Focusing on multiple aspects of Renaissance culture, and in particular its preoccupation with the reading and rewriting of classical sources, this book examines representations of homosexuality in sixteenth-century France. Analysing a wide range of texts and topics, it presents an assessment of queer theory that is grounded in historical examples, including French translations of Boccaccio's Decameron, the poetry of Ronsard, works in praise of and satirising Henri III and his mignons, Montaigne's Essais, BrantAme's Dames galantes, the figures of the androgyne and the hermaphrodite, and religious discourses and practices of penance and confession. Close comparison with the ancient models on which they drew - the elegy and epic, the works of Plato, Ovid, Lucian, and others - reveals Renaissance writers redeploying an established set of cultural understandings and assumptions at once congruent and at odds with their own society's socio-sexual norms. Throughout this study, emphasis is placed on the coexistence of different models of homosexuality during the Renaissance - homosexual desire was simultaneously universal and individual, neither of these views excluding the other. Insisting equally on points of convergence and difference between Renaissance and modern understandings of homosexuality, this book works towards a historicisation of the concept of queerness.

Focusing on multiple aspects of Renaissance culture, and in particular its preoccupation with the reading and rewriting of classical sources, this book examines representations of homosexuality in sixteenth-century France. Analysing a wide range of texts and topics, it presents an assessment of queer theory that is grounded in historical examples, including French translations of Boccaccio's Decameron, the poetry of Ronsard, works in praise of and satirising Henri III and his mignons, Montaigne's Essais, BrantAme's Dames galantes, the figures of the androgyne and the hermaphrodite, and religious discourses and practices of penance and confession. Close comparison with the ancient models on which they drew - the elegy and epic, the works of Plato, Ovid, Lucian, and others - reveals Renaissance writers redeploying an established set of cultural understandings and assumptions at once congruent and at odds with their own society's socio-sexual norms. Throughout this study, emphasis is placed on the coexistence of different models of homosexuality during the Renaissance - homosexual desire was simultaneously universal and individual, neither of these views excluding the other. Insisting equally on points of convergence and difference between Renaissance and modern understandings of homosexuality, this book works towards a historicisation of the concept of queerness.

"This comprehensive book offers a fascinating overview of how those fires are fought, and some conversation-starters for how we might reimagine our relationship with the woods." --Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet Wildfire season is burning longer and hotter, affecting more and more people, especially in the west. Land on Fire explores the fascinating science behind this phenomenon and the ongoing research to find a solution. This gripping narrative details how years of fire suppression and chronic drought have combined to make the situation so dire. Award-winning nature writer Gary Ferguson brings to life the extraordinary efforts of those responsible for fighting wildfires, and deftly explains how nature reacts in the aftermath of flames. Dramatic photographs reveal the terror and beauty of fire, as well as the staggering effect it has on the landscape.

From the tenor of contemporary discussions, it would be easy to conclude that the idea of marriage between two people of the same sex is a uniquely contemporary phenomenon. Not so, argues Gary Ferguson in Same-Sex Marriage in Renaissance Rome. Making use of substantial fragments of trial transcripts Gary Ferguson brings the story of a same-sex marriage to life in striking detail. He unearths an incredible amount of detail about the men, their sex lives, and how others responded to this information, which allows him to explore attitudes toward marriage, sex, and gender at the time. Emphasizing the instability of marriage in premodern Europe, Ferguson argues that same-sex unions should be considered part of the institution's complex and contested history.

For too long we have set ourselves apart from nature, seeing ourselves as superior, removed, independent. But in doing so we have lost sight of all that the natural world can teach us.

In Eight Master Lessons of Nature, Gary Ferguson reveals the wisdom of the natural world. By keenly observing and admiring wildlife and their surroundings, he shows us why sympathy is our greatest asset and crucial to our survival, that feminine rule is default in the natural world, and how even from the ashes of destruction, life is still able to thrive.

Written in rich and nourishing prose, Ferguson gently dismantles the walls we have erected between ourselves and nature, showings us the wonder of our surroundings in all their splendour. Drawing on stories from art and science, flora and fauna, philosophy and history, he carefully unravels the dazzling web of connections that binds us to earth and the rich supply of wisdom that is stored here. The result is a powerful and timely reminder of our place in this world, our interdependence, and how much nature is able to teach, heal and ultimately restore us.

"This beautiful book will make your genes ache with homesickness for the mystery we sprang from. Luckily, it's waiting right outside. Let Gary Ferguson take you there. You'll remember, and you'll thank him."--Alan Weisman, author of The World Without Us and Countdown

Popular nature writer Gary Ferguson tells sixty wonderful stories from cultures around the world. Folklore with a bit of fairy tale, these stories about animals and natural events entertain with wit and whimsy. You'll read 'The Healing Waters' from the Iroquois, 'Why Spider Has a Amall Waist' from Liberia, 'Crow Saves the Sun' from Japan, 'Northern Lights' from Sweden, and 'Wren Becomes King of Birds' from Ireland. Here are tales that are hundreds, even thousands of years old, all charmingly retold by Ferguson.

From the tenor of contemporary discussions, it would be easy to conclude that the idea of marriage between two people of the same sex is a uniquely contemporary phenomenon. Not so, argues Gary Ferguson in Same-Sex Marriage in Renaissance Rome. Making use of substantial fragments of trial transcripts Gary Ferguson brings the story of a same-sex marriage to life in striking detail. He unearths an incredible amount of detail about the men, their sex lives, and how others responded to this information, which allows him to explore attitudes toward marriage, sex, and gender at the time. Emphasizing the instability of marriage in premodern Europe, Ferguson argues that same-sex unions should be considered part of the institution's complex and contested history.

A captivating account of the geologic, historic, and cultural evolution of the Rocky Mountain region.
More than any other American landscape, the Rocky Mountains have prompted a remarkable medley of fierce, poetic dreams. For some 150 years this region served as a landscape of freedom for the black sheep of our culture: from the rebellious sons of wealthy industrialists to African American trappers; from affluent young women struggling for suffrage to the hippies of the 1960's, determined to turn their backs on the establishment. Gary Ferguson spins magnificent tales about these vivid characters--blazing a trail that leads us finally to modern adventure travelers bedecked in high-tech outerwear and toting satellite phones into the wild. From this spot on the crest of the continent comes a fresh look at how the nation's wild lands inspired some of our most cherished notions of freedom, as well as how much we stand to lose should our connections to those lands drift out of reach. 25 black & white photos, index.

A spectacular armchair trip of discovery, as a seasoned naturalist vividly recounts his 500-mile trek through the last of our country's magnificent 'wild places'...the rugged northern folds of the Yellowstone Rockies. 'It is a grand adventure where wits and experience are more important than brute force in order to survive.' - Rocky Mountain News