Twelve by Twelve

March 22, 2010
Powers (Blue Clay People
) refers to “wildcrafters,” people who shape their inner and outer worlds to the flow of nature, as heroes. Among these wildcrafters is Dr. Jackie Benton, a physician who lives in a 12'×12' dwelling in the midst of 30 acres on No Name Creek in rural North Carolina. Benton lives a sustainable life off the grid by raising honeybees, growing her own vegetables and preserving them, and harvesting what she might need from the woods around her. As Powers points out, Benton seems to have achieved self-mastery in these confusing times, and his initial meeting with her is a search for clues to this self-mastery. After the two meet, Benton's sobering and often hilarious (taking showers in rain water warmed by the sun, learning that in order to eat chicken for dinner, he himself would have to kill a chicken given to him by his neighbors) narrative of his life in the 12'×12' offers precious insights into the ways that all individuals living in a fast-paced consumer culture might incorporate different ways of thinking about the natural world into their lives.

May 15, 2010
The American dream has entered a period of potential transformation brought about by the economic crisis. What was once the assumed goalnice house, fancy (gas-guzzling) car, pantry overflowing with packaged foodhas been shaken by Americans who now wonder, "Do I really need all this?" In this modern-day "Walden", Powers ("Blue Clay People: Seasons on Africa's Fragile Edge") enters his own cabin in the North Carolina woods to live deliberately. Residing in a 12' 12' shed without electricity or running water, Powers spends a spring reflecting on idleness, development, land use, and his own work in developing countries. Throughout this process, Powers narrates his path from repulsion to acceptance of a life with a small footprint. VERDICT Powers combines environmental writing in the vein of Thoreau with Zen, economics, warrior presence, and even a touch of dramas of the heart to present a holistic view of contemporary deliberate living. Readers interested in a simpler and more sustainable lifestyle will enjoy the flowing prose and concrete thoughts as they reflect on their own American dream.Jaime Hammond, Naugatuck Valley Community Coll. Lib., Waterbury, CT

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2010
Take four giant steps forward. Turn right; do it again. Turn right again; repeat. Right; repeat. Now imagine living in a space roughly the size of the area just paced off. Without electricity or running water. In the middle of nowhere. Having recently returned from years in the Bolivian rain forest, environmental activist Powers experienced a nearly debilitating form of culture shock upon his reentry into the heart of American consumerism. His salvation came from ardent permaculturist Dr. Jackie Benton, who offered Powers the use of her spartan cabin in rural North Carolina. Living among other wildcraftersorganic farmers, furniture artisans, and eco-developersPowers learned firsthand what it means to be self-sufficient in the midst of a nation that profligately squanders its resources and looks askance at those who choose to live deliberately. While there are no easy answers to be found in such an extreme experiment, Powers eloquent memoir reveals the breadth of this conflict and the depth of one mans commitment to himself and his community.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)