Spokane author jack nisbets new book, ancient places. His books include sources of the river recipient of the washington governors award and winner of the murray morgan prize from more about jack nisbet. Spokane author jack nisbet s new book, ancient places. In telling douglas story, nisbet evokes a lost world of early exploration, pristine nature, ambition, and cultural and class conflict with surprisingly modern resonances. The book takes readers along on douglass journeys into a literal brave new world of thenobscure realms from puget sound to the sandwich islands. Singing grass, burning sage by jack nisbet and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Nisbet tells of how smallpox ravaged the native tribes and he describes a trip to gather roots with a salish woman. Bring your club to amazon book clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a.
Clarks expedition, that saw the sad end of the indian wars with the flight of chief joseph, that has offered up fossil proof of mammoth species. Jack nisbet is a teacher, naturalist, and writer who lives in spokane, washington with his wife and two children. Jack nisbet first told the story of british explorer david thompson. Carrie leiberg, a pioneer physician, fought hard for public health while nurturing both a troubled son and a fruit orchard. A naturalist at work, is a collection of essays that both provide historical context for douglass journeys and relate them to the modern landscape. Jack nesbit and his wife claire are the curators of the exhibit. A naturalist at work is a companion volume to a major exhibit about douglas at the museum of arts and culture in spokane, washington state. He grew up in north carolina, graduated from stanford university, and moved to stevens county, washington, in 1971 where he wrote a column for the chewelah independent works. Jack nisbet and sasquatch books are to be congratulated for producing such a handsome book.
Nisbet evocatively transports readers back and forth from the natural world that douglas encountered in the 1820s and 1830s to the same places in the presentday. To begin with a note of confession, i am an unabashed fan of jack nisbet. Historian and naturalist jack nisbetauthor of sources of the river. Jack nisbet peels back the landscapes of the northwest to uncover layers of meaning in unexpected places. Frontier forester, doctor team made 19th century waves in.
Tracking david thompson across western north americalooks to the relics of a region to. A museum exhibit of the same name, curated by nisbet and his wife claire, ran at the northwest museum of arts and culture in spokane and the washington state historical society museum in tacoma. He grew up in north carolina, graduated from stanford university, and moved to stevens county, washington, in 1971 where he wrote a column for the chewelah independent. I guess ive always been looking for different ways to reveal the landscape. I read the collector because i wanted to learn more about the grass man, the explorerbotanist who haunted the fur posts of the hudson bay and northwest companies.
The doctor and the dreamer by jack nisbet is a fantastic book, despite its many caveats. Douglas, a scottish botanist, explored north america and hawaii in. John lieberg dedicated his life to discovering and classifying many thousand varieties of flowers, mosses, trees,water resources in the northwest lands of the united states starting in the late 1800s. Added new perspective to oregon pacific northwest history. Author jack nisbet will talk at four presentations this week in western montana about. Jack nisbet first told the story of british explorer david thompson, who mapped the columbia river, in his acclaimed sources of the river. Now nisbet turns his attention to david douglas, the premier botanical explorer in the pacific northwest and throughout other areas of western north america. One journey is his personal trek to find david thompson. Equal parts biography, natural history, and travelogue, jack nisbet tells the story of david douglas, the. Great book for this part of our world, jack nisbet always has a hand on earths heart beat and how we all live read more.
He is the author of several books, including the collector and sources of the river, the winner of the washington governors writers award, the murray morgan prize, and the idaho book of the year. Those who love the intersection of human history and natural history are in for a treat. Jack nisbet first told the story of british explorer david thompson, who mapped the columbia river, in his acclaimed book sources of the river, which set the standard for research and narrative biography for the region. In 1824, londons royal horticultural society sent the young botanist david douglas on an expedition to the pacific northwest to study and to collect native flora and fauna. Frontier forester, doctor team made 19th century waves in the. Aug 03, 2010 the book takes readers along on douglass journeys into a literal brave new world of thenobscure realms from puget sound to the sandwich islands. Jun 05, 2015 jack nisbet s new essay collection, ancient places, showcases the breadth and depth of his knowledge of the pacific northwest. David thompson on the columbia plateau, is receiving in canada. This is the third book by jack nisbet ive read, the first being sources of the river followed by the dreamer and the doctor. Jack nisbet books list of books by author jack nisbet thriftbooks. Jack nisbet takes us on two journeys with his book, sources of the river. Known as the columbian plateau, the land was originally arid shrubsteppe. Each one is gentle but leads the reader into a new avenue of thought. Tracking david thompson through the inland northwest sasquatch books, 1994.
It traces the unlikely saga of john and carrie leiberg. With ancient places, nisbet shows again that he is a. In an email interview, nisbet discusses his new book about them, the dreamer and the doctor, his interest in the leibergs, how he came to. He wrote the text for this nature conservancy of washington book about the shrubsteppe and palouse area of eastern washington. That book set the standard for research and narrative biography for the region.
Now nisbet turns his attention to david douglas, the premier botanical explorer in the pacific northwest and other areas of western north america. He encourages us to look with a new, but also eonsold, light on mountains and rivers, traditional cultures and more recent settlers. In addition, please note that the book david douglas. Jan 01, 2009 this is the third book by jack nisbet ive read, the first being sources of the river followed by the dreamer and the doctor. Published september 1st 2009 by sasquatch books first published january 1st 2009. Dec 21, 2018 rena cobrinik rated it really liked it the doctor and the dreamer by jack nisbet is a fantastic book, despite its many caveats.
Tracking david thompson across western north america seattle. Washington state east of the cascade mountains is a land in the midst of change. Washington state university press, pullman wa 2005. Nisbet will read june 9 at the seattle public library and. Jack nisbet s the dreamer and the doctor has arrived. Montana is a large state with diverse vegetation from great plains prairie and deciduous forest in the east to northern coniferous forest and alpine tundra in the west. His new book, following on his life of david douglas, the collector, continues to delight. Each new story brings a different facet of life in the columbia river basin. Nov 06, 2012 his new book, following on his life of david douglas, the collector, continues to delight. Nisbet gracefully and concisely traces douglas journey from a gardeners apprentice in scotland to a young botanistcollector. The book takes readers along on douglas journeys into a literal brave new world of thenobscure realms from puget sound to the sandwich islands. Jacks latest effort, the dreamer and the doctor, will be released on october 23 from sasquatch books. Discovering the botanical secrets of this spectacular landscape began with indigenous peoples and continued through the 20th century with early explorers, geographers and entrepreneurs followed by teachers, scientists and. Sources of the river goes immediately onto my short shelf of best books about the pacific northwest.
This exhibit continues until august 24, 20 and thereafter. People and landscape in the emerging northwest, is a collection of nonfiction stories that reveal the symbiotic relationship between. Jack nisbet is a historian, teacher, and author focusing on the intersection of human history and natural history in the pacific northwest. Nov 06, 2009 fortunately, douglas kept thorough notes and journals on his expeditions, which has allowed historian jack nisbet to write his new book, the collector. This is another of the very fine books featuring the pen of jack nesbit. Historian and naturalist jack nisbet author of sources of the river. The collector goodreads meet your next favorite book. His books include sources of the river recipient of the washington governors award and winner of the murray morgan prize from the washington state historical society, the mapmakers eye named one of the best nonfiction books of the year by the. Books by jack nisbet author of the collector goodreads. Spokane author jack nisbet turns his focus to john, carrie leiberg.
I read the book aloud to my wife while we drove through washington and oregon. American library association, best of the best university publications of 2005 i would like to point out also the very positive reaction that jack nisbet s extraordinary new book, the mapmakers eye. If you are able to hear jack nisbet speak or to read his work seize the opportunity. Bc studiesthe history of the northwest is rich and vital, and readers interested in the region are wellserved by motivated historians and publishers committed to quality books. Letters to the editor, december 8, 2016 okanogan valley. Tracking david thompson across western north america 1570610061 book cover the collector. Feb 01, 2012 jack nisbet is a writer, teacher, and naturalist. In telling douglass story, nisbet evokes a lost world of early exploration, pristine nature, ambition, and cultural and class conflict with surprisingly modern resonances. Bring your club to amazon book clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free.
Hear about naturalist and explorer david douglas, the namesake for the douglas fir tree. The lewis and clark expedition began its long descent into the bitterroot valley in 1805 at saddle mountain. His books include sources of the river recipient of the washington governors award and winner of the murray morgan prize from the washington state historical society, the mapmakers eye named one of the best nonfiction books of the year by the seattle. Her husband, john leiberg, was a swedish immigrant and selftaught naturalist who transformed himself from pickax idaho.
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