Nature swagger : stories and visions of Black joy in the outdoors

Nature swagger Stories and visions of Black joy in the outdoors

Rue Mapp

Book - 2022

"Nature Swagger presents thirty life-changing stories of self-discovery, courage, and healing in the natural world. Told through first-person narratives, essays, and poems, this uplifting collection celebrates the many ways that outdoor spaces offer Black people opportunities for personal empowerment, connection, and rejuvenation. Readers will immerse themselves in stories told from mountains, redwood forests, city parks, and far-off beaches: joining a woman on her courageous journey up Kilimanjaro, meeting a couple teaching the art of beekeeping in urban Detroit, and following a long-distance swim alongside a pod of dolphins--plus so much more. Interspersed are essays by author and celebrated outdoor leader, Rue Mapp, honoring the ric...h history and traditions surrounding Black people's relationship to the outdoors. Full of breathtaking photography and powerful storytelling, this boundary-breaking collection offers moments of profound beauty and insight, inviting every reader to forge their own meaningful and joyful relationship with the natural world"--

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Subjects
Outdoor recreation > Psychological aspects.
Outdoor recreation.
African Americans > Psychology > Miscellanea.
African Americans > Psychology.
Trivia and miscellanea.
Genres
Trivia and miscellanea
Published
San Francisco : Chronicle Books [2022]
Language
English
Main Author
Rue Mapp (author)
Physical Description
192 pages : color illustrations ; 25 cm
ISBN
9781797214290
  • Foreword by Shelton Johnson
  • Introduction: a standing invitation
  • Homecoming
  • Places of purpose
  • Hands on the land
  • In the name of joy.
Review by Library Journal Review

This book by Mapp (founder of Outdoor Afro, a nonprofit that connects Black explorers to nature and the outdoors) will lure readers with its glimpses of the author's family history and picturesque descriptions of her youthful adventures frolicking on a family-owned California farm. More than 30 other writers from ages 10 to 98 also contribute essays about the outdoors, illustrated by vibrant images of Black people in joyful, triumphant, or still moments in indoor and outdoor settings. Each essay is inviting, conjuring up visions of abundant days spent in painted landscapes of splendor. There are even surprising bits of poetry peppered among the essays. This book is ultimately about joy and how the outdoors is in the domain of Black people, but readers do not have to be Black to enjoy it. The sense of joy and theme of connecting with nature are universal. Mapp's personal stories, along with the other pieces, make this book a valuable addition to any library that wants to encourage exploring the healing beauty of nature. VERDICT The contributors' varied experience levels and expertise make this book accessible and fun; don't miss the valuable resources mentioned in the essays. Recommended for school and public libraries.--Xan Goodman

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