Title: The Road to Continental Heart: Befriending, and Defending, the Spirit of North America

Author: Steven Dale Davison

Genre: Poetry / Hybrid

 

In The Road to Continental Heart: Befriending, and Defending, the Spirit of North America, we travel across North America through poetry. Steven Davison, the poet and the book’s author, was inspired by George Lawrence, who joined A Global Walk for a Livable World, a cross-country walk that would spread awareness about environmental crises. The two friends came up with the idea to play their own roles in the Walk: one would take the journey, and the other would memorialize it through poetry.

As a form of documenting the Walk, Davison delves into hours of research to pen a new poem (almost) every week. Fascinatingly, Davison’s research-based poems reflect many of Lawrence’s real experiences on the Walk. The seemingly destined project motivates them to continue despite the many bumps on the long road across the continent. Since the Walk took place in 1990, it would’ve been interesting if we learned more about the activism side of the Walk so that readers have a better idea of what kind of environmental crises were the most critical at the time.

From roadmaps, to letters between the poet and the walker, to, of course, the poems themselves, The Road to Continental Heart covers every part of this once-in-a-lifetime journey. Including different mediums makes the entire book feel more personal and exciting for readers, allowing them to feel like they’re on this journey too. The poems themselves are incredibly detailed and each one feels like one more step in the journey. Davison does a great job showing progression in each new poem by evolving themes, expanding on imagery, and developing new storylines.

The book includes scans of real handwritten letters, and the letters play a big role in creating an intimate experience for the reader. Photos help us see what Lawrence experienced on the Walk but, by including the letters, we get the extra context we need to see Davison’s side of the Walk. The letters provide a look into the development of the poems, the research behind them, and the personal evolution Davison experiences as a poet. At times, the letters are hard to read because of the quality of scanning and handwriting, so including a transcription of the letters would have made them easier and more accessible to read.

It’s refreshing to see Davison’s honest reflection on his work, which was largely written in the past. Equally refreshing is Davison’s transparency about his own fascination with Native American people while working on the poetry for the Walk, which turned to cultural appropriation of Native American works. Not only are these reflections timely, they also make the reading experience all the more personal and allow the reader to learn more about the author.

By the end, we understand that The Road to Continental Heart isn’t just about a walk; it’s about connection. The connections made between the people and the places both Davison and Lawrence encountered has lasted decades.

Full of heart and soul, The Road to Continental Heart is a memorial to a memorable walk. In The Road to Continental Heart, Turtle Island comes to life with captivating descriptions and heart-warming pictures of the landscapes, people, and history from across the continent. The Road to Continental Heart will speak to poetry buffs, history buffs, and environmental enthusiasts alike as it conveys the depth, diversity, and beauty of North America.

 

 

This Editorial Review was written by the Book Review Directory staff. To receive a similarly honest, professional review for one of your own books, click here.