Angelica NY - Join the Concerned Citizens of Allegany
County for "PLACE & STORY,” a reading and discussion series developed
and sponsored in part by Humanities New York.
“PLACE & STORY” will take place over five Thursday
evenings this spring from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at different locations around
Allegany County. Participants read books in advance then come together for a
facilitated discussion, delving into the themes of Americans’ relationships to
wildlife and the environment, from New York City to the Western wilderness.
Our third book in the series is "Red-Tails in Love: A
Wildlife Drama in Central Park" by Marie Winn.
The scene of this enchanting (and true) story is the Ramble,
an unknown wilderness deep in the heart of New York’s fabled Central Park.
There an odd and amiable band of nature lovers devote themselves to observing
and protecting the park’s rich wildlife.
When a pair of red-tailed hawks builds a nest atop a Fifth
Avenue apartment house across the street from the model-boat pond, Marie Winn
and her fellow "Regulars" are soon transformed into obsessed
hawkwatchers. The hilarious and occasionally heartbreaking saga of Pale Male
and his mate as they struggle to raise a family in their unprecedented nest
site, and the affectionate portrait of the humans who fall under their spell
will delight and inspire readers for years to come.
“PLACE & STORY” will be facilitated by Emma Percy, an
eco-artist and visiting professor at Alfred University who states, “Reflecting
on the ecology of a place in my (artistic) material and content choices is a
way of recognizing and honoring my ongoing relationship with that environment.”
Participants are invited to read and take part in the
discussion of these additional texts:
• Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner -- May 9 -- Fassett
Greenspace 55 Main St., Wellsville
• An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers,
Politicos, Polluters, and the Fight for Seadrift, Texas by Diane Wilson -- May
23 -- Bolivar Free Library, 390 Main St., Bolivar
The program is free and open to the public. Fifteen copies
of each book are available for participants to borrow on a first-come,
first-served basis, so pre-registration is required. For more information about
the series dates, locations, and acquiring books in advance, email
contactusccac@gmail.com or phone/text 585-466-4474.
MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK
AND THE AUTHOR:
Marie Winn wrote a column on nature and birdwatching for the
Wall Street Journal for twelve years. Among her previous books are The Plug-In
Drug: Television, Children & the Family (twenty-fifth anniversary edition
2003), and Children Without Childhood. Married to the filmmaker and
palindromist Allan Miller, she spends part of every day in Central Park.
PRAISE:
“Enchanting.” —The New York Review of Books
“An amazing drama, as good as any soap opera and all the
more remarkable since it is a true wildlife story.” — Birding
“A sublime lesson in adaptability, hope, and wild-bred
devotion. It’ll make you look to the skies, no matter where you live.” —Carl
Hiaasen, Mirabella
“Astonishing. . . . If you don’t believe that the Central
Park of Stuart Little has always existed, read this book and open your eyes.”
—Mary Tyler Moore
“Engaging . . . Dr. Zhivago with feathers. . . . That such
simple pleasures can be savored today, in the heart of frantic New York City,
is a bit of a miracle.” —The Boston Globe
“‘Give your heart to the hawks,’ the poet Robinson Jeffers
wrote. Marie Winn certainly has, and so will readers of this delightful book.”
—The New York Times Book Review
This program is presented by Concerned Citizens of Allegany
County, Sponsored in part by a Humanities New York Visit/Action Grant. Any
views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do
not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
