The Place Within: Portraits of the American Landscape by Twenty Contemporary Writers

Freelance writer Daynard has skillfully selected well-written and diverse pieces, some published previously, that reflect highly personal views of place. Several contributors describe the beauty of undeveloped spaces: Alan Lightman (Einstein's Dreams) offers a portrait of a remote Maine island; Diane Ackerman (A Natural History of the Senses) vividly evokes the Grand Canyon. Other essays, however, use nature--or even developed landscapes--as a backdrop for more intimately human concerns. Scott Russell Sanders (Writing from the Center) uses the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop to the ups and downs of his relationship with his teenage son; Phillip Lopate offers a compelling overview of his love affair with Manhattan. Included also is an article by Richard Rodriguez (Hunger of Memory) on gay life during the age of AIDS in San Francisco. Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman closes with his bird's-eye view of the American landscape from a spaceship. This collection is an evocative and pleasurable read. First serial to the Boston Globe; author tour. (Nov.)