RESOURCE GUIDES
The Pine Barrens
by John McPhee
"Using his fine eye, great ear and good heart," (Newsday), McPhee "tells how this geographic anomaly has come to be, describes its people and their distinctive folklore, and captures something of the dreamlike quality of this incredibly quiet land in the midst of the noisy clutter of mechanical civilization."
Kansas City Star
"An outstanding reading experience."
Natural History
"It will be a long time before another book appears to equal the literary quality and human compassion of this one."
The New York Times Book Review
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As the One Book New Jersey 2004 Main Selection, The Pine Barrens offers not only a great read, but it also offers New Jersey libraries and readers many wonderful Pinelands-related programming opportunities, no matter where you're located.
To present ALL of the resources on the OBNJ web site would be impossible, but we've made a start with those that seem at first glance potentially useful to New Jersey librarians and readers. Your suggestions on additions to these resources and to all the resources presented by OBNJ are most welcome.
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Mr. McPhee's web site can be found at www.johnmcphee.com and you'll find a great deal of information about the man and his work.
Books by John McPhee (and year of publication)
The Founding Fish - 2002
Annals of the Former World - 1998 (1999 Pulitzer Prize Winner)
Irons in the Fire - 1997
The Second John McPhee Reader - 1996
The Ransom of Russian Art - 1994
Assembling California - 1993
Looking for a Ship - 1990
The Control of Nature - 1989
Rising from the Plains - 1986
Table of Contents - 1985
Heirs of General Practice - 1984
La Place de la Concorde Suisse - 1984
In Suspect Terrain - 1983
Basin and Range - 1980
The John McPhee Reader - 1976
Giving Good Weight - 1976
Coming into the Country - 1976
The Survival of the Bark Canoe - 1975
Pieces of the Frame - 1975
The Curve of Binding Energy - 1974
The Deltoid Pumpkin Seed - 1973
Encounters With the Archdruid - 1971
The Crofter and the Laird - 1970
Levels of the Game - 1969
A Roomful of Hovings - 1968
The Pine Barrens - 1967
Oranges - 1967
The Headmaster - 1966
A Sense of Where You Are - 1965
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Other Resources for Pinelands-Related Materials
The Pinelands Preservation Alliance is a very valued resource OBNJ can suggest you explore for information about the Pinelands. The PPA has eagerly joined with OBNJ in celebration of The Pine Barrens (the book) and of the Pinelands (the region), and the OBNJ Committee is very grateful to Carleton Montgomery, Executive Director of PPA, and his staff for their terrific support of our program.
The following is an excerpt from the PPA's web page (www.pinelandsalliance.org), and illustrates the importance of Mr. McPhee's book to the organization:
"John McPhee�s The Pine Barrens is one of the very few examples I know of a book that is not only a joy to read, but is also a work of art that made a very real difference in the real world. Mr. McPhee and his book brought public attention to the Pine Barrens at a critical point in time and, just as important, helped persuade one individual, then-Governor Brendan Byrne, to lead the extraordinary legislative effort to save the Pine Barrens ecosystem from development. That effort culminated in the Pinelands Protection Act and the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan.
The Pinelands Preservation Alliance is devoted to ensuring these laws were not enacted in vain, but will succeed in holding back the tide of development in this very beautiful corner of America ."
Carleton Montgomery, Executive Director
Pinelands Preservation Alliance
The PPA is offering special programs, ideal for libraries, about the Pinelands. Follow this link: www.pinelandsalliance.org/Pages/OneBookNJ.html to learn how your library can take advantage of their interesting and informative programming. One of the PPA's newest communication and outreach initiatives is the completion and distribution of the nature film, "The Pine Barrens : up close and natural" The film premiered on the New Jersey Network in November 2003, and has been seen in many schools and libraries across the Pinelands region, and by other audiences throughout the state. For more about "The Pine Barrens: up close and natural," visit the web page at www.pinelandsalliance.org/Pages/filmpage.html.
Contact information for the Pinelands Preservation Alliance:
Mike Hunninghake, Communications Consultant
Pinelands Preservation Alliance
114 Hanover Street
Pemberton, NJ 08068
Phone: 609.894.8000
Fax: 609.894.9455
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: www.pinelandsalliance.org
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The New Jersey Network (NJN); is a great resource of video materials on a wide variety of topics. Paul Silverthorn is a producer/director at NJN who also serves as the network's librarian.
On one of NJN's web pages: www.njnsecure.com/njnvideo/pinelands.html, you'll find a list of over a dozen video programs available for purchase at approximately $20.00 each. Mr. Silverthorn may also be able to direct you to other productions on other topics.
Contact information for New Jersey Network:
Paul Silverthorn
Phone: 609.777.5093 or, the main number: 609.777.5000
Email: [email protected]
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Americana Lectures is offering speakers, for an average fee of $275.00, who can speak about Mr. McPhee's book and other Pinelands related topics.
Contact information for Americana Lectures:
Dr. Edward M. Cifelli, Director
147 Merriam Avenue
Newton, NJ 07860
Phone: 973.579.0018
Email: [email protected]
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Plexus Publishing Inc., of Medford, NJ has a large catalog of books, both fiction and non-fiction, many of which feature the Pinelands as their subject matter.
Contact information for Plexus Publishing:
Pat Palatucci, Sales Manager
Phone: 609.654.6500, Extension 144
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: www.plexuspublishing.com