POPULARITY
Award-winning author and naturalist Hank Lentfer returns to the Alaska Story Project with an audio piece, “10 Sounds That Make You Feel More Alive”.Hank reads from his book, Ravens Witness the Alaska life of Richard K. Nelson, a passage from his earliest memories living with the Iñupiaq in the Arctic. “We yearn to pull together with neighbors and celebrate our collective success. So why do we find ourselves living in such rancorous times? How did stories of unity get buried by the din of voices tearing us apart? When did caring for our country become a partisan issue? And by country I don't mean a flag, song or pledge but our actual home ground the soil, rivers, forest, tundra, air and climate that make life possible.”Reflecting on what makes a good story, “I'm drawn to stories that blur boundaries, stories that work against our tendency to cut the fabric of life into neat squares and organize it— to label people as Democrats or Republicans or evangelicals or atheist, or the world is natural or unnatural. So any story that helps stitch those squares back into their proper orientation. And a good story in my mind reveals the pain, the folly and darkness of isolation. A good story can illuminate and celebrate the restorative powers of connection. And the best stories do both.”From a published essay, “if I were imprisoned in a windowless cell and allowed out for just one week a year, I choose seven days centered in September. I come home to my Alaska cabin in the woods and clean a few pounds of spruce needles out of my neglected kayak, oil up a fishing reel, pack a three day lunch and paddle up river.”And finally, “Pay attention, hone in on any story that blurs boundaries or awakens us from the delusion of separateness. Retell the story at the dinner table, at church, the grocery store. And remember this you don't have to write a book or produce a podcast to be a storyteller. Our lives are stories, every decision, each interaction, the choice between generosity and greed, between gratitude agreements, kindness or callousness, tells a story. And our stories are not finished. We get to write a little each day. I try and remember that when I wake up, that the hours in front of me are a blank page and I get to choose the story I tell before I go to bed.ASP host Dan Kowalski, “We're recording this in a time of increasing darkness for the human condition. We're in the midst of a historic shift, as a despot has unleashed mind-bending brutality and suffering on the souls of Ukrainians and also hapless Russians. The Alaska Story Project is dedicated to offer stories that have the power to connect and heal as something of a counterpoint or antidote to what's all over the news right now.”Show notes: www.alaskastoryproject.com/podcasts
On the next Outdoor Explorer, our guest is Hank Lentfer, author of the book “Raven’s Witness: The Alaska Life of Richard K. Nelson.” Richard was Alaska’s Writer Laureate from 1999 – 2001, but he is maybe best remembered for his National Public Radio show “Encounters” that was centered around the sounds of Alaska.
Truth seeking is a life and death matter in this era of official lies and deadly disinformation. But Christians don't own truth-seeking and the faith it leads to. In this episode Owen interviews Hank Lentfer, a writer and philosopher who has written two books that we discuss in the podcast... Faith of Cranes and Raven's Witness -- the Alaska Life of Richard K. Nelson.Hank tells the story of his journeys as an advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the Arctic. He describes his personal realization that his bitterness toward humans for habitat destruction was going to rob him of the gratitude and joy he needed to share with his unborn child. He had nine months to find that joy and faith, and he found it in the wilderness of their home in Gustavus, Alaska. The Sandhill Crane is a major part of the story. Every spring and fall they fly over his land, and their 60 million years of unchanging consistency speak volumes of the reliability of the Universe. Even without confidence in a written revelation, faith in the principles of goodness is possible. In a letter Hank writes to his daughter before she is born, he says "A prayer for gratitude. Gratitude is the pool in which all good things gather. It is the combined state of acceptance and humility, awareness and faith, joy and sorrow, compassion and caring. It resonates through an open heart like a finely tuned guitar."
In this episode, I’m getting ready and excited to get back out on the trapline! I give an update on the line and plans moving forward. I talk a little about topics we’ll discuss in future episodes, and read an excerpt from Richard K. Nelson’s “Hunters of the Northern Forest”, a book about native trappers […] The post Trapping Today Podcast #53: Updates from the Line, and Hunters of the Northern Forest appeared first on Trapping Today.
In this episode, I'm getting ready and excited to get back out on the trapline! I give an update on the line and plans moving forward. I talk a little about topics we'll discuss in future episodes, and read an excerpt from Richard K. Nelson's "Hunters of the Northern Forest", a book about native trappers from Chalkyitsik, Alaska in the 1970's. Enjoy! Click here to buy a copy of Hunters of the Northern Forest.