Gary Ferguson – författare

Focusing on multiple aspects of Renaissance culture, and in particular its preoccupation with the reading and rewriting of classical sources, this book examines representations of homosexuality in sixteenth-century France. Analysing a wide range of texts and topics, it presents an assessment of queer theory that is grounded in historical examples, including French translations of Boccaccio's Decameron, the poetry of Ronsard, works in praise of and satirising Henri III and his mignons, Montaigne's Essais, Brantôme's Dames galantes, the figures of the androgyne and the hermaphrodite, and religious discourses and practices of penance and confession. Close comparison with the ancient models on which they drew - the elegy and epic, the works of Plato, Ovid, Lucian, and others - reveals Renaissance writers redeploying an established set of cultural understandings and assumptions at once congruent and at odds with their own society's socio-sexual norms. Throughout this study, emphasis is placed on the coexistence of different models of homosexuality during the Renaissance - homosexual desire was simultaneously universal and individual, neither of these views excluding the other. Insisting equally on points of convergence and difference between Renaissance and modern understandings of homosexuality, this book works towards a historicisation of the concept of queerness.

More than any other American landscape, the Rocky Mountains have prompted a remarkable medley of fierce, poetic dreams. For some 150 years this region served as a landscape of freedom for the black sheep of our culture: from the rebellious sons of wealthy industrialists to African American trappers; from affluent young women struggling for suffrage to the hippies of the 1960s, determined to turn their backs on the establishment. Gary Ferguson spins magnificent tales about these vivid charactersblazing a trail that leads us finally to modern adventure travelers bedecked in high-tech outerwear and toting satellite phones into the wild. From this spot on the crest of the continent comes a fresh look at how the nation's wild lands inspired some of our most cherished notions of freedom, as well as how much we stand to lose should our connections to those lands drift out of reach. 25 black & white photos, index.

Focusing on multiple aspects of Renaissance culture, and in particular its preoccupation with the reading and rewriting of classical sources, this book examines representations of homosexuality in sixteenth-century France. Analysing a wide range of texts and topics, it presents an assessment of queer theory that is grounded in historical examples, including French translations of Boccaccio's Decameron, the poetry of Ronsard, works in praise of and satirising Henri III and his mignons, Montaigne's Essais, Brantôme's Dames galantes, the figures of the androgyne and the hermaphrodite, and religious discourses and practices of penance and confession. Close comparison with the ancient models on which they drew - the elegy and epic, the works of Plato, Ovid, Lucian, and others - reveals Renaissance writers redeploying an established set of cultural understandings and assumptions at once congruent and at odds with their own society's socio-sexual norms. Throughout this study, emphasis is placed on the coexistence of different models of homosexuality during the Renaissance - homosexual desire was simultaneously universal and individual, neither of these views excluding the other. Insisting equally on points of convergence and difference between Renaissance and modern understandings of homosexuality, this book works towards a historicisation of the concept of queerness.

From the tenor of contemporary discussions, it would be easy to conclude that the idea of marriage between two people of the same sex is a uniquely contemporary phenomenon. Not so, argues Gary Ferguson in Same-Sex Marriage in Renaissance Rome. Making use of substantial fragments of trial transcripts Gary Ferguson brings the story of a same-sex marriage to life in striking detail. He unearths an incredible amount of detail about the men, their sex lives, and how others responded to this information, which allows him to explore attitudes toward marriage, sex, and gender at the time. Emphasizing the instability of marriage in premodern Europe, Ferguson argues that same-sex unions should be considered part of the institution's complex and contested history.

From the tenor of contemporary discussions, it would be easy to conclude that the idea of marriage between two people of the same sex is a uniquely contemporary phenomenon. Not so, argues Gary Ferguson in Same-Sex Marriage in Renaissance Rome. Making use of substantial fragments of trial transcripts Gary Ferguson brings the story of a same-sex marriage to life in striking detail. He unearths an incredible amount of detail about the men, their sex lives, and how others responded to this information, which allows him to explore attitudes toward marriage, sex, and gender at the time. Emphasizing the instability of marriage in premodern Europe, Ferguson argues that same-sex unions should be considered part of the institution's complex and contested history.

A seasoned naturalist vividly recounts his 500-mile trek through the rugged northern folds of the Yellowstone Rockies.

Popular nature writer Gary Ferguson (Walking Dopwn the Wild, Yellowstone Wolves) tells 60 wonderful stories from cultures around the world. Formerly published as Spirits of the Wild.

How to confront the climate crisis without losing heart."One of the most important books ever written on the climate crisis." —Paul Hawken, author of Carbon and RegenerationIt’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of global climate breakdown. So how might we develop the inner resolve to confront it? Full Ecology, a collaboration between social-cultural psychologist Mary M. Clare and longtime science writer Gary Ferguson, suggests a path forward. Breaking the modern impulse to see humans as separate from nature, Clare and Ferguson encourage us to learn from the “supremely methodical and highly improvisational” natural systems that touch our lives. True change, they argue, begins with us stopping and questioning assumptions about our place in the world. From this process of reflection, they offer us an alternative blueprint for acting in ecologically healthy ways, and for inspiring others to do the same. Rather than proposing a ten-step plan to save the earth, this book encourages a more elemental rethinking of our connections to nature, and of how such connections might be strengthened for the common good. Practical and poetic, scientific and spiritual, Full Ecology presents a strong, nourishing foundation for climate action.

“This comprehensive book offers a fascinating overview of how those fires are fought, and some conversation-starters for how we might reimagine our relationship with the woods.” —Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet Wildfire season is burning longer and hotter, affecting more and more people, especially in the west. Land on Fire explores the fascinating science behind this phenomenon and the ongoing research to find a solution. This gripping narrative details how years of fire suppression and chronic drought have combined to make the situation so dire. Award-winning nature writer Gary Ferguson brings to life the extraordinary efforts of those responsible for fighting wildfires, and deftly explains how nature reacts in the aftermath of flames. Dramatic photographs reveal the terror and beauty of fire, as well as the staggering effect it has on the landscape.

With their towering, cinnamon-colored trunks and dusky green canopies,ponderosa pine has long been a charismatic icon of the AmericanWest. Yet a quiet unraveling has begun:in the past decade, in a vastarea from Santa Feto the Sierras, more than two hundred million ponderosa have died. While some trees willsurvive in cooler places, scientists estimate that by mid-century less than five percentof the ponderosa in the American Southwest may remain. As the very character of this vast region shifts, what will be left behind?And how can we come to terms with such profound loss? In The TwilightForest, GaryFerguson brings readerson an expansive journey throughthe ponderosa forestsof the Southwest both to mourn-and to celebrate-the forests that nurtured him.In warm and luminous storytelling, Fergusonweaves together the human and natural history ofponderosa, from its march across the West more than 10,000years ago, to centuries of artists inspired by its dazzling stature and shady passageways. Both wildfire and climate change are constant presences on this journey. Fire is necessary for healthy forests but has turned deadly, while climate change stresses even the hardiestbeings of the natural world. Yetthe story of ponderosa reminds us thatloss can be a gateway to connection-to nature and each other. While it is tempting to hide from the changes aroundus, Ferguson offers a healing approach: "to pick even one of these thousand doors of loss, pull it open and walk through." The resulting journey isa life-affirming tribute to oneof America's most cherishedwild landscapes.

Most widely read today as the author of the "Heptaméron," Marguerite de Navarre (1492-1549) was known in her lifetime as a deeply religious, mystical poet. Sister of the King of France and wife of the King of Navarre, her deeds and writings expressed and sought to promote a living faith in Christ, based on the gospels, and a vision for the renewal and reform of the Church in line with the teachings of French Evangelicals such as Lefèvre d’Étaples, Guillaume Briçonnet, and Gérard Roussel. In this volume, eleven eminent scholars offer new appreciations of Marguerite’s extraordinary life and rich and diverse literary œuvre, including, in addition to her short-story collection, dialogues, mirror poems, plays, songs, and an allegorical prison narrative.Contributors include, along with the editors, Philip Ford, Isabelle Garnier, Jean-Marie Le Gall, Reinier Leushuis, Jan Miernowski, Olivier Millet, Isabelle Pantin, Jonathan A. Reid, and Cynthia Skenazi.