. Peterson has a gift for describing her life's many adventures with disarming understatement and narrative poise." KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Brenda Peterson's picaresque memoir is a mesmerizing treat, at turns inspiring and hilarious. Her keen-eyed descriptions of the natural world, and a delicious sense of fun, combine beautifully with tales of protecting seals, whales, hope, and other wild things."
Diane Ackerman, author THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE


"A loving, luminous portrait of an irresistibly intriguing family, told by the most fascinating member of all -- the one who doesn't fit in. It's alive with stars over the Grand Canyon, scents of the sea, menus at family gatherings, and singing a descant. The story is told with such truth and tenderness that you can't help loving the whole family."
Sy Montgomery, author of THE GOOD, GOOD PIG


"I've been a fan of Brenda Peterson's novels since the witty DUCK AND COVER. But I can't think of another book at all like this memoir -- it's so odd and wonderful. Peterson writes here of family and conflicting faiths with moving and poignant humor."
Diane Johnson, author of LE DIVORCE


"Brenda Peterson, one of the most eloquent nature writers of our time, takes on human nature. Read this book and share it widely. It is that important."
Marc Bekoff, author of of THE EMOTIONAL LIFE OF ANIMALS

Visit Brenda's website at: www.literati.net/Peterson


Brenda Peterson is the author of 15 books, including a New York Times "Notable Book of the Year," DUCK AND COVER. Her memoir, BUILD ME AN ARK: A Life with Animals was chosen as a "Best Spiritual Book of 2001" and translated into Chinese. Her non-fiction books include the classic LIVING BY WATER and the National Geographic Book SIGHTINGS. Peterson's most recent novel is ANIMAL HEART (Sierra Club Books).

For the past three decades Peterson has written about inter-species relationships and edited several bestselling anthologies, including INTIMATE NATURE and FACE TO FACE. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Body/Soul magazine, Reader's Digest, Sierra, San Francisco Chronicle, Utne Reader, and Oprah magazine. Since 1993 she has contributed commentary for Seattle's NPR stations.

Peterson's new book, I WANT TO BE LEFT BEHIND: Finding Rapture Here on Earth is a spiritual memoir, widely acclaimed and award-winning. Hew new children's book, PUPS ON THE BEACH is due out from Henry Holt for Young Readers in 2010.Peterson is the founder of the grassroots citizen naturalists Seal Sitters [www.sealsitters.org] and she is also a devoted singer in a Seattle chorale. Peterson writes and teaches in Seattle, Washington by the Salish Sea.Contact her through her website: www.literati.net/Peterson

author photos by: Chris Stuvek and Deb Ching

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully written, informative, life-giving book, May 8, 2000

By 

Vanessa S. Adams "Vanessa Adams" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Singing to the Sound: Visions of Nature, Animals and Spirit (Hardcover)

Watching human beings 'progress' to the detriment of the earth and animals, I often feel a sense of hopelessness. I encourage anyone who feels the same to read this book, Singing to the Sound. Brenda Peterson writes masterfully about some of the most difficult things we face today, with insight, balance and compassion. She gives cause for hope.Inundated as we are by thousands of news sources that trumpet all that is painful in the world, it is natural for us to want to turn away from things like the incomprehensibly cruel Oklahoma City bombing, the heartbreaking battle of wills in the Macah whale hunt controversy, the depletion of the Colorado River in pursuit of electricity, the decimation of the Salmon population, the Exxon oil spill, the 'species management' knee-jerk killing of wolves, and child witnesses to gang violence and murder. But healing is possible. There are people at work to repair and prevent the damage. It soothed my heart to read how, in the chapter Spill, she and her neighbors took action to stop a contractor from pouring excess paint into Puget Sound. In the chapter Great Blue, she found respectful solace with a great blue heron on the beach after learning of the Oklahoma bombing. There is a wonderful chapter called Animal Allies, about inner city children -- witnesses and victims of human brutality -- discovering the strength of their own souls with the help of spirit animals. A powerful section, entitled Common Ground, contains several chapters on the Macah whale hunt, from which I guarantee you will learn more facets to this story than you have in the mainstream media. It is clear that she spent many hours with people directly involved in the controversy, combining painstaking dedication with empathy and sensitivity towards all the participants -- a blessed accomplishment. I treasure this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Important book, August 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Singing to the Sound: Visions of Nature, Animals and Spirit (Hardcover)

I loved this book, and really appreciate the life-long work that Brenda Peterson has done to write about the ways in which humans and other animals are connected. Her chapters on the Makah whale hunt are beautifully written and very informative. Few of us--even those of us who live in the Northwest and follow the news carefully--would otherwise have access to the many-layered story that she gives us. Writers like Brenda who care passionately about both human and nonhuman animals are crucial to any hope of making progress in the vital area of animal rights.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Good Book, August 23, 2000

By 

Dwight D. Schmidt (an avid reader in NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Singing to the Sound: Visions of Nature, Animals and Spirit (Hardcover)

I finished this book this month after reading Animal Grace by Randour and McElroy. Both of these books are immensely interesting and well written and I give "Singing..." a "4" only because I gave this rating to "Animal Grace...." as well and ONLY because I still trying to learn about this interface between science and fancy, fact and conjecture when it comes to nature, spirit, man and animal sprituality etc. Peterson's book is somewhat different from Randour's although they've been advertised together. Peterson's book is more of an essay, sensitive and poignant, regarding her own view on man and nature's interconnections; Randour's book makes more actual claims about spirituality in animals. I've mentioned the interest in this kind of work (see Randour's book) which follows on last year "Parrot's Lament" (about animal feelings) and the book "Nabokov's Blues" which dealt with artist Vladimir Nabokov's scientific work and whether or not Nabokov was a pure scientist or a mystic when it came to nature, creation, evolution etc. These are all wonderful books. Its particularly interesting that more and more scientists and other specialists who in the past might not believe in spirituality in nature, feelings in animals, etc. are becoming more outspoken AND that the public, including myself, is giving them a serious reading. This may actually have some value for environmental protection. Its timely in science reading also because the literary world has been full of authors who have had more or less mystical views of nature (Nabokov, Pope, and many others) (with Nabokov, even ghosts entering into the picture!) and sooner or later we readers start asking ourselves about what is "really real". I'd recommend all these books for those who are exploring these frontiers in their reading. Brenda Peterson wrote a wonderful book, "Duck and Cover" earlier, and in "Singing to the Sound" I think the success of the earlier book and allowed her to "let go" a bit more and trust her audience with a bit more of her exceptional vision on how man and nature are intertwined. I'm starting to see some "unity" in the whole thing now (man and nature) as these books continue to appear explaining more about art/science, man/nature and how their inner natures may be intrinsicly intertwined. Five years ago I might not have read these books; I would have been less believing of the subject matter; but I certainly recommend them now.