Now that Vermont is reviewing Act 250—legislation that has done so much to create a unique rural landscape in our state—it’s worth asking what we value in landscape in the first place. Why are inhospitable mountains beautiful? What’s actually attractive about a ruined barn?
New York Times Bestselling author M. T. Anderson considers the politics of beautiful scenery and the hidden national longings behind our sense of landscape. He’ll look at the history of our attitudes toward landscape, traditional New England landscape painting, and the work of some contemporary Vermont artists to discuss how different societies have found the sublime in their surroundings—and what that might mean for us in the future. Anderson’s satirical science fiction novel Landscape with Invisible Hand has been made into a movie starring Tiffany Haddish and Asante Blackk.
This presentation is part of the statewide community reads program Vermont Reads which is exploring the book Gather by Kenneth Cadow. “Gather” explores themes of rural life, resilience, class differences, addiction and recovery, housing and food insecurity, a deep relationship to the land, and the power of community.
The book’s central character is Ian, a resourceful teenager from rural Vermont. He isn’t supposed to have a dog, but his adopted pup Gather soon becomes a good friend. Although he hasn’t yet finished high school, Ian works hard to take care of his mother, who is trying to overcome her addiction to opioids. In between classes and other responsibilities, Ian helps his family make ends meet by fixing things for neighbors and working at a sawmill off the books. Sadly, he needed to quit the school’s basketball team to support his family.
Above all, Ian wants his family to remain on the land where they have lived for generations. But after a tragedy, he and Gather leave Vermont. Living on the run, Ian draws on his well-honed survival skills to care for himself and his dog. At the same time, a community of folks come together to try to provide a way home for Ian and Gather.