I did something brand new as we roll toward the end of the alphabet in the Women Writers in Literary History from A to Z series.
Until yesterday I had thought we would be exploring the life of Violet Fane today. Instead, we are learning together about Virginia Eifert, Naturalist and author of 20 books, many articles, poetry and a remarkable gift of a human life to the state of Illinois and to the world.
Virginia Eifert
Naturalist, Writer, Poet, Artist, Mother, Conservationist
1911 - 1966
Virginia only lived to be 55, but when she died in 1966 she left a legacy we are still able to learn from today.
Women naturalists are not as well known as the men. Most of us look to naturalist/philosophers like Henry David Thoreau - believe me, I am a big fan - but there is something in the little girl in me that gets so excited to know there were women exploring, researching and sharing discoveries about the outdoors, too. Especially with the amount of passion Mrs. Eifert possessed. People who synch with nature tend to naturally “get” each other. I have a feeling Virginia would “get” me, too.
Listen to her words as you read them: “The calm night does its work. It builds up an armor of serenity, so that, newly fortified, a man may face the harassing day; he has the placid sounds of whip-poor-wills and night-wind in his ears, the mystery of trees before him, and the stars above his head."
She knew what it was to experience the outdoors fully. She believed, as I do, a yard isn’t something to pass through on your way inside, it is something to be appreciated fully on its own. Tonight, be a part of Mrs. Eifert’s legacy by simply taking a few moments to actually experience night out doors, right there in your natural surroundings whether you live in a city or a rural area, an apartment, a fifth wheel or a castle in the sky.
Tonight – I urge you to step outside and listen. Close your eyes and feel the air against your skin. Take a deep breath and see what smells are out there. Don’t label any of it as bad or wrong or ugly, just allow it to become a part of you.
If you feel compelled, write about it.
In such simple actions, you give honor to Virginia Eifert, our one nature writer this month. In such a simple action, you give honor to each and all of our Women Writers from A to Z. I am so grateful you are reading here today.
This blog post is an entry in the A to Z Challenge. Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be featuring a woman in literary history. If you click on the logo below, you will be introduced to the writing of more than a thousand bloggers writing on a wide variety of topics in April, all from A to Z!
Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She teaches a teleclass/ecourse "Discover the Power of Writing & Telling Engaging, Enlightening Stories" which begins again April 19, 2012. Find details by clicking this link.
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