LEARNING THE BIRDS
“Rogers came to birds relatively late in life and she came with the passion of a convert. What readers will find in this beautifully written memoir is an invitation into a secret and thrilling world. Those who accept the invitation will find themselves transported.”
The thrill of quiet adventure. The constant hope of discovery. The reminder that the world is filled with wonder. When I bird, life is bigger, more vibrant. That is why Susan Fox Rogers is a birder. Learning the Birds is the story of how encounters with birds recharged her adventurous spirit.
When the birds first called, Rogers was in a slack season of her life. The woods and rivers that enthralled her younger self had lost some of their luster. It was the song of a thrush that reawakened Rogers, sparking a long-held desire to know the birds that accompanied her as she rock climbed and paddled, to know the world around her with greater depth. Energized by her curiosity, she followed the birds as they drew her deeper into her authentic self, and ultimately into love.
In Learning the Birds, we join Rogers as she becomes a birder and joins the community of passionate and quirky bird people. We meet her birding companions close to home in New York State's Hudson Valley as well as in the desert of Arizona and awash in the midnight sunlight of Alaska. Along on the journey are birders and estimable ornithologists of past generations--people like Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Florence Merriam Bailey--whose writings inspire Rogers's adventures and discoveries. A ready, knowledgeable, and humble friend and explorer, Rogers is eager to share what she sees and learns.
Learning the Birds will remind you of our passionate need for wonder and our connection to the wild creatures with whom we share the land.
Advance Praise
"Learning the Birds is a perfectly balanced blend of history, science, travel, and adventure. Rogers's midlife memoir captures the sense of wonder that comes with discovering the vibrant world of birds and provides an authentic, often humorous depiction of what it feels like to experience that world with newfound friends and community."
—Katie Fallon, author of Vulture
"A quiet and transformative book by a master of the essay form, Learning the Birds makes beautiful connections between personal midlife anxieties and life lessons. Rogers illuminates how discomfort and risk-taking are the road to self-understanding."
—Jen Hill, editor of An Exhilaration of Wings
"An elegant tapestry of avian adventure, ornithological history, personal reflection, and pure great storytelling, Learning the Birds draws us into profound intimacy with the winged ones in our midst. In this radiant book, birds become a guidepost to a deeper path. Susan Fox Rogers's gorgeous writing takes us straight into the heart of our relationship with the natural world—a rediscovery of connection, awe, hope, and authentic belonging."
—Lyanda Lynn Haupt, author of Rooted
Reviews
“With its whimsy and discerning intellect, [Learning the Birds] radiates beauty.”—read the full review from Publisher’s Weekly!
“Get swept off your feet by a new romance in Susan Fox Rogers’s Learning the Birds: A Midlife Adventure. Rogers invites readers to fall for birds, and a human love interest, in this book of natural history interlaced with self-reflection and meditations on relationships. You’ll surely discover something new about birds—and yourself.” H.W. writing in the summer issue of Audubon Magazine. (This was listed as a beach read—if you see anyone reading this on a beach, send me a photo! haha.)
“Rogers’ ease with language often brushes against poetry, but the writing is grounded by straightforwardness and humility. We learn as Rogers learns, we see as Rogers sees.” from a review by the (amazing) Donna Steiner in Michigan Quarterly Review.
“Writing with raw honesty and an endearing humility…this [is an] inspired meditation on embracing midlife by learning new things,” from a review by the (amazing) Renata Golden in terrain.org.
“Rogers’ memoir brought me into a season of discovery alongside her, and in many ways, I felt I was witnessing someone fall in love for the first time.”—Ivy Jo Gilbert, writing in the Urban Audubon, a publication of New York City Audubon.
“A fascinating and funny adventure into the world of birdwatching…“Learning the Birds” is a story of self-discovery in a phase of life that is under-explored, and, like many of the “unremarkable” birds it documents, very much worth paying attention to.” Amanda Hagood in The Gabber (Florida!). Read the full review here.
“Rogers knows how to write an essay . . . I think they will reverberate with birders of any age and also with readers, birder or not, who enjoy elegant writing and who want to be inspired to think in creative ways about their own birding and life experiences.” from a wonderful review by Donna Schulman on the great website, 100000birds.com. Read the whole review here!
“Learning the Birds is a great way to re-live being a new birder, especially if you started the adventure as an adult. Rogers spins a good tale - her adventures are relatable. A great winter read.” from a review by Mary Birdsong that will be published in the Pennsylvania (my home state) Society for Ornithology. You have to be a member to log in! So, Pennsylvania birders, enjoy!