By Sherrie Norris
If you’ve been in the High Country for any amount of time, the name Leigh Ann Henion must surely ring a bell. For several years, her byline was a familiar attraction, drawing readers to her well-written and captivating stories through her association with Mountain Times Publications.
Fast-forward a few years through amazing life and career developments for this young woman who still calls the area “home,” and who reached for the stars and literally made it to the top as a New York Times bestselling author. And she’ll be in the Boone spotlight once again during a whirlwind tour to promote her newest book.
On Sunday, Sept. 29, at 2 p.m., Henion will be greeting friends, new and old, at Booneshine Brewing Company, while celebrating the release of Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark.
Described as one of the first narrative nonfiction books to ever address nocturnal biodiversity and the human relationship to darkness, the book, published by Algonquin, is scheduled for release on September 24. So, Boone enthusiasts will be among the very first to get hands and eyes on what is already destined for the awards arena.
Local readers, in particular, will be even more intrigued to learn that the book is set entirely in Appalachia, and has been supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a nonprofit grant-making institution that, according to its website, ”supports high quality, impartial scientific research; fosters a robust, diverse scientific workforce; strengthens public understanding and engagement with science; and promotes the health of the institutions of scientific endeavor.”
A writer for such a book as this would have to look long and hard for a more impressive endorsement.
Henion shared with High Country Press that her book was, in part, inspired by an article she wrote for the Washington Post Magazine about synchronous fireflies.
“After that piece ran, many readers reached out to let me know that they’d started turning off their porch lights more often, and I was amazed that my story had inspired real-world action that led to reduced light pollution,” she said. “I’ve subsequently spent the past couple of years in the company of nocturnal creatures to explore the importance of natural darkness in an age of increasing artificial light.”
Having found her place on the New York bestseller’s list with Phenomenal: A Hesitant Adventurer’s Search for Wonder in the Natural World, Henion’s writing has appeared in Smithsonian, The Washington Post, Garden & Gun, Men’s Journal, Backpacker, and various other publications.
Night Magic has been listed among the coveted Kirkus Reviews of “150 Most Anticipated Books of the Fall,” and is sure to soar to the top upon its release.
Henion has been described as one who “writes with poetic grace, blending her journey of discovery with the natural wonders in our own backyards,” and her new book, as “a
lyrical, fascinating story about exploring the secret world of darkness and the remarkable creatures within it.”
“In today’s hectic, digitally focused world,” writes Henion, “we have become too used to an excess of illumination: the unblinking screen, the persistent streetlight, the overbright room. Furthermore, we have lost a sense of the presence of darkness and an understanding of what happens there.”
From her publisher: “From a New York Times bestselling nature writer comes a celebration of what goes on outside in the dark, from blooming moon gardens to nocturnal salamanders, from glowing foxfire and synchronous fireflies that blink in unison like an orchestra of light . . . Henion invites us to leave our well-lit homes, step outside, and embrace the dark as a profoundly beautiful part of the world we inhabit. Because no matter where we live, we are surrounded by animals that rise with the moon, and blooms that reveal themselves as light fades.
Henion explores her home region of Appalachia, where she attends a synchronous firefly event in Tennessee, a bat outing in Alabama, and a moth festival in Ohio. In North Carolina, she finds forests alight with bioluminescent mushrooms, neighborhood trees full of screech owls, and valleys teeming with migratory salamanders. Along the way, Henion encounters naturalists, biologists, primitive-skills experts, and others who’ve dedicated their lives to cultivating relationships with darkness.
Every page of this lyrical book feels like an opportunity to ask: ‘How did I not know about this before?’ For example, we learn that it can take hours, not minutes, for human eyes to reach full night vision capacity. And that there are thousands of firefly species on earth, many with flash patterns as unique as fingerprints. In an age of increasing artificial light, Night Magic focuses on the amazing biodiversity that still surrounds us after sunset. We do not need to stargaze into the distant cosmos or dive into the depths of oceans to find awe in the dark. There are dazzling wonders in our own backyards.”
There is a sense of renewal throughout the book, we’re told. “And Henion realizes the importance of occasionally escaping from the world of unrelenting, artificial light: “It is only by the power of light and the grace of darkness that we’re able to rest and rise, then rest and rise again.”
Advance Praise for Night Magic:
“Dazzling. Prepare to be enchanted. Prepare to love the darkness.” — Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of World of Wonders
“Henion’s science-based book about the flora and fauna that adorn the nightscape is also a philosophical exploration of the role darkness plays in our lives.”
(Full review: New books to read in September – The Washington Post)
“A lyrical, fascinating story about exploring the secret world of darkness and the remarkable creatures within it. Henion writes with poetic grace.”
—Kirkus, Starred Review
“Henion’s greatest gift is her ability to evoke the sense of wonder that follows from tuning in to the natural world. This will fill readers with awe.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Beautifully written, often moving, and full of wonder.”
— Richard Louv, author of Our Wild Calling and Last Child in the Woods
“Henion’s vivid style of nature writing and complementary self-reflection are reminders that witnessing the extraordinary can be as easy as shifting your bedtime back an hour and going outside.”
—Scientific American
“Brilliant. Leigh Ann Henion is an inspiring and wise guide.”
— David George Haskell, author of Sounds Wild and Broken and The Forest Unseen
Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark will be available on Amazon Sep 24, 2024, hardcover. $23.80 List: $30.00
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For more information, visit www.leighannhenion.com
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