Faculty Publishes Place-Based Writing

Understanding our Place, Jackson Hole and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, is one of our goals here in the Graduate Program. However, many of us have come from different Places and understanding those homes – the geology, flora, fauna, history, economy, and neighbors – is vital. Faculty member, Doug Connelly, wrote about his New Hampshire home and recently had this piece published in a collection of Place-based writings.Beyond the Notches: Stories of Place in New Hampshire’s North Country weaves stories, essays, and artwork into a colorful anthology, helping the reader understand this historically rich region of the Appalachians. The book was a three year project, coordinated by the Monadnock Institute for Nature, Place, and Culture. Connelly’s piece combines his years of trailwork in the White Mountains with a profile of a bootbuilder, Peter Limmer. The Limmer family has outfitted the White Mountains’ hikers and trail builders with custom boots for three generations since emigrating from Bavaria to New England.“I’m thrilled” Connelly said, “Trailbuilding and the White Mountains are part of who I am. And I wore my Limmer Boots through every step. This book really embraces the regional history and people of the North Country.”Beyond the Notches has been nominated for an annual nonfiction literary award by New Hampshire Writers Project. For the curious, more information can be found at http://www.franklinpierce.edu/institutes/monadnockinst/mi_anthologies.htm and the book can be purchased at http://www.northcountrynhstories.org/ .