Elk River Books presents naturalist and environmental writer Brooke Williams, discussing his new book, Encountering Dragonfly: Notes on the Practice of Re-enchantment, with journalist and author Todd Wilkinson, on Thursday, Aug. 7, at 7 pm. Elk River Books is located at 122 S. 2nd St. The event is free and will be followed by a reception and book signing.
Two decades ago, Williams had a powerful dream about a dragonfly, a dream that cracked open his world by giving rise to a steady stream of dragonfly encounters in his waking life. In the years since, he has delved deeply into the fascinating biology and natural history of dragonflies and made pilgrimages to see them (he now has 38 species on his life list) while also exploring their symbolic meaning and cultural significance.
Encountering Dragonfly is Williams’ account of being drawn into a different kind of relationship with the natural world. By opening himself to the personal and mytho-poetic meanings of dragonfly, he has come to believe in the importance of “re-enchantment.”
Sy Montgomery, author of Of Time and Turtles and The Soul of an Octopus, calls Encountering Dragonfly, “a glittering gem of a book! … Williams gifts us with his exquisite natural history observations alongside the deep truths revealed in myths and dreams. I was utterly enchanted.”
Williams has spent the last 40 years advocating for wilderness and has served on the board of multiple environmental organizations including the Western Environmental Legal Center, Center for Humans and Nature, and Utah Rivers Council. His writing about evolution, consciousness, and his own adventures exploring both the inner and outer wilderness has appeared in Orion, Outside, Huffington Post, Best American Essays and numerous other publications. His previous books include Open Midnight: Where Wilderness and Ancestors Meet and Mary Jane Wild: Two Walks and a Rant. He lives with the writer, Terry Tempest Williams, and two cats near Moab, Utah, where they watch the light and wait for rain.
Wilkinson is an award-winning journalist, author and lecturer focusing on the importance of wildlife and wild places in our world. He founded Mountain Journal in 2017, and his work has appeared in National Geographic, Christian Science Monitor, The Washington Post and many others. His books include Last Stand: Ted Turner’s Quest to Save a Troubled Planet, Grizzly 399, Ripple Effects, Science Under Siege and Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek.
For those who can’t attend in person, the event will live-stream at YouTube.com/ElkRiverBooks.
