Vermont Perspectives: Sense of Place, State of Mind

by Anne Averyt

Overview

Vermont is a tiny state with a big heart. It’s a place that inspires dreams and stirs imagination.

It’s a state of mind, with a deeply rooted sense of place. One that values the land and moves to the beat of the seasons. For more than forty years, author Anne Averyt has called Vermont home. She has shared the land and the life of Vermont; she knows what makes this small state special.

In Vermont Perspectives: Sense of Place, State of Mind, Averyt easily moves between a spirited fiddle hoedown and the calm of a backcounty road. She explores, with insight and humor, the keen sense of place and solid footing in local values that shape Vermonters’ views of home and the world beyond. A nine-year veteran commentator on Vermont Public Radio, Averyt shares her experience in this expanded collection of eighty of her Commentary essays.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493066056
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	07/01/2022
Pages:	174
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Vermont is Anne Averyt’s home and wellspring of inspiration for the past forty years. Averyt is best known for her media features and on-air voice as a longtime contributor to the Commentary series on Vermont Public Radio. She is also the author of two nonfiction books, a memoir, and a poetry chapbook, Autumn’s Yard.

Table of Contents

Ways of Seeing xv

Seasonal Tastings

Home Is Where 2

Midsummer Majesty 4

Abundant Harvest 6

Swan Song of Summer 8

Rewriting November 10

A Mud-Luscious World 12

Sounds of Spring 14

Heart and Soul

Heart of Vermont 18

Cultivating Kindness 20

Finding Home 22

Coloring Moments 24

Baseball, Poetry & Popcorn 26

Holy Curiosity 28

Meandering 30

Vermont True

In Search of Vermont 34

Harvest Supper 36

Fiddling Time 38

Joe's Pond 40

Mail Call 42

Ripening Tomatoes 44

Cloudy, Sexy Vermont 46

Family Ties

Yes! 50

Weather or Not 52

Good Night, Vermont 54

Thanks and Giving 56

Cows and Clean Air 58

Christmas Present 60

A Fullness of Family 62

Nature Walk

Birdsong 66

Tree City Vermont 68

Autumn Leaves 70

Good Day Sunshine 72

Lord of the Manor 74

Planting June 76

Savoring Nothing 78

Season Wrap

In Plain Sight 82

Hope Springs Eternal 84

"Shock and Awesome" 86

Feasting on Summer 88

Season Wrap 90

Shared Space

Shared Space 94

Following a Microchip 96

Dogs and Life Lessons 98

A Sense of Place 100

Hop on a Poem 102

The Good News 104

Far and Near 106

Old Friends

Postmarks 110

Passages 112

Fruitful Summer 114

New Citizens 116

Virtual Winter 118

Walking Partner 120

Ripening Life 122

Perspectives

Questioning Einstein 126

I Have a Dream 128

Heartspun Hope 130

The Cost of Memory 132

Legend and Legacy 134

Walls of Ruin 136

Father's Day Thoughts 138

Stories in the Night

Every Child Needs a Hero 142

Trees and Traditions 144

Vision-ary 146

Discovering New Worlds 148

Black Holes and Butterflies 150

Tell Me What You See 152

Stories in the Night 154

About the Author 157

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Anne Averyt knows Vermont. Her short essays remind us that autumn here can be seen in the color of light as well as the color of leaves, and that any season is enhanced by a flavoring of literature. This is a book replete with deep memories and sharp insights, one worth dipping into anytime.” —Tom Slayton, former editor-in-chief of Vermont Life magazine “Anne Averyt has written a love song to Vermont. She glories in the seasons and shares the delights of living in Vermont in a series of descriptive essays. Vermonters and tourists will find much to smile about here.” —Madeleine M. Kunin, former Vermont Governor and Author, Coming of Age, My Journey to the Eighties “Anne Averyt captures the spirit of Vermont in stories that are short on words, but rich in imagination.” —Jerry Greenfield, co-founder Ben and Jerry’s. “This is a wonderful collection of essays with a distinct sense of place. It transports the reader to particular moments in time that are familiar and rooted, and that savor our deep connections to nature.” —Robin Turnau, former President & CEO, Vermont Public Radio “Follow your curiosity,’ Einstein urged … And so Averyt does in this rich collection of essays that weave personal and universal connections with time, place and context. Join Averyt’s old friends and journeying pilgrims for history, humor, and a healthy appreciation of both human and mother nature.” —Sarah W. Bartlett, poet, essayist and founder/facilitator, WomenWritingVT