Outside

By Barry Lopez, Barry Moser (Illustrator)

Explore the mystical ties between humans, nature, and the unknown in six captivating tales.

3.8/5 Goodreads · 127 ratings

120 pages

$18.95Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In 'Outside,' discover six tales where the ordinary meets the extraordinary. A boy swaps places with his half-coyote dog, a Navajo rug holds its maker's spirit, and a teacher redefines friendship. Each story delves into the profound connections between humans, animals, and the landscapes they inhabit. Barry Lopez's spare yet powerful prose invites readers into a world of wonder and mystery, where every narrative reveals deeper truths about life and death. What secrets lie within these sacred spaces, and how do they shape the lives of those who encounter them?

From the publisher

The six stories in Outside showcase Barry Lopez’s majestic talent as a fiction writer. Lopez writes in spare prose, but his narratives resonate with an uncanny power. With a reverence for our exterior and interior landscapes, these stories offer profound insight into the relationships between humans and animals, creativity and beauty, and, ultimately, life and death. Again and again, whether describing a Navajo rug possessing the essence of its maker, a boy who can change places with his half-coyote dog (named Leaves), or a teacher whose presence brings into question the meaning of friendship, Lopez portrays elemental and sacred places. His prose transcends its simplicity to enter spaces of wonder and mystery. As James Perrin Warren says in his compelling introduction, “Lopez’s narrators bear witness to extraordinary patterns and purposes . . . The storyteller is vital to the community and to a healthy landscape, but the vital relationship is also reciprocal. . . . We participate, along with Lopez, in the long history of storytelling. We become part of the atmosphere in which wisdom shows itself.”

At a glance