Other editions of book Finding Beauty in a Broken World

"Shards of glass can cut and wound or magnify a vision," Terry Tempest Williams tells us. "Mosaic celebrates brokenness and the beauty of being brought together." Ranging from Ravenna, Italy, where she learns the ancient art of mosaic, to the American Southwest, where she observes prairie dogs on the brink of extinction, to a small village in Rwanda where she joins genocide survivors to build a memorial from the rubble of war, Williams searches for meaning and community in an era of physical and spiritual fragmentation. In her compassionate meditation on how nature and humans both collide and connect, Williams affirms a reverence for all life, and constructs a narrative of hopeful acts, taking that which is broken and creating something whole.

"Shards of glass can cut and wound or magnify a vision," Terry Tempest Williams tells us. "Mosaic celebrates brokenness and the beauty of being brought together." Ranging from Ravenna, Italy, where she learns the ancient art of mosaic, to the American Southwest, where she observes prairie dogs on the brink of extinction, to a small village in Rwanda where she joins genocide survivors to build a memorial from the rubble of war, Williams searches for meaning and community in an era of physical and spiritual fragmentation. In her compassionate meditation on how nature and humans both collide and connect, Williams affirms a reverence for all life, and constructs a narrative of hopeful acts, taking that which is broken and creating something whole.

In her most original, provocative, and eloquently moving book since Refuge, Terry Tempest Williams gives us a luminous chronicle of finding beauty in a broken world. Always an impassioned and far-sighted advocate for a just relationship between the natural world and humankind, Williams has broadened her concerns over the past several years to include a reconfiguration of family and community in her search for a deeper understanding of what it means to be human in an era of physical and spiritual fragmentation.Williams begins in Ravenna, Italy, where “jeweled ceilings became lavish tales” through the art of mosaic. She discovers that mosaic is not just an art form but a form of integration, and when she returns to the American Southwest, her physical and spiritual home, and observes a clan of prairie dogs on the brink of extinction, she apprehends an ecological mosaic created by a remarkable species in the sagebrush steppes of the Colorado Plateau. And, finally, Williams travels to a small village in Rwanda, where, along with fellow artists, she joins survivors of the 1994 genocide and builds a memorial literally from the rubble of war, an act that becomes a spark for social change and healing.A singular meditation on how the natural and human worlds both collide and connect in violence and beauty, this is a work of uncommon perceptions that dares to find intersections between arrogance and empathy, tumult and peace, constructing a narrative of hopeful acts by taking that which is broken and creating something whole.

When faced with the chaos of our times and tragedy in her own life, Terry Tempest Williams asked: "How do we pick up the pieces? And what do we do with these pieces?" To find her answer, this visionary author and naturalist embarked on a journey that took her around the globe.In Finding Beauty in a Broken World, she delivers a story, a mosaic, that is both heartbreaking and hopeful―an unforgettable exploration of truth from a passionate artist and humanitarian.In this original author adaptation of her acclaimed book, Williams recalls an odyssey that began on the rocky shores of Maine, where she prayed for "one wild word" to follow after the events of 9/11. That word was "mosaic"―and it marked the first step on a path that took her to the artistic heart of Italy, through ecological struggles in the American Southwest, and ultimately to war-torn Rwanda and the seemingly inconceivable task of fostering healing through the art of mosaic in the midst of genocide as villagers and artists build a memorial together. Presented by the author in her own inimitable words, here is an inspiring story of how we can overcome even the most traumatic wounding the world can offer.Finding Beauty in a Broken World is a call to listeners to create beauty in the world we find, each in our own way, each in our own time, each with our own gifts. By taking that which is broken and creating something whole, we can begin to embrace both empathy and engagement within our own communities.This product can be shipped within the US and Canada only.Course objectives:Analyze the importance of community, unity, and language through the art of mosaic creation• Examine in-depth the art of ancient mosaic creation, and list its 11 rules• Discuss language and some of its potential, then some of its dangers when it is not understood• Describe the dangers when there is lack of communication• Discuss the dark violent side and the loving side of human beings• Examine some of the many forms of language

In her most original, provocative, and eloquently moving book since Refuge, Terry Tempest Williams gives us a luminous chronicle of finding beauty in a broken world. Always an impassioned and far-sighted advocate for a just relationship between the natural world and humankind, Williams has broadened her concerns over the past several years to include a reconfiguration of family and community in her search for a deeper understanding of what it means to be human in an era of physical and spiritual fragmentation.Williams begins in Ravenna, Italy, where “jeweled ceilings became lavish tales” through the art of mosaic. She discovers that mosaic is not just an art form but a form of integration, and when she returns to the American Southwest, her physical and spiritual home, and observes a clan of prairie dogs on the brink of extinction, she apprehends an ecological mosaic created by a remarkable species in the sagebrush steppes of the Colorado Plateau. And, finally, Williams travels to a small village in Rwanda, where, along with fellow artists, she joins survivors of the 1994 genocide and builds a memorial literally from the rubble of war, an act that becomes a spark for social change and healing.A singular meditation on how the natural and human worlds both collide and connect in violence and beauty, this is a work of uncommon perceptions that dares to find intersections between arrogance and empathy, tumult and peace, constructing a narrative of hopeful acts by taking that which is broken and creating something whole.