"THE RURAL LIFE" by Verlyn Klinkenborg (Little, Brown and Co.)
If you enjoy nature, nonfiction and the Hudson Valley, you cannot do better than Verlyn Klinkenborg's "The Rural Life." A series of short essays, it is organized in a journal format from January to December. Mr. Klinkenborg combines lush and lyrical language with sentences as straightforward and readable as the best journalism. For valley residents there is special joy in knowing much of the writing derives from Mr. Klinkenborg's life on a small farm in our region. The format is ideal for busy people. Pick it up and put it down often, and it will delight on every occasion. Ironically this book that artfully captures the repetitions and cycles of rural life and its connectedness to the whole of nature lends itself so well to the frenetic pace of modern life. Read "The Rural Life" and discover why the author's work is in hot demand by National Geographic, The New York Times, Harper's, Mother Jones and other leading publications. - Jay Burgess
"EPITAPH FOR A PEACH: FOUR SEASONS ON MY FAMILY FARM" by David Mas Masumoto (Harper SanFrancisco)
A poetic and moving account of a farmer's efforts to save his family's orchard of Sun Crest peaches, a variety whose flavor and juiciness is the very essence of a peach, but whose color and poor shelf life render it prostrate in a corporate fruit market driven not by taste but by hue and longevity. In a lastditch effort, the author turns away the bulldozers and embraces nature, discovering the beauty, chaos and function of cover crops, wildflowers and insects that work in harmony to create balance without the use of herbicides and synthetic fertilizers. Reawaken your senses and make your mouth water for a warm summer day and a taste of nature at its best. - Heather MacNish
"THE VALLEY TOMORROW" by the Poughkeepsie Journal (Gannett Co., Inc.)
Growth has a pervasive effect on everything, a fact well documented in the Poughkeepsie Journal's "The Valley Tomorrow" series. Launched in September 2002, this series of articles about the effects of population surges in Mid-Hudson Valley communities, especially southern Dutchess County, blends commentary and analysis to paint a picture of a region strained by newfound popularity. As one resident put it, "The influx of people pinches the way of life that brings so many in the first place." Past articles have covered education, salaries, housing, newcomers, Big Blue, government services and transportation. Future articles are scheduled to continue monthly until August. The series is available online at www.poughkeepsiejournal.com under "Special Reports." - Kerri Karvetski |
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| "The Rural Life" by Verlyn Klinkenborg |
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