Seeds - Paperback

by Richard Horan (Author)

"Seeds reads like the best of a roundtable discussion amongst John Muir, Bill Bryson, and David Sedaris. From the fields of Gettysburg to the home of Kerouac, Horan takes an unlikely premise and weaves it into a story that's poignant, insightful and unexpectedly humorous. This is more than a book about seeds--it's about literary heroes, forensic forestry, and self-discovery." --Spike Carlsen, author of A Splintered History of Wood

The Orchid Thief meets Botany of Desire meets Driving Einstein's Brain in Richard Horan's Seeds, the chronicle of one man's literary pilgrimage to understand the influence and impact of trees in American life and literature--and his mission to collect seeds from the homes of Kerouac, Welty, Wharton, Kesey and twenty other American writers, to preserve the literary legacy of American forests for generations to come.

This pilgrimage across America unearths more than just seeds--it reveals the deep connections between the landscape and its most celebrated storytellers.

• A Unique Travel Memoir: Join author Richard Horan on a cross-country road trip, from the home of Jack Kerouac to the fields of Gettysburg, in a quest that is equal parts humorous, insightful, and deeply personal.
• Literary Landmarks: Discover the surprising histories of the trees that stood sentinel for authors like Faulkner, Thoreau, Edith Wharton, and Harper Lee, witnessing their moments of creative inspiration.
• Nature and Literature: Explore the profound, often-overlooked connection between the American landscape and its literary legacy, blending history, botany, and a love for great books.
• A Singular Mission: Follow a fascinating mission to collect and preserve seeds from these historic trees, a living tribute to the roots of American creativity and a message of conservation for the future.

Front Jacket

From the wooded road made of golden hemlock running past L. Frank Baum's childhood home to the lonely stump of Scout's oak in Harper Lee's Alabama, author Richard Horan gathers tree seeds--and stories--from the homes of America's most treasured authors. At once a heartfelt paean to literature and a wise, funny, and uplifting account of one man's reconnection with nature, Seeds celebrates Horan's triumphs and calamities on his quest to link trees with great writers--a delightfully original meditation on the nature of inspiration and a one-of-a-kind adventure into literature.

Back Jacket

From the wooded road made of golden hemlock running past L. Frank Baum's childhood home to the lonely stump of Scout's oak in Harper Lee's Alabama, author Richard Horan gathers tree seeds--and stories--from the homes of America's most treasured authors. At once a heartfelt paean to literature and a wise, funny, and uplifting account of one man's reconnection with nature, Seeds celebrates Horan's triumphs and calamities on his quest to link trees with great writers--a delightfully original meditation on the nature of inspiration and a one-of-a-kind adventure into literature.