During my freshman year of college, I read one of Edward Abbey’s essays, Desert Solitude. The essay was about Abbey’s experience being in the deserts of the American southwest. It was mostly set during sunrise and involved observations made by Abbey of the landscape. I had also read essays from Thoreau and Emerson throughout middle and high school. I still currently have two of their books on my shelf on my desk in college. All the authors wrote from different laces and different time periods from one another. But, they all captured the same mystical awe and wonder that comes from being present in nature. This form of writing can allow the reader to get into the head of the author. It allows them to be transported to another time and place and see what the authors are seeing. The challenges of this form can be the limitations of the authors themselves, their biases, their style of writing, and what details they choose to include.
