David Gessner Returns - "A Traveler's Guide to the End of the World"

Jun 20, 2023

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David Gessner is no stranger to Mountain & Prairie listeners– he’s joined me for many episodes and is the author of many of my favorite books, including "All the Wild That Remains," "Leave It As It Is," "My Green Manifesto," and more. His newest book is "A Traveler's Guide to the End of the World: Tales of Fire, Wind, and Water," which once again showcases David’s unique ability to combine humor, travel, and memoir in service of connecting the reader with the natural world.

"A Traveler's Guide to the End of the World" chronicles David’s journeys around the country, where he finds himself in the middle of an unsettling number of climate disasters– from historic forest fires in the American West to hurricanes on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Eschewing the ubiquitous facts, figures, and policy debates that often dominate climate-focused books, David does what he does best: he tells stories. Specifically, he tells impactful, insightful stories from the front lines of the climate crisis– stories that will stick with the reader for years to come.

As has been our tradition for several years now, David and I met up in Boulder, Colorado, where he and his family visit each summer. We obviously talk a lot about the book, but as is the case whenever we get together, the conversation flows into many fun and unexpected topics. You can check out the episode notes for a full list of everything we discussed, but some of the topics include: David’s recent writing workshop at the Zapata Ranch with his friend, author Craig Childs, the importance of momentum and dailiness in writing, how David’s daughter was the influence for the new book, optimism vs. pessimism when reporting current events, thoughts on death and loss, David’s good friend, the late Mark Spitzer, the next generation of conservation-minded writers, some book recommendations, the idea of being a “polygamist of place,” and much more.

I’m always happy to have the opportunity to sit down with David for a conversation, so I greatly appreciate his carving out the time. I hope you can check out "A Traveler's Guide to the End of the World," and I hope you enjoy this episode.

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A Traveler’s Guide to the End of the World by David Gessner
David Gessner
Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/david-gessner-4/
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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

3:15 - David’s Zapata Ranch retreat
6:45 - Discussing the power of “dailiness”
7:45 - Whether or not teaching helped in David’s practice of writing
9:00 - How many books David has written in the past 18 months
10:30 - How David knows when an idea becomes a book in his mind
16:45 - David’s goal for "A Traveler’s Guide to the End of the World," including how he balanced stories with statistics and humor with the weight of the subject
20:45 - Evaluating how the news of the West is reported
27:45 - What David means when he identifies as a “polygamist of place”
33:15 - David’s relationship with Mark Spitzer
39:30 - How David feels about entering a stage in life where his friends are beginning to pass away
43:45 - Discussing David’s daughter, climate change, and how they figure into "A Traveler’s Guide"
50:30 - David discusses the various tools he would like to use to face climate change
52:45 - Who David thinks will continue the work of the Doug Peacocks of the world
56:45 - Discussing the political alignment affiliated with climate change work
1:01:30 - David’s book recommendations

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