Encounters with the
Archdruid
John McPhee
Presented by: Emily Krodel
September 20, 2005
JOHN A. McPHEE
• Born in 1931
• Educated at Princeton &
Cambridge
• Began writing for Time
magazine, New Yorker
• 29 books
• 1977 received Award in
Literature from American
Academy of Arts and
Letters
• 1999 Pulitzer Prize for
Annals of the Former World
– “It’s pretty nice.”
MORE McPHEE
• Widely considered pioneer of
the genre of literary nonfiction (New Journalism)
• Subjects are eclectic, reflecting
his personal interests… aircraft,
arc of tennis balls, canoes,
farmers’ markets, MS River,
geology, Alaskan wilderness,
oranges
• Married twice – Yolanda!; 4
daughters
• Distinguished nonfiction writing
instructor at Princeton – still
teaches at 74
EVEN MORE McPHEE
• Despite a voluminous
production, as a person he
remains elusive
• Modest – nothing more
than an “old journalist”
• Loves rivers and the
outdoors – probably leans
toward conservationist
side, but depicts both
sides equally well
• Curious – practices the art
of “immersion”
Encounters with
the Archdruid
• McPhee’s 7th book, published in 1971
• Won the National Book Award - category
of science
• Personalities of both sides of the American
environmentalist movement
• Depicts the complexities of ecological issues
• Profiles famous conservationist David
Brower
• Composed of 3 distinct sections
– Cascades with Charles Park… mineral engineer
– Hilton Head/Cumberland Island with Charles
Fraser… resort developer
– Colorado River with Floyd Dominy… dam builder
• Common character in each is David Brower
(and John McPhee)
• Spend time in the outdoors, “discussing”
philosophies and environmental practices
ENVIRONMENTALIST
MOVEMENT
• first became active in U.S. politics after
Earth Day in 1970.
– Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act
– EPA: Environmental Protection Agency
– Wastes, toxic substances, pesticides,
endangered animals
• Most activism directed towards
conservation and prevention/elimination of
pollution
• As population and industry increase,
conflicts with libertarians and corporate
interests
DAVID BROWER
• 1912-2000
• The Archdruid himself
– “druids” – slang term for
environmentalists who will sacrifice
people to save trees
• Most notable conservationist of all
time
• Born in Berkely
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Isolated childhood
Nicknamed “toothless boob”
Mother blind, led her around
Family camping trips
• Dropped out of college to become
a mountaineer
• WWII, mountain division
• Married Anne Hus in 1941
BROWER
• Single handedly saved many beloved
places in U.S. – deserves respect
• Knowledgeable and committed
• Concerned with long-term effects
of human change to the earth
• But stubborn with simplistic
arguments, figures can be skewed
– Reservoirs will fill with silt, but not for
a long time
– Italy dam disaster – didn’t really break
• Lives in a house – hypocritical?
• Sometimes doesn’t consider very
real human needs
– Water for people in the desert
SIERRA CLUB
• Sierra Club
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Executive director ’52-’69
Membership 7,000 to 70,000
Books – exquisite collection of photographs
His cup
Was ousted from office, 10 to 5: too radical, spent too
much money, too selfish, not in tune with the Club
anymore, and immigration viewpoints.
• Also in 1969, founded Friends of the Earth
– Kicked out of this too
– Largest environmental group in the world
• Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize 3 times – ’78,
’79, ‘98
THE SERMON
• “The U.S. has 6% of the world’s population and
uses 60% of the world’s resources. When one
county gets more than its share, it builds tensions.
War is waged over resources.”
• “We have to drop our standard of living, so that
people a thousand years from now can have any
standard of living at all.” (gas, oil)
• “Roughly 90% of the earth has felt man’s hand
already. That’s the limit. We should go back
over the 90 and not touch the remaining 10%.”
• “When rampant growth happens in an individual, we
call it cancer.”
• “Conservationists have to win again and again and
again. The enemy only has to win once.”
GLACIER PEAK WILDERNESS/
CASCADE RANGE
• Washington
• Wilderness Act 1964 –
Congress set aside certain
regions as “permanent
wilderness”. No national
park, no machines, no
lumbering
– Mining exception
• Copper lode .5mi square
CHARLES PARK…
• Geologist, mineral engineer
• “Minerals are where you find
them. The quantities are finite.
So you go and get them wherever
they are located.”
• Hunted for copper, silver, gold
• Doesn’t like Sierra Club – accuses
of being preservationists, not
conservationists. Says you can’t
avoid change.
• “My idea of conservation is
complete use of resources, with
as little waste as possible, for
the benefit of all the people.”
vs. DAVID BROWER
• “The Glacier Peak Wilderness is probably
the most beautiful piece of country we’ve
got. Mining copper there would be like
hitting a pretty girl in the face with a
shovel.”
• Mining would leave a path of destruction,
waste dump… recommends recycling
• Ecosystem is delicate, disruption would be
severe
• Wilderness is the bank for the genetic
variability of the earth.
• However, got excited when he found
copper pebbles in a stream
• “Conservation is humanity caring for the
future.”
HILTON HEAD
• Sea Pines Plantation
• Complete control
• Buildings all blend
into environment
• Houses far from
ocean
CUMBERLAND ISLAND
• Hammond’s map didn’t include it –
deliberate omission
• Population of 11
• Wild horses and pigs, 14 ft
alligators, fertile soil, no bridge
• Carnegies
• Fraser obtained 3000 acres
• Toured it with Brower and McPhee
• Gave it up b/c of pressure from
druids
• Developed, popular tourist site now
• JFK, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette
married there in ’96
CHARLES FRASER
• Visionary – wanted to create
something beautiful… had idea for
Sea Pines Plantation at 21.
• Yale Law School
• Locally, considered a major and
absolute nut
• Considers himself a true
conservationist. Others more like
preservationists; calls them druids,
so Brower should be his #1 enemy
• Cocky: “I’m the golden boy of the
Golden Isles.”
• Died in a boating explosion off coast
of Provo in Dec. 02
vs. DAVID BROWER
• Makes his typical comments, but surprisingly
supportive
• Liked youthfulness of Fraser and prospect of
the island being focused toward children –
thought they would do better with the earth
• Was enjoying himself on new territory and
lapsed into uncharacteristic passivity – wouldn’t
even call him a druid
• Even wanted to reverse his 90:10 philosophy!
• “If it had to be developed, I’m glad it was
developed by him.”
• Eventually started talking about conserving the
marshes, went into the Sermon, Fraser ignored
him
FLOYD DOMINY
• Began job as a county agent during
the Great Drought
• Obsessed with irrigation and dams
• Profound, lifelong belief in the
storage of water
• Head of Dept. of Reclamation ’59’71. “Reclamation is the father of
putting water to work for man –
irrigation, hydropower, flood
control, recreation.”
• Responsible for many dams,
notably Glen Canyon Dam/Lake
Powell – Colorado River
• Wanted to flood the Grand Canyon
• “Let’s USE our environment.”
CONSERVATIONISTS
AND DAMS
• Analogy: outermost circle of Devil’s world is a
moat filled with DDT. Next to it, a moat of
burning gasoline. Then a ring of pinheads, each
covered with a million people. Bulldozers and
chainsaws lead into the absolute epicenter of Hell
on earth, where stands a dam.
• Hold themselves in reasonable check before new oil
spills, but go insane at even the THOUGHT of a
dam.
• Rivers are the ultimate metaphor of existence, and
dams destroy rivers.
• Threat to ecosystems and species (condors)
vs. DAVID BROWER
• Got along pretty well despite their
opposing views – joking insults
• “I hate all dams, large and small.”
• “You can’t duplicate this experience –
this lake – anywhere else. But neither
can you enjoy the original experience.”
• Ends up saying that he’s not in favor of
dams, but he’s in favor of Dominy
• And then, “Putting water in Glen
Canyon was like urinating on the crypt
of St. Peter’s. I hope it never
happens here (Grand Canyon).”
COLORADO RIVER
LAKE POWELL
• 600,000 people a year use this lake
now… used to just be a handful
WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
• People are caught in the middle
– Want to be conservationists, but also
need power and water
• Vote always about 50:50
– Schoolchildren: houses on a beach?
Mining copper? Building a dam in the CO
River?
OPINIONS
• Interesting, well-written, and
descriptive (similes, metaphors)
• Well-developed characters
• Forces you to pick a side, but doesn’t
make it “good vs. evil”
• Quite outdated
– Prices ($25 for a book was an
“investment”, Hilton Head condos)
– Baltimore Colts
CONNECTIONS
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Sierra Club
“aesthetic” at least 8 times
Personal ones – Hilton Head, esp.
Review paper last week – Pacific salmon and
riparian environments
• Ecology with Dr. Hochwender
– Presently talking about how riparian
environments are negatively influenced by dams
• Sorry, no Gilgamesh ones
REFERENCES
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www.barnesandnoble.com/writers/writerdetails.asp?cid=982496
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McPhee
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_movement_in_the_United_
States
www.johnmcphee.com
www.odu.edu/ao/instadv/quest/workofjohnmcphee.html
www.pulitzer.org/year/1999/general-non-fiction/bio
www.goodbyemag.com/nov00/brower.html