Finding Ourselves in Moss, Feathers, and Atoms
Finding Ourselves in Moss, Feathers, and Atoms
Do you ever forget about the impact nature has on you? Although people do not like to admit it, nature is something many people forget about and, as a result, neglect. Not only does nature keep everyone alive, but it also typically brightens the days of many just by being outside their windows. In the anthology Colors of Nature: Culture, Identity, and the Natural World, essays by authors such as Nalini Nadkarni, Al Young, and Jennifer Oladipo explore the importance of nature and growth in human beings. These authors share a common interest in nature, portraying similar messages about nature. In particular, Nadkarni, Young, and Oladipo stress the importance nature has on individuals in their pieces. From reading the essays “A Tapestry of Browns and Greens,” “Silent Parrot Blues,” and “Porphyrin Rings,” we watch the authors grow as people. Through their insight and experiences with nature, the authors show readers how connected people and nature truly are.
Nalini Nadkarni, the author of “A Tapestry of Browns and Greens,” is currently a faculty member in environmental studies at Evergreen State College. She focuses her studies on the ecology of tropical and temperate forest canopies (Deming and Savoy 333). Nadkarni comes from an Indian/Hindu and Brooklyn/Jewish background. She grew up in a primarily Caucasian area where many people saw her as different. Even with such an ethnic background, Nadkarni never saw herself as diverse or different from any of her friends. Her friends, however, pointed out her differences, asking her: “what does it feel like to look different from everybody else?” (Nadkarni 252). However, Nadkarni never let that bother her; she felt proud of her differences and used them “to see the complexities of nature, and to communicate them to a wide range of audiences” (Nadkarni 251). Nadkarni was a strong individual; she did not allow what others thought of her to trouble her. Further, she wanted to
Do you ever forget about the impact nature has on you? Although people do not like to admit it, nature is something many people forget about and, as a result, neglect. Not only does nature keep everyone alive, but it also typically brightens the days of many just by being outside their windows. In the anthology Colors of Nature: Culture, Identity, and the Natural World, essays by authors such as Nalini Nadkarni, Al Young, and Jennifer Oladipo explore the importance of nature and growth in human beings. These authors share a common interest in nature, portraying similar messages about nature. In particular, Nadkarni, Young, and Oladipo stress the importance nature has on individuals in their pieces. From reading the essays “A Tapestry of Browns and Greens,” “Silent Parrot Blues,” and “Porphyrin Rings,” we watch the authors grow as people. Through their insight and experiences with nature, the authors show readers how connected people and nature truly are.
Nalini Nadkarni, the author of “A Tapestry of Browns and Greens,” is currently a faculty member in environmental studies at Evergreen State College. She focuses her studies on the ecology of tropical and temperate forest canopies (Deming and Savoy 333). Nadkarni comes from an Indian/Hindu and Brooklyn/Jewish background. She grew up in a primarily Caucasian area where many people saw her as different. Even with such an ethnic background, Nadkarni never saw herself as diverse or different from any of her friends. Her friends, however, pointed out her differences, asking her: “what does it feel like to look different from everybody else?” (Nadkarni 252). However, Nadkarni never let that bother her; she felt proud of her differences and used them “to see the complexities of nature, and to communicate them to a wide range of audiences” (Nadkarni 251). Nadkarni was a strong individual; she did not allow what others thought of her to trouble her. Further, she wanted to
Cited: Deming, Alison, and Lauret Savoy, eds. Colors of Nature Culture: Identity, and the Natural World. Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 2011. Print. Nadkarni, Nalini. "A Tapestry of Browns and Greens." The Colors of Nature: Culture, Identity, and the Natural World. Ed. Alison Hawthorne Deming and Lauret E. Savoy. Minneapolis: Milkweed, 2011. 251-62. Print. Oladipo, Jennifer. "Porphyrin Rings." Colors of Nature: Culture, Identity, and the Natural World. Ed. Alison Hawthorne Deming and Lauret E. Savoy. Minneapolis: Milkweed, 2011. 263-68. Print. Young, Al. "Silent Parrot Blues." Colors of Nature: Culture, Identity, and the Natural World. Ed. Alison Hawthorne Deming and Lauret E. Savoy. Minneapolis: Milkweed, 2011. 141-51. Print.