Poetry and Prose

Storytelling has a long history on Mount St. Helens. Lawetlat'la, as the mountain is known to the Cowlitz Tribe and others, has been a cornerstone in indigenous oral tradition for millennia. Colonizers, settlers, and visitors to the region have been also drawn inspiration from this ephemeral mountain. It is difficult to visit the volcano and not leave with a sense of inspiration and awe, and here we have provided a collection of published works of poetry and prose by those who have visited or lived their lives in the shadow of this powerful volcano.


In the Red Zone

In the Blast Zone

Terrain.org


In the Red Zone

Reprinted with permission, from Ursula K. Le Guin, In the Red Zone. © 1983 by Lord John Press.

Prologue: Concerning Violence Ursula Le Guin READ

In the Blast Zone

Most popular accounts of the momentous eruption have focused on the devastation. More recent scientific work tells a story of unexpectedly rapid and varied ecological and geological change.  In the Blast Zone is the first book to present a cross-pollination of literary and scientific perspectives on the mountain's history of cataclysm and renewal.  Contributors include writers Gary Snyder and Ursula LeGuin and scientists Jerry Franklin and Charlie Crisafulli.


Reprinted with permission, from Charles Goodrich, Kathleen Dean Moore, and Frederick J. Swanson, In the Blast Zone: Catastrophe and Renewal on Mount St. Helens. © 2008 by Oregon State University Press.

Poetry and prose inspired by Mount St. Helens and written during a 2005 gathering of scientists and writers at Mount St. Helens READ ALL
The Way to Windy Ridge Tim McNulty READ
Volcanic Blues: or, How the Butterfly Tamed the Volcano Robert Michael Pyle READ
Mount St. Helens John Calderazzo READ
On the Ridge Robin Kimmerer READ
Mountains and Mosses Nalini Nadkarni READ
Everlasting Wilderness Christine Colasurdo READ
Science Tribes on Mount St. Helens James Sedell READ
What if I Chose? Kim Stafford READ
Language of Volcanic Landscapes Frederick J. Swanson READ
Pearly Everlasting* Gary Snyder READ

*originally published in: Gary Snyder, Danger on Peaks. © 2005 by Counterpoint Press.


Terrain.org

Reprinted with permission, from Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built + Natural Environments, Mount St. Helens in Poetry + Prose © 2013 by Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built + Natural Environments.

Terrain.org description READ ALL
Dirty Words on Mount St. Helens Simmons B. Buntin READ
Cinders and Flowers John Daniel READ
Blind Spot Cheryl J. Fish READ
Volcanic/Panic Cheryl J. Fish READ
The Paradox of Enrichment Christine Colasurdo READ
The One We're Spiraling Into Derek Sheffield READ
Nest Site Derek Sheffield READ
Drawing from the Blast Zone Jolie Kaytes READ
Stretching Attention: Long-Term Science and Creative Writing Charles Goodrich READ