The Weekly Anthropocene Reviews: Wild Souls by Emma Marris
A The Weekly Anthropocene Book Review
The Weekly Anthropocene published a review of Emma Marris’ Wild Souls in May 2021. The interview is now republished (with a few text & image updates) for Substack!
Emma Marris is a renowned environment, wildlife, and culture writer, known inter alia for her landmark “Earth Day 2070” article in National Geographic, her 2011 book Rambunctious Garden, her debate with E.O. Wilson, and her environmental coverage for The Atlantic. In her 2021 book, Wild Souls, Ms. Marris takes on some big questions, from animal rights to the meaning of the Anthropocene to the powers and responsibilities-perhaps even duties-of humanity as a whole.
Near the beginning, Ms. Marris makes a radical, even shocking, statement which informs the inquiries of the rest of the book. "After many years, I have come to see the concepts of wilderness and nature as not just unscientific but damaging. Firstly, all organisms alive today are influenced by humans. Second, we humans are deeply influenced by the plants and animals w…
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