Raven's Witness

The Alaska Life of Richard K. Nelson

By: Hank Lentfer, Barry Lopez - foreword

Narrated by: Basil Sands

Before his death in 2019, cultural anthropologist, author, and radio producer Richard K. Nelson's work focused primarily on the indigenous cultures of Alaska and, more generally, on the relationships between people and nature. Nelson lived for extended periods in Athabaskan and Alaskan Eskimo villages, experiences which inspired his earliest written works, including Hunters of the Northern Ice.

In Raven's Witness, Lentfer tells Nelson's story - from his midwestern childhood to his first experiences with Native culture in Alaska through his own lifelong passion for the land where he so belonged. Nelson was the author of the best-selling The Island Within and Heart and Blood. The recipient of multiple honorary degrees and numerous literary awards, he regularly packed auditoriums when he spoke. His depth of experience allowed him to become an intermediary between worlds. This is his story.

©2020 Hank Lentfer (P)2020 Tantor

A beautiful witness of life!

I will look, listen, smell, feel, and taste the world around me more carefully now as I pass this life at my home in the mountains of Wyoming.

A most memorable account of a human being!
Bravo.

thoughtful and thought provoking

I found this story inspiring. it was an honest look at challenges of change and our cosmic position in these crazy times. I might even look for some of Richards books!

Really enjoyed this book

Great read! Listened to it twice. Glad you chose to write this book. It was a good find.

Selfless & Introspective

Amazing man. I wish everyone could be this selfless and introspective. His care for the world around him should be taught in the schools.

A wonderful, touching story, expertly told

Taking on a postumos biography of Nelson couldn't have been an easy decision for such a proud Alaskan outdoorsman as Mr. Lentfer. I am so glad he braved this project, and so should you, we are all the beneficiaries of his taking the time and emotional space to pen this wonderful biography. It is nicely written, with the right balance of the author inserting himself into the story where he genuinely belongs, and quietly fading into the background where that is appropriate. There were times the writing brought a stray tear (or maybe two...) to the corner of my eye.

The only part I found wanting is the beginning and subsequent demise of Nelson's two key longish romantic relationships. Maybe it is just discreet respect for Nelson's privacy, but it is clearly an emotional elephant in the room, going mostly unrecognized. I think it's a shame because Nelson was obviously one of those characters who could not separate himself from his work, which prob. tells in broad strokes the story of the relationships' failures. Yet this is to disintegrating relationships what scarecrows are to humans, just a generic likeness with no depth. My hunch is that there is something universally important here about the tension between being a real latter-day prophet of his topic---with 110% devotion to the cause and prob. a hefty dose of self-absorption---and relationships. I'd have loved to be enlightened, not in a gossipy kinda way, but in a real one.

The reader is mixed. On the one hand, his pronunciation of native Alaskan words is really great. I know nothing about how they SHOULD be pronounced, but it sounds authentic and very lovely, very pleasant to the ear. In English, alas, Sands' intonation can be irritating, with simple words extending, stretching, lingering some more... You get the picture. Needless speech hoopla that ends up undermining the story with over-present diction.

Overall, though, a real gem. I really LOVED it!

Beautifully written memoir

So good I read it twice. I don’t typically go for autobiographies but I had heard of Richard Nelson through another book by a different author. This memoir is beautifully written and captivated me instantly. I held onto every word. I was thankful to be able to experience the richness of Richard’s life, join on his amazing adventures and experience a different culture that I’ve always admired. What a fabulous book.

Beautiful powerful provoking moving

I feel like I have been where Nels has been. his way of writing so incredibly descriptive without getting bogged down with all the descriptors. a Very moving, thought provoking, gorgeous story of an extraordinary man who definitely lived an extraordinary life!!!!

BEAUTIFUL

This is a beautifully written book.
You are there, right in nature and the amazing people.
I lived in the Pacific Northwest for many years and made good friends among the Native Americans.
Do not pass this book up.
The narrator takes some time to get used to, but it all turns out well.
I listened to the book at 1.5 speed.
My thanks to all involved, JK.