John Muir set out on foot in 1867 to explore the botanical wonders of the South, keeping a detailed journal of his adventures from Kentucky to Florida.
One hundred and fifty years later, veteran Atlanta reporter Dan Chapman recreated Muir’s journey to see how nature has fared since Muir’s time.
Chapman sought to discover how Southerners might balance surging population growth with protecting the natural beauty Muir found so special. The result is a riveting book called A Road Running Southward: Following John Muir’s Journey through an Endangered Land.
Chapman will be Georgia Writers Museum’s Meet the Author presenter at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.), on June 6, at the museum. A Road Running Southward is part travelogue, part environmental appeal, and paints a picture of a South under siege. It is a passionate call to action to save one of the loveliest and most biodiverse regions of the world by understanding the massive loss if we do nothing.
Each chapter touches upon a local ecological problem – water wars in Georgia, climate change in the Nantahala National Forest, aquifer depletion in Florida – that all resonate across the South. Along the way, he talks to locals with deep ties to the land, who describe the changes they’ve witnessed.
“Engaging hybrid, part lyrical travelogue, part investigative journalism, and part jeremiad, all shot through with droll humor,” wrote the Atlanta Journal-Constitution book reviewer.
Chapman is a writer, reporter, and lover of the outdoors. He was the son of a newspaperman and an English teacher and grew up in Washington D.C. and Tokyo. He worked for Congressional Quarterly, The Winston-Salem Journal, The Charlotte Observer, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
He has also reported from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. He currently writes stories about conservation in the South for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A Road Running Southward was selected this year by the Center for the Book as one of the “Books All Georgians Should Read.”
Tickets for Meet the Author are $20 each ($15 each for two or more) and $100 for a table of six (a savings of $20).
Refreshments will be provided. Following his presentation, Chapman will sign copies of his book. To register, contact Georgia Writers Museum at 706-991-5119 or www. georgiawritersmuseum.org. When you register, preorder your copy of Chapman’s book. Register today, bring your friends, and enjoy this amazing story that will entertain, enlighten, and keep you up at night. -