Tamalpais Walking: Poetry, History, and Prints (Hardcover)

~ Tom Killion and Gary Snyder (Author), (Illustrator)
Key Phrases: sleeping maiden, hiking culture, hiking community, San Francisco, Bay Area, Muir Woods (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Poet Snyder refers to Mount Tamalpais as œSan Francisco's backyard wilderness. But Killion's brief history makes clear that the location has been an integral part of San Francisco's outdoor culture since the 19th century. Although œTamalpais is a Miwok Indian word, what role the mountain played in their traditions has been lost. Place names on the mountain commemorate settlers who hiked its slopes, and the genteel poets and writers of the post–Civil War generations created most of the œIndian legends associated with it. But it was with Kenneth Rexroth and the burgeoning San Francisco scene of the 1930s that Tamalpais found its place in American literature, and later Jack Kerouac placed scenes in The Dharma Bums on the small mountain. Snyder is Tamalpais's greatest poet, and his essay recalling three circumambulatory hikes on the mountain is a highlight of the book. Poems by Rexroth, Snyder and Lew Welch are interspersed throughout, and multiblock color prints by Killion (who collaborated with Snyder on The High Sierra of California) pay homage both to Tamalpais and the Japanese masters of ukiyo-e, who perfected the complicated technique. (May)
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Product Description

Seventy-two views of Mt. Tamalpais In a new collaboration by the authors of the bestselling The High Sierra of California, readers are introduced to the unique mountain overlooking San Francisco Bay. A source of story and myth since time began, Mt. Tamalpais has inspired conservationists, trail builders, botanists, artists, and poets for more than a century. With freshness and sustained delight, Tamalpais Walking explores Mt. Tamalpais s natural, cultural, historic, and spiritual dimensions. It is a book shaped by two master craftsmen collaborating on an enterprise nurtured by long and passionate involvement. The artwork is the product of Tom Killion s decades of depicting and interpreting the mountain s many moods and aspects. Gary Snyder has been hiking Mt. Tamalpais since 1948, and through poetry and a new, revealing essay he offers his thoughts on the mountain, its history, and the practice of walking meditation. Further enriched with Killion s essays on the mountain s history and selections from the work of Jack Kerouac, Ina Coolbrith, Kenneth Rexroth, and Lew Welch, Tamalpais Walking takes us deep into Mt. Tamalpais s pathways, offering original, revelatory views of a mountain prominent not just on the landscape but in the history and imagination of the West Coast.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Heyday Books (May 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159714097X
• ISBN-13: 978-1597140973
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,566 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Other Media > Prints
  #8 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Ecology > Mountains
  #9 in	Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Printmaking

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspired Collaboration Again..., May 27, 2009

By	Judy Watt "judywatt" (Land's End, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Another inspired collaboration of great art and great poetry, with interesting history in the mix as well.

I have all of Professor Killion's art books (except 28 Views) and about a dozen of his prints collected over the past 25 years or so. They get more expensive all the time, so while I used to buy big ones, now I just buy little ones. :)

Highly recommended for anyone who admires this style of block printing, or is a fan of Gary Snyder and somehow doesn't know about Tom Killion - buy it and find out what you've been missing all these years!

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cloud hidden Whereabouts unknown., April 26, 2009

By	Patrick Monk (SF. Ca.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

How can this combination of people and place be anything but magnificent.
" If I ever have to get away from it all, and in the words of the Chinese poet, "wash all the wrongs of life from my pores", there is simply nothing better than to climb out on a rock, and sit for hours with nothing in sight but the sea and sky ".
Ordered this along with new Dylan "Together through Life" and Cohen "Live in London" CD's. Was tempted to spring for Super Shipper but the anticipation is going to be a wnderful part of the process.

5.0 out of 5 stars A top-notch, outstanding survey, September 18, 2009

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Over seventy views of Mt. Tam are presented in a combination of history, prints and poetry - a fine literary collaboration by the authors of THE HIGH SIERRA OF CALIFORNIA. It's rich in essays and art and offers any Northern California library or resident a 'must have' survey of Mt. Tamalpais' importance in California history in general and Marin County life in particular. A top-notch, outstanding survey.