Such moments of peace abound in BenchTalk, as a host of note-leavers relish being—briefly—away from the concerns of their lives. “Those trees, these turtles, they don’t care about politics,” one writes from Waterworks Park in Annapolis, Maryland. “They don’t worry about how they’re going to pay their bills … . And while we’re here, we get to feel that too, even if it’s just for a minute.” Other notes offer life advice (“Don’t rush—Listen instead of talking”), welcome encouragement (“You make joy and peace from the chaos. One can not exist without the other”), and bursts of playful mystery.
The feeling throughout this secular devotional is of a yearning for escape and connection—even during these brief respites, as they attest to the nourishing power of nature, the authors often seem a touch melancholic, all too aware that the moment is passing even as they commemorate it. That tendency serves as a welcome reminder of the urgency of Nature Sacred’s mission and that such moments shouldn’t be so rare in our lives. Introductory material introduces the mission of Nature Sacred, and the notes are accompanied by joyous unsigned sketches of bees, butterflies, sailboats, and more. A few notes are fully reproduced, in the authors’ original handwriting.
Takeaway: Rousing notes from everyday people’s encounters with a refuge in nature.
Comparable Titles: Hannah Anderson’s Turning of Days, Davy Rothbart’s Found.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
