Ep. 119: Self-Reliance, Retreat, and Inner Power with David Gessner

Happy Day, Friend! 

On this week’s podcast episode, I’m talking about self-reliance, retreat, and inner power. 

My special guest this week is nature writer, David Gessner. 

How has the tragic experience of COVID-19 changed the way we live—and the way we want to live—for those of us lucky enough to have made it through?

When the pandemic struck, acclaimed nature writer David Gessner turned to Henry David Thoreau, the original social distancer, for insights and a wide-ranging conversation across the centuries. The resulting book, QUIET DESPERATION, SAVAGE DELIGHT: Sheltering with Thoreau in the Age of Crisis , is a lyric yet urgent meditation on life and this earth which includes lessons about rediscovering our own backyards, self-reliance, and rewilding—the last especially poignant after a year of environmental healing. 

David Gessner is the author of Leave It As It Is: A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt’s American Wilderness and the New York Times–bestselling All the Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner and the American West. Chair of the Creative Writing Department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and founder and editor-in-chief of Ecotone, Gessner lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, with his wife, the novelist Nina de Gramont, and their daughter, Hadley.

David and I talk about: 

~ his journey into becoming a nature writer; 

~ his new book, Quiet Desperation, Savage Delight: Sheltering with Thoreau in the Age of Crisis; 

~ COVID-19, self-reliance, and the environment; 

~ the concept of re-wilding; 

~ the healing power of nature and finding solace in your own “back yard oasis”; and 

~ so much more! 

It was such an insightful conversation. I hope you gain a ton of value from it. 

If you loved this episode, please share with a friend or family member that could gain value from it too. 

Make sure to get a copy of David’s book and give one to the nature lovers in your life! 

Connect with David Gessner 👉 Website and Twitter.

If you have any questions, thoughts, or comments: connect with me on social media @atheadavis!   

And, don’t forget to subscribe so you can stay tuned in to all the mindful living love.

Stay connected 👉 @atheadavis on all the social channels. 

Keep breathing deep and shining bright, Friend! ☀️

XO ~ Athea 

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