[This week I’ve been highlighting American things for which I’m thankful. This is the fifth and final entry in the series.]
This is really a Guest Post of Sorts, but one authored by somebody from whom I definitely also give thanks: Mike Branch. Mike was a graduate student of my Dad's for many years, writing his dissertation on American environmental writing, and has since gone on to become one of the leading scholars and teachers in that evolving field; he's certainly a scholarly role model for me in many ways, not least his commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship and his admirable ability (as this essay illustrates) to connect his scholarly work to real, vital American and human questions and conversations. But Mike was also a close family friend during my transitional teenage years, and likewise served as a profound influence on me as an individual, as a Bruce fan, as a lover of nature (I still remember our overnight camping trip in Shenandoah National Park), and as a man.
So I'm very thankful for Mike on multiple levels, and am doubly thankful to have stumbled on this great Thanksgiving essay of his:
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/6471/
Enjoy, and thanks, Mike, for everything! Happy Thanksgiving one more time, and more this weekend,
Ben
PS. Any American things for which you're thankful? One more chance to add them in the Comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment