Dirt… The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth

I can remember my mother's voice asking, when I would come in from outdoors covered with smudges of all sorts, “Have you been playing in the dirt again?” My answer would be the same today as it was then, “Yes!” Digging was and is a favorite activity for me. As a child I lived on a farm in Astoria, Oregon. The soil was rich and black and full of little bugs and worms. To me it was a magical kingdom. I didn't understand where the magic came from but I knew it was full of surprises. After reading Dirt, The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth and watching Dirt, The Movie, a film based on the book, I have a very good idea where the magic comes from. These two works will change the way you think about dirt. I'll share my experience of the book in this blog and I'll report on the film in the next one.

Dirt, The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth by William Bryant Logan, certified arborist and Quill & Trowell Award winning writer, is a series of passionate essays with names like Stardust, The Circulation of Stone, The Pharmacy of Mold, Wind and Soil, On Gopher Humps, The Earth for Jefferson and Adams and, Dio-He-Ko – Corn, Beans, Squash. These essays elevate the subject of dirt from “the ground we walk on” to “that upon which all life depends.”

Logan actually wrote Dirt because of something that happened in his friend Clyde's pickup truck. Clyde was a handyman working in New York City. He was asked to fix one of the stones on the face of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Unfortunately, Clyde fell from the scaffolding and was out of commission for many months. His open-bed pickup truck sat under a maple tree day in and day out, through all the seasons of a year. Dust and leaves and papers and cups blew into the flat bed. They were rained on and then dried out in the blazing sun. Pigeons left their droppings in the truck. More dust blew in and rain fell. More bits of trash were tossed in and then everything was heated and reheated in the sun again and again, layer upon layer upon layer. And then, one day, Logan noticed that there were plants growing in Clyde's old pickup truck. Beautiful green plants were growing out of a rich potent soil. He knew right then he had witnessed something profound. In that moment Logan knew he wanted to know everything he could about dirt.

Both witty and wise, Dirt, The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth is the kind of book you can curl up with in front of the fire. You know you are reading science, and learning so much, but it also speaks directly to your heart. It reminds us of the vitality of soil, of its innate ability to recycle — air, water, and even waste and turn it into something fertile and productive — and that it has been doing this since the beginning of time. Dirt teaches us that whether we are learning about the history of agriculture, diversity in burials, backyard gardening, deforestation, or urban sprawl, life begins and ends with soil and it always has. Rather than a “how to” on making soil healthy, Dirt, The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth is a reverent and comprehensive study, compelling us to honor dirt and support and nourish its ability to save us and our planet.

Peter Warshall, of Whole Earth, reviewed Dirt like this: “Logan sets out to purify dirt, to embed us so intimately in the skin of Earth that we will live, momentarily at least, entranced by its vibrancy….This is the most literate book to bring soil to soul and soul to the subterranean!” It's so true. Logan's words pierce our consciousness, evoking thoughts and feelings that resonate deep within us long after we put the book down.

Over time Dirt has developed an almost cult following across the world. It is as full of captivating characters and stories as any great work of literature. St. Phocas, earthworms and Darwin, compost, penicillin, and Thomas Jefferson traverse the pages together. And to that end we come away from reading this book knowing fully that we must interact with dirt and treat it with respect because our future depends on it. At this time of year, or any time, it is a great gift for anyone interested in gardening.