Seeds: One Man's Serendipitous Journey to Find the Trees That Inspired Famous American Writers from Faulkner to Kerouac, Welty to Wharton [9780061861680]

Overview

"Seeds reads like the best of a roundtable discussion amongst John Muir, Bill Bryson, and David Sedaris. From the fields of Gettysburg to the home of Kerouac, Horan takes an unlikely premise and weaves it into a story that's poignant, insightful and unexpectedly humorous. This is more than a book about seeds—it's about literary heroes, forensic forestry, and self-discovery." —Spike Carlsen, author of A Splintered History of Wood

The Orchid Thief meets Botany of Desire meets Driving Einstein’s Brain in Richard Horan’s Seeds, the chronicle of one man’s literary pilgrimage to understand the influence and impact of trees in American life and literature—and his mission to collect seeds from the homes of Kerouac, Welty, Wharton, Kesey and twenty other American writers, to preserve the literary legacy of American forests for generations to come.

This pilgrimage across America unearths more than just seeds—it reveals the deep connections between the landscape and its most celebrated storytellers.

• A Unique Travel Memoir: Join author Richard Horan on a cross-country road trip, from the home of Jack Kerouac to the fields of Gettysburg, in a quest that is equal parts humorous, insightful, and deeply personal.
• Literary Landmarks: Discover the surprising histories of the trees that stood sentinel for authors like Faulkner, Thoreau, Edith Wharton, and Harper Lee, witnessing their moments of creative inspiration.
• Nature and Literature: Explore the profound, often-overlooked connection between the American landscape and its literary legacy, blending history, botany, and a love for great books.
• A Singular Mission: Follow a fascinating mission to collect and preserve seeds from these historic trees, a living tribute to the roots of American creativity and a message of conservation for the future.