The Art of Botanical Prose

Tuesday, June 25, 7:00–8:15pm [Arnold Arboretum, Hunnewell Building]

All writers must contend with translation. A poet translates the movement of a dancing figure into a brief couplet, and an essayist translates the noise and commotion of the city where she lives into a single paragraph. The three-dimensional world filters into text, and when done especially well—the realm of literature and art—readers often forget that translation has even occurred. Botanical prose is no different. Bask in the profound eloquence of even the most exhaustive of botanical descriptions with Jonathan Damery, the associate editor for Arnoldia, as he provides an enlivening and breathtaking tour of the artistry found in horticultural and botanical reference books.

Fee $10