Congrats friend. Love to see this. The story of Connie and Lloyd is so beautiful and tragic but it makes so much sense, too, that they both succumbed doing what they loved
Thank you for your support and encouragement. I don't think Connie and Lloyd thought of themselves as tragic (although Lloyd would have preferred not to make it off the mountain). Taking my last breath on bear grass would be a fine death.
Thanks Matthew! I’ll be eager for your perspective, as I think there are real affinities between wilderness work and military service, including more room for the life of the mind than most might expect.
I got here via Bowen that talked about you on his substack. This post of yours really resonated with me guess because I've been trying to write and get a book published for so long. It's not a problem of writers block or such, I've just been too damn busy running my businesses!
So I'm totally new here and has a story to tell. I've been sharing it for a couple of years with other buddies in private. We're a sober collective where the power of love has healed many.
Now I want to share it with the world cause the power of a collective, community, connection is totally undervalued in this egoistic, liquid modernity era. I want to build such a collective here on substack and work with others that feel the same way.
This is a brilliant collection! It manages to be, simultaneously, deeply thoughtful, deeply felt, and almost tangibly physical via the images. The intense thought, memory, and sensation reflected in the poems give the reader a "you are there" feeling, but also create a subtle, nuanced narrative arc. The intimacy of these poems can be almost painful, in a good sense, and I kept marveling at Josh's articulate vulnerability; these poems are courageously self-disclosing without being merely "confessional" in the usual sense. From the first poem in the collection to the last, I was fully engaged.
By the way, the book is available through Barnes and Noble, for anyone who would prefer to avoid feeding the Amazon monster.
Haha! My scholarly days are long behind me, but thanks for the undeserved tribute. You are most welcome to use what I wrote in any way you like, though I'm afraid it doesn't really do justice to a truly beautiful and powerful book.
Thank you, Tey! I tell some of this tale in the chapters "Selway By Headlamp" and "The Tao of River Trash" in my memoir. Happy to talk privately, too. Thanks for reading.
Joshua, just got the Kindle edition. The very first poem "Duende" blew my mind. I did not want to go ahead, but re-read it and that last line, almost Basho-esque
"the thought a bright stain on a vast plain of snow"
Just now when I typed the sentence above, my brain automatically put in the word "red" in place of stain (that's how bright the word was :) Half way through I was worrying that this was not something that happened to you. Even just hitting the femur hurts so much, let alone getting shot!
I read a review of Aldo Leopold's Sand County Almanac yesterday, and was struck by the reviewer's comment she didn't understand why people thought it was an important philosophy. I thought Huh.
Seems the reviewer lives in NYC - well of course, now I get it.
Wild horses couldn't make me live in that place. I need country - maybe not Idaho country, but at least a piece of rolling land without crazy folks everywhere you look.
My favorite writing place is anywhere where there's a view of trees and some water.
I do have many NYC friends, so I don't meant to cast aspersions recklessly. And there is a bourgeois interest in rugged places, or else "Yellowstone" would not be such a hit. In my experience, the prejudice extends more to a working-class sensibility -- precisely like the one Maclean expressed in his classic volume. Urbanites like the Sierra Club vision of wilderness. They are not as sure how to handle a book like mine, where the relationship with wild places is grounded in labor, not recreation.
Congrats! There's nothing like bringing peace to a bottled-up project after a decade or more. (It's funny that so many of us are doing that: you, Michael Mohr, yours truly; the last decade or two don't know what they were missing!)
I wouldn't worry about "what's hip." If that audience doesn't exist now, it'll exist in the future. Every work must follow its own course. From the look of it you've got advocates. And that's the best start a poet could ask for.
Congratulations! I spent two years in Missoula in the ‘90s (back when nature writing was somewhat in), but grad school and a toddler kept me from exploring much on the Idaho side of the divide.
I just ordered my copy! I'm looking forward to reading and sitting with your words in my hands soon
Thanks, Lyle! I think this will resonate with you, given your musical background. Lyrics are one form of poetry. Appreciate your support.
Congrats friend. Love to see this. The story of Connie and Lloyd is so beautiful and tragic but it makes so much sense, too, that they both succumbed doing what they loved
Thank you for your support and encouragement. I don't think Connie and Lloyd thought of themselves as tragic (although Lloyd would have preferred not to make it off the mountain). Taking my last breath on bear grass would be a fine death.
Congrats Joshua. I look forward to getting my copy soon.
Thanks Matthew! I’ll be eager for your perspective, as I think there are real affinities between wilderness work and military service, including more room for the life of the mind than most might expect.
Morning Joshua
I got here via Bowen that talked about you on his substack. This post of yours really resonated with me guess because I've been trying to write and get a book published for so long. It's not a problem of writers block or such, I've just been too damn busy running my businesses!
So I'm totally new here and has a story to tell. I've been sharing it for a couple of years with other buddies in private. We're a sober collective where the power of love has healed many.
Now I want to share it with the world cause the power of a collective, community, connection is totally undervalued in this egoistic, liquid modernity era. I want to build such a collective here on substack and work with others that feel the same way.
Love never fails 🌾
https://substack.com/@soberhorseman/note/c-104987791?r=5g8wzg
Thank you! Glad this resonated. Yes, stories that want to be told eventually will find a way. All the best for your new venture.
This is a brilliant collection! It manages to be, simultaneously, deeply thoughtful, deeply felt, and almost tangibly physical via the images. The intense thought, memory, and sensation reflected in the poems give the reader a "you are there" feeling, but also create a subtle, nuanced narrative arc. The intimacy of these poems can be almost painful, in a good sense, and I kept marveling at Josh's articulate vulnerability; these poems are courageously self-disclosing without being merely "confessional" in the usual sense. From the first poem in the collection to the last, I was fully engaged.
By the way, the book is available through Barnes and Noble, for anyone who would prefer to avoid feeding the Amazon monster.
Thanks so much! May I share your comments on Notes (Substack's version of X)? This means a great deal given your high standards as a Taylor scholar!
Dear Josh,
Haha! My scholarly days are long behind me, but thanks for the undeserved tribute. You are most welcome to use what I wrote in any way you like, though I'm afraid it doesn't really do justice to a truly beautiful and powerful book.
Thank you for publishing those poems!
Best wishes,
Stephen
Than you, Stephen! Your note means a great deal.
“My favorite poems are those that assemble the raw materials for epiphany.” Well said. Congratulations! This is exciting.
Thanks, Julie! Looking forward to your serialized novel. So many to keep up with now :)
I’ll be doing it every other week, so maybe easier? Or worse? Guess we’ll find out - haha. 🤷🏼♀️
What a lovely book launch. And your relationship with your friends and the mountain while you were a ranger is something I’d enjoy hearing more about.
Thank you, Tey! I tell some of this tale in the chapters "Selway By Headlamp" and "The Tao of River Trash" in my memoir. Happy to talk privately, too. Thanks for reading.
https://uipress.uiowa.edu/books/down-mountaintop
Joshua, just got the Kindle edition. The very first poem "Duende" blew my mind. I did not want to go ahead, but re-read it and that last line, almost Basho-esque
"the thought a bright stain on a vast plain of snow"
Just now when I typed the sentence above, my brain automatically put in the word "red" in place of stain (that's how bright the word was :) Half way through I was worrying that this was not something that happened to you. Even just hitting the femur hurts so much, let alone getting shot!
Look forward to reading the rest. Love it man.
Thank you, my friend. I hope the rest holds up!
I read a review of Aldo Leopold's Sand County Almanac yesterday, and was struck by the reviewer's comment she didn't understand why people thought it was an important philosophy. I thought Huh.
Seems the reviewer lives in NYC - well of course, now I get it.
Wild horses couldn't make me live in that place. I need country - maybe not Idaho country, but at least a piece of rolling land without crazy folks everywhere you look.
My favorite writing place is anywhere where there's a view of trees and some water.
Maybe in 20 years...
I do have many NYC friends, so I don't meant to cast aspersions recklessly. And there is a bourgeois interest in rugged places, or else "Yellowstone" would not be such a hit. In my experience, the prejudice extends more to a working-class sensibility -- precisely like the one Maclean expressed in his classic volume. Urbanites like the Sierra Club vision of wilderness. They are not as sure how to handle a book like mine, where the relationship with wild places is grounded in labor, not recreation.
Congrats, Josh. Re-stacked.
Cheers, and thanks!
Congrats! There's nothing like bringing peace to a bottled-up project after a decade or more. (It's funny that so many of us are doing that: you, Michael Mohr, yours truly; the last decade or two don't know what they were missing!)
I wouldn't worry about "what's hip." If that audience doesn't exist now, it'll exist in the future. Every work must follow its own course. From the look of it you've got advocates. And that's the best start a poet could ask for.
Cheers, Felix! Good to hear from you. I’m doing my best to focus on the projects that matter to me.
Congratulations! I spent two years in Missoula in the ‘90s (back when nature writing was somewhat in), but grad school and a toddler kept me from exploring much on the Idaho side of the divide.
Thanks! There's a lot of country to explore. Between the Selway-Bitterroot and the Frank Church, 2.5 million acres.
These poems are beautiful. I purchased the book a few months back and loved each page. I just left a review on Kobo.