The Daily Special Episode: ‘An Obituary for the Land’
Sep 18, 2020
Terry Tempest Williams, a renowned writer from Utah, shares her profound connection to the American West and its fleeting yet resilient landscapes. She recounts a harrowing family experience escaping a wildfire, intertwining themes of grief and connection to nature. Together with producer Bianca Giaever, they explore the emotional toll of environmental changes and craft a hopeful eulogy for the land that highlights nature’s remarkable ability to regenerate, shedding light on both loss and resilience amidst devastation.
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Near-Death Fire Experience
- Terry Tempest Williams' family survived a near-fatal fire in Glacier National Park.
- The fire, sounding like a train wreck, surrounded them, but miraculously shifted, allowing them to escape.
Fire's Mosaic of Destruction
- Wildfires create a mosaic of destruction, leaving some areas untouched.
- Witnessing such a force is overwhelming, and those unaffected by the devastation are "dead to this world."
Ash as a Symbol of Loss
- The ash from wildfires represents the remains of living things, a constant reminder of loss.
- Terry carries this grief daily, acknowledging it as the truth of the situation.