August 2011 Read: Big Spring Autumn

Big Spring Autumn by Bonnie Stepenoff. Starting sometime in August...watch this space!

ETA: Looks like mid-August will work for everyone. Let's start discussing on August 15. This is a fairly short book, so we shouldn't have trouble finishing it by then.

Picked up my book from the library today - a pristine copy sent to me all the way from Texas Tech University on an ILL.

It is short and doesn't look like it will take a long time to read - even liesurely. I'll have to return the book before then, so I'll definitely be ready to discuss by the 15th. Looking forward to it!

I'm trying my best to get my hands on a copy somehow - we don't have any at libraries in Maine!

I had to put in an inter-library loan request for my copy. Mine is coming from Truman State in Northern Missouri. It seems like Springfield is much closer to the setting of the book and that we should have a copy of it in our "local" books area.

I got mine on my Kindle.

If anyone does TIOLI, please join Donna and me on challenge #8.

Today is the day! I'll start.

I enjoyed reading this, even though it was a little disjointed. It was interesting to read about rivers I've floated on, and a *Hear, Hear!* for the sadness of nice floating rivers turning into nasty party places where you can't take kids any more.

I liked the historical parts, the nature parts, and the Deep Thoughts parts. I wasn't too fond of her comments thinking back to her own childhood/life elsewhere, which usually didn't add much, I thought.

In the end, I liked it but thought she jumped around way too much. I expected this to be a nature book but it wasn't quite what I thought.

Agreed on the tourists ruining things.

To me, Big Autumn Spring is a combination of three separate works. The author's memoirs felt disjointed and really out of place here. Her academic research on the Ozarks and the CCC work there were interesting, but not really enough for a book. Stepenoff's opinions on nature, conservancy, and social/economic issues of the region seemed editorial and would have been more readable as essays. It was an easy read, one I don't mind having spent time with, but I would not recommend it. Did I miss something very deep here? Missourians, is this a book that rings true for you?

By "Deep Thoughts" I meant her queries on such things as who owns nature, the current day people who can use it up or people of the future, for instance.

I would've been happy with a history and nature book.

I think she wrote an entire report but it looks like she took portions and built it up to create this book.

Brenda, I don't think it rings true for me, but then I'm not a native! However, neither is the author. I thought she wrote as though she had a chip on her shoulder. It was her comments about the nature of poverty that most struck me. She obviously grew up in very modest circumstances - and she sounds like she's still bitter about it.

I most enjoyed the parts about the river, the springs, and the surrounding area - the nature parts - and the history of the settlement and development in the Ozarks. I'd never heard of Big Spring before, and now I'm curious to go see it. She did absolutely nail the weekend floaters, though. They are definitely R rated. Best to go on a Wednesday.

#9. I agree . . . There were questions posed which compel us to think about why we are here and how we fit into the whole scheme of things. I have read several books very recently about Native Americans and there reverence for Mother Earth, so those issues on my mind these days.

It did seem as though the report was not long enough to make a book, hence the addition of her personal memoirs and pointed observations. Did anyone else get that sense?

I thought she said she was specifically not including her research report in this book - that it was published seperately. I thought any references in this book to the work she was doing was just incidental.

I guess my feeling was that the opposite was true - not enough content from personal memoirs and observations so she used parts of her research to fill in.

I agree that the book was a mishmash of personal observations combined with her research, but it was based on her journal entries of that time period, so that was understandable to me, although less than satisfying.

Big Spring is a beautiful area. I haven't been there in years, but it's on the short list of things I want to do this fall. If we go there (probably on a day trip), I'll be sure and post a few pictures. Speaking of which, I loved the pen and ink drawings in the book. I thought it was interesting that the artist, Bryan Culpepper, was permanently injured because of a diving accident in the area and he ended up working at Big Spring. I guess he didn't hold any grudges.

I'm still thinking about Linda's Deep Thoughts. I'll be back later.

Here are some pictures I borrowed from the Big Spring website. It looks like there are lots of scenic opportunities to sit and think deep thoughts.

I checked out the author's curriculum vitae. She's an expert in womens' history and labor history. I think it shows in this book.

Sandy, yes, a definite chip on her shoulder.

Donna, thanks for the pictures. I had a hard time picturing this but it looks like a place I'd go to, to think Deep Thoughts.

Donna, the pictures are wonderful. . . What a beautiful place.

Yes, thank you for the pictures, Donna! We do have some beautiful springs & rivers in MO. They are places that I like to go to and think no thoughts at all! I agree with what you all said about the book being disjointed. I never did get a sense of exactly what it was supposed to be about. I also love the drawings in the book. Such a talent!

I think my feelings about the book most resembled Brenda's. As a native Missourian, some parts rang true, but not enough to make me feel like this was a "Missouri" book. She's written a few other books that I wouldn't mind reading just to see how she handles something less "memoirish."

#17 Terri, it's interesting to me that a native Missourian does not think this book ran true.

As a non-Missourian, this book seemed to have too much discussion of Pennsylvania and elsewhere.