Minnesota writer and wilderness guide Douglas Wood has about 40 books to his name, dating back to 1992 with the publication of his first book Old Turtle, which became a bestseller.
His new book is called A Wild Path, a follow-up to his 2017 memoir Deep Woods, Wild Waters.
In A Wild Path, Wood shares essays on his experiences in the natural world, from his riverside home in central Minnesota to his journeys guiding people through the wilderness.
"We look at the world with serious eyes and try and learn what we can and become better human beings."Writer Douglas Wood on what he hopes readers will learn from his book "A Wild Path."
In a recent What We’re Reading interview, Wood explained A Wild Path has some humor and funny stories, but also covers some serious issues.
“We look at the world with serious eyes and try and learn what we can and become better human beings,” Wood said.
The essays in A Wild Path include finding wisdom in trees and traveling overseas, across the country, and into the Boundary Waters. One also contemplates being alone with our thoughts and a cup of jasmine tea.
As a wilderness guide for 20 years, Wood knows firsthand how we find inspiration and connection in the wilderness. Over the years, he’s come to the realization that as people journey through the wilderness crossing lakes, paddling the rapids, or hiking a difficult trail, these become metaphors for life.
“The world becomes very small, and you become attuned to the journey that each person is taking and the lessons they may be learning along the way.”
Throughout A Wild Path, Wood makes several references to environmental and wilderness writers Sigurd Olson and Aldo Leopold. Wood said their work “has helped us to define a new way of looking at the world in which we're not just exploiting it for every dollar and cent that we can find — but we're looking to the natural world as our home.”
In his essay “A Valley of Light: Tramping the Hills with the Holy Trinity,” Wood describes a weekend he spent with historical reenactors playing writer and naturalist John Muir, and writers Henry David Thoreau and Aldo Leopold.
“Each one had a different message, a different style of writing, but (were) very much brothers of the spirit,” Wood said. “(They had) a way of looking at the world in which we find solace and peace and comfort and education and wisdom in our own lives.”
Whether you pick up A Wild Path for the exciting travels, the introspection of our place in the world, or the serenity of the wilderness, Wood hopes readers will experience “the fullness of a journey and maybe a little inspiration.”
A Wild Path is published by the University of Minnesota Press.
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