One long river of song, by Brian Doyle

This collection of essays is balm in these contentious times.  Doyle, a devout but not stuffy Catholic, spent most of his all-too-short life editing Portland Magazine.  But his essays appeared in many other well-respected journals, in Best American Essays, and won awards such as the John Burroughs Medal and four Pushcart Prizes.  I had, however, never heard of him before reading a review of this book.  This lovingly collated collection of his best writing on nature, spirituality, and most of all, family, should bring him to the attention of many others who haven’t had the pleasure of reading his work.  He died at just 60.  An almost totemic animal for him is the hawk, in fact, all raptors.  Their soaring, effortless flights, baleful glares, fierceness, and wildness never ceased to enthrall him.  You’ll feel better if you read these short, beautifully crafted meditations.   Trust me.   248 pp.