Writing about men and trees

These days, my brain is in the woods surrounded by men. And I can see this theme coming through in more than just my novel...

Sometimes I write about being a woman, but since focusing on my historical novel set in an 1860s Tahoe logging camp, much of my writing trends toward male characters and trees. Recently, the second issue of Art Swap came out and two such stories are in it.

Art Swap is a collection of artistic friends who create visual and written art then send it to someone else. With our newly acquired pieces, we respond. I am honored to have my writing amidst so much talent. I highly recommend you read the entire 53-page magazine. Meanwhile, here’s some insight about the two pieces I contributed:

A Lone Survival (3.5-minute read)

I was trying to get two characters from my novel out of a tough situation I’d put them in when I felt a little magic happening. Maybe it was the start to something important. But then I realized none of this would make it into my novel. There’s no room for magical realism, at least not this kind.

The characters didn’t fit the action or movement I was going for, so I changed their names, made them brothers and submitted it to Art Swap. This is what some writers call “killing your darlings,” which means cutting something you love but that ultimately does not serve your story. Luckily, Art Swap was willing to adopt my poor dejected darlings:

“Little whale fall” by Quin Nelson is the visual art piece created in response to my written work “A Lone Survival.”

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Structurally Sound Symbiosis (3-minute read)

Luck upon luck, I got this stunning visual art by Christina Schueler as my piece to respond to. Just stare at it for a while and you’ll see what I mean.

“Bridge Woods” by Christina Schueler was sent to me, and I wrote “Structurally Sound Symbiosis” in response.

What I wrote in response has some sting in the voice, some anger, a challenge at the end. I could feel it while writing it and I can feel it again while reading it. I know where this tone is coming from.

Lately I’ve been researching pre-colonial Tahoe and learning about Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)—the knowledge of specific places and environments obtained by Indigenous and local people over hundreds or thousands of years.

“Structurally Sound Symbiosis” is me working through some feelings I have about my own relationship with nature. The truth is I don’t see the forest as a great complicated garden. Rather it still feels wild and untenable, some place where I recreate, love and leave no trace. Perhaps I’m not doing too much damage there, but I’m not helping it either.

I don’t speak the language of the trees and only recently have I started seeing the importance of human engagement, of real active stewardship. Quiet standing and passing through is not symbiosis. To be part of nature means to engage with it, cultivate it, nurture it. I’m surprised to realize that my own quiet tip-toeing down mountain paths may not be enough to save this relationship.

My brain was working through something like this while writing this piece. Thanks again to Christina for igniting my thoughts with such a beautiful drawing.

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As always, thank you for reading! I’m grateful to be sharing these creative spaces with you and with such talented human beings.