Customer Reviews

Tamalpais Walking: Poetry, History, and Prints

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The woodcut and letterpress artist Killion has a Japanese touch to his artwork. The modest graphic style and the coloring remind one of Japanese woodcuts, as does the nature subject matter. Killion's prints though concern Mount Tamalpais north of San Francisco. It's a nature area popular with hikers and campers and also arousing spiritual feelings. Gary Snyder's poetry goes along with Killion's prints concerning the Mount Tamalpais notable throughout the region for physical and spiritual reasons. Snyder's poems with haiku-like lines mirror physical aspects of nature and spirituality in connection to nature. Beyond his poetry, Snyder embraced an Asian, Zen-like spirituality and lived close to nature. He spent much time hiking about Tamalpais, and he spent time in Japan to experience Asian spirituality directly.

Besides the art work, Killian writes fetching essays for the book. Snyder contributes journal-like parts going back to the 1950s and '60s. But the two are not the only ones found. Quotes from the writings of Kenneth Rexroth, Jack Kerouac, Ina Coolbright and anecdotes on such authors representing the fusion of Asian spirituality and American openness of spirit and attraction to nature are interwoven into the text.

There are 14 full-page color woodcuts of Killion's including the frontispiece. Others are of varying sizes in full-color or shades of dark colors. Coming upon the woodcuts of all sizes throughout the pages, one is drawn to them again and again perusing their details of coastline, clouds, craggy earth, and slopes. One wants to notice Killion's technical skill and spots of originality in this art, and also enjoy again and again the aesthetic and spiritual freshets afforded by them. At the end are three pages of color woodcuts four to a page.

The book is a rare book published these days, or ever. Not falling neatly into a marketing or shelving category of the book trade, it is a risky publishing venture even considering the reputations of the artist and poet. Despite this, no effort or expense has been spared in design or production. Though it has aspects of each, Tamalpais Walking cannot be reduced to a nature book, an art book, or a book of spirituality. These aspects are joined ideally; and to some point brought together subliminally, although the book is founded in the particular place of Mount Tamalpais. Primarily it's a book of spiritual and artistic enjoyment.

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!

The author, along with poet Gary Snyder have put together the most beautiful collection of woodcuts and poetry/history of Marin county's Mt. Tam ever. You will be transported by this treasure.

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.

I own a Killion print. I compared it to the color plate in the book and I was amazed at how similar they are. This is a great thing.
The writing is extremely nice, but it's really the prints that make this book wonderful for me, as I am a huge Killion fan.

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.