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| Cutting Back: My Apprenticeship in the Gardens of Kyoto |
Review Leslie Buck s compelling story bring together three themes a woman s journey in life, adaptation to a new and strange culture, and discovery of a career that fulfills through its challenges.
The connecting threads are Japanese gardens and gardening. Gardening is both Buck s profession and a metaphor for Buck s reflection on her life as a cycle of planting, nourishing, and pruning to achieve rich yet balanced growth.
These familiar themes feel fresh in Buck s light yet sensitive prose that transmits her adventurous spirit yet reflective soul.
Japanese gardens have long been recognized as special, almost magical, places that inspire and nourish. Leslie Buck s memoir gives them a human dimension. Kendal H. Brown, author, Quiet Beauty: The Japanese Gardens of North America Leslie Buck offers a graciously pruned story about learning garden care in Japan, where no-one-telling-you-how leads to intimately discovering for yourself what s what--a learning that is entrenched in your body.
Leslie tells her story with charm and good-humor. Edward Espe Brown, author, Tassajara Bread Book Gardening in Japan is traditionally a male-dominated occupation. It is awkward and certainly not easy for Japanese women to enter, let alone a young woman from a foreign country. Leslie s strong conviction to learn Japanese pruning enabled her to dive into this uncharted world. Most impressive of all, however, was her bold move to select Uetoh Zoen in Kyoto, one of the oldest and most highly acclaimed landscape companies in Japan, as her host gardener.
The secrets of Japanese gardening are subtly yet evidently revealed throughout the memoir, in describing such things as the way we handle pine tree branches, and the way we examine and correct the performance of a novice gardener.
Her undeterred enthusiasm has opened a new door for her and for her followers. Sadafumi Uchiyama, head curator at the Portland Japanese Garden, and third generation Japanese Gardener Leslie Buck s compelling story bring together three themes a woman s journey in life, adaptation to a new and strange culture, and discovery of a career that fulfills through its challenges.
Kendall H. Brown, author of Quiet Beauty: The Japanese Gardens of North America, and Professor of Asian Art History, California State University, Long Beach Leslie Buck offers a graciously pruned story about learning garden care in Japan, where no one telling you how leads to intimately discovering for yourself what s what.
Edward Espe Brown, American Zen teacher and writer Gardening in Japan is traditionally a male-dominated occupation. It is awkward and certainly not easy for Japanese women to enter, let alone a young woman from a foreign country. Leslie s strong conviction to learn Japanese pruning enabled her to dive into this uncharted world. Her undeterred enthusiasm has opened a new door for her and for her followers. Sadafumi Uchiyama, head curator at the Portland Japanese Garden and third-generation Japanese gardener"-Leslie Buck's compelling story bring together three themes--a woman's journey in life, adaptation to a new and strange culture, and discovery of a career that fulfills through its challenges.
The connecting threads are Japanese gardens and gardening. Gardening is both Buck's profession and a metaphor for Buck's reflection on her life as a cycle of planting, nourishing, and pruning to achieve rich yet balanced growth.
These familiar themes feel fresh in Buck's light yet sensitive prose that transmits her adventurous spirit yet reflective soul.
Japanese gardens have long been recognized as special, almost magical, places that inspire and nourish. Leslie Buck's memoir gives them a human dimension.- --Kendal H. Brown, author of Quiet Beauty: The Japanese Gardens of North America -Leslie Buck offers a graciously pruned story about learning garden care in Japan, where no-one-telling-you-how leads to intimately discovering for yourself what's what--a learning that is -entrenched in your body.
- Leslie tells her story with charm and good-humor.- --Edward Espe Brown, author of Tassajara Bread Book -Gardening in Japan is traditionally a male-dominated occupation. It is awkward and certainly not easy for Japanese women to enter, let alone a young woman from a foreign country. Leslie's strong conviction to learn Japanese pruning enabled her to dive into this uncharted world. Most impressive of all, however, was her bold move to select Uetoh Zoen in Kyoto, one of the oldest and most highly acclaimed landscape companies in Japan, as her host gardener.
The -secrets- of Japanese gardening are subtly yet evidently revealed throughout the memoir, in describing such things as the way we handle pine tree branches, and the way we examine and correct the performance of a novice gardener.
Her undeterred enthusiasm has opened a new door for her and for her followers.- --Sadafumi Uchiyama, head curator at the Portland Japanese Garden, and third generation Japanese gardener -Buck has as good an eye for cultural dissonance as she does for pines that need pruning.
. . . This is an absorbing read about the formative interplay of humans, cultures, and gardens.- --Publishers Weekly starred review -The descriptions of the gardens the author tends while in Japan will transport readers; it is an armchair tourist's treat to wander the temple gardens as she describes them.
- --Library Journal -If you love losing yourself in natural settings, this memoir is definitely for you. . . . the life lessons Buck learns away from her pruning shears will appeal to any reader.- --Bustle"Leslie Buck's compelling story bring together three themes--a woman's journey in life, adaptation to a new and strange culture, and discovery of a career that fulfills through its challenges.
The connecting threads are Japanese gardens and gardening. Gardening is both Buck's profession and a metaphor for Buck's reflection on her life as a cycle of planting, nourishing, and pruning to achieve rich yet balanced growth.
These familiar themes feel fresh in Buck's light yet sensitive prose that transmits her adventurous spirit yet reflective soul.
Japanese gardens have long been recognized as special, almost magical, places that inspire and nourish. Leslie Buck's memoir gives them a human dimension." --Kendal H. Brown, author of Quiet Beauty: The Japanese Gardens of North America "Leslie Buck offers a graciously pruned story about learning garden care in Japan, where no-one-telling-you-how leads to intimately discovering for yourself what's what--a learning that is "entrenched in your body.
" Leslie tells her story with charm and good-humor." --Edward Espe Brown, author of Tassajara Bread Book "Gardening in Japan is traditionally a male-dominated occupation. It is awkward and certainly not easy for Japanese women to enter, let alone a young woman from a foreign country. Leslie's strong conviction to learn Japanese pruning enabled her to dive into this uncharted world. Most impressive of all, however, was her bold move to select Uetoh Zoen in Kyoto, one of the oldest and most highly acclaimed landscape companies in Japan, as her host gardener.
The "secrets" of Japanese gardening are subtly yet evidently revealed throughout the memoir, in describing such things as the way we handle pine tree branches, and the way we examine and correct the performance of a novice gardener.
Her undeterred enthusiasm has opened a new door for her and for her followers." --Sadafumi Uchiyama, head curator at the Portland Japanese Garden, and third generation Japanese gardener "An unusual and entertaining memoir .
. . . she learns--about durability and resilience. She learns to prune trees exquisitely. Most of all, she learns that 'an apprentice must . . . be the good student.' Not a bad lesson for any gardener." --New York Times Book Review "Her writings, inevitably, are a reflection on the contrasts between the roles of the gardener in two very different cultures.
" --The Washington Post "Buck has as good an eye for cultural dissonance as she does for pines that need pruning. . . . This is an absorbing read about the formative interplay of humans, cultures, and gardens." --Publishers Weekly starred review "The descriptions of the gardens the author tends while in Japan will transport readers; it is an armchair tourist's treat to wander the temple gardens as she describes them.
" --Library Journal "Read Cutting Back for insight into Japanese gardening culture, for descriptions of naturalistic Japanese gardens, or if you enjoy travel memoirs.
" --NYBG's Plant Talk "If you love losing yourself in natural settings, this memoir is definitely for you. . . . the life lessons Buck learns away from her pruning shears will appeal to any reader." --Bustle "Told with beautiful, carefully crafted language and a perceptively candid voice. . . . the book's core is its intuitive appreciation for nature." --Forward Magazine "As much a story of bravery and the challenge of adapting to an unfamiliar culture as it is of horticulture.
Anyone contemplating a brave career gamble will learn from it." --San Francisco Chronicle "Cutting Back describes the work and skills of a Japanese crew, but it is not a how-to book in any sense except possibly the joy ultimately found when you cast aside your fears and move on to fulfill a dream.
" --The Recorder "This is a great read, particularly so for those who appreciate the thoughtfulness woven into so much of Japanese culture.
" --The Choosy Traveler "Engaging account. . . of being a female worker in a traditionally male-dominated profession--and the lessons [Buck] learned at the intersection of art and nature.
" --East Bay Times From the Back Cover "Leslie goes all the way, immersing herself in Japan's gardening culture to master a craft to its fullest.
I admire her dedication and this beautiful book is a testimony to her success." --Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse restaurant and founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project "In well-pruned prose, Buck has written in turns a hilarious, informative, and culturally revealing tale of coming of age as a gardener.
" --Liza Dalby, author of Geisha and The Tale of Murasaki: A Novel "Gardening in Japan is traditionally a male-dominated occupation.
It is awkward and certainly not easy for Japanese women to enter, let alone a young woman from a foreign country. Leslie's strong conviction to learn Japanese pruning enabled her to dive into this uncharted world. Her undeterred enthusiasm has opened a new door for her and for her followers." -- Sadafumi Uchiyama, garden curator at the Portland Japanese Garden and third-generation Japanese gardener "Leslie Buck's compelling story brings together three themes--a woman's journey in life, adaptation to a new and strange culture, and discovery of a career that fulfills through its challenges.
" --Kendall H. Brown, author of Quiet Beauty: The Japanese Gardens of North America, and professor of Asian Art History, California State University, Long Beach "Leslie Buck offers a graciously pruned story about learning garden care in Japan, where no one telling you how leads to intimately discovering for yourself what's what.
" --Edward Espe Brown, American Zen teacher and writer See all
At thirty-five, Leslie Buck made an impulsive decision to put her personal life on hold to pursue her passion. Leaving behind a full life of friends, love, and professional security, she became the first American woman to learn pruning from one of the most storied landscaping companies in Kyoto.
Cutting Back recounts Buck's bold journey and the revelations she has along the way. During her apprenticeship in Japan, she learns that the best Kyoto gardens look so natural they appear untouched by human hands, even though her crew spends hours meticulously cleaning every pebble in the streams.
She is taught how to bring nature's essence into a garden scene, how to design with native plants, and how to subtly direct a visitor through a landscape.
But she learns the most important lessons from her fellow gardeners: how to balance strength with grace, seriousness with humour, and technique with heart.
Cutting Back is an insightful debut memoir and story of personal growth that will appeal to gardeners and non-gardeners alike.
Consumer review about Cutting Back: My Apprenticeship in the Gardens of Kyoto :
As a keen gardener I am always eager to read of how gardening is approached around the world, so this book grabbed my interest as it's the story of Leslie Buck who moves from America to Japan for 3 seasons to challenge herself and her gardening outlook. And it is a fascinating insight into her as a person, and how the art of gardening can be so different from one country to another.In America she has her own tree pruning business and is extremely confident in her skills and totally at home and at ease up a tree! But she feels like she needs more of a challenge and to learn more, so she sets off to Japan who are masters of tree pruning to learn more about the art, and ends up learning a lot about herself in the process!I loved the contrast of gardening styles and hearing how the Japanese approach gardening and how their approach to working is so different. It isn't always easy and that comes across as she writes but her determination sees her through and I think her fellow Japanese gardeners appreciated her efforts and committment.Japanese gardens are always so stunning so it was so insightful to learn of how they look at the whole garden, or the whole plant before setting upon pruning or changing something, and it really makes the way you look at your own garden change. I won't be rushing in with secateurs anymore without a bit more thought going into my pruning attempts!!The only negative thing I have to say about the book is that there were no photographs as I would have loved to have seen some of the impressive gardens she worked on, that were so beautifully described by her. But other than that it was a fascinating and delightful insight into the world of Japanese gardens.(Read more)
Cutting Back: My Apprenticeship in the Gardens of Kyoto
- Product by : Leslie Buck
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