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The Height of Land
Additional information
| Author | M. C. Benner Dixon |
|---|---|
| Genre | Adult – Speculative |
| Publisher | Orison Books |
| Release Date | March 4, 2024 |
| Mood | Bittersweet, Grieving, Hopeful, Thoughtful |
Description
A violent storm sends the villagers of Chert River fleeing for their lives, but Red stays, convinced that the storm was not just a storm but a god returned from exile and come in search for him. And he wants to be found. Standing alone amidst his drowned and rotting crops, Red pleads with the destroying god, “Come back.”
THE HEIGHT OF LAND follows the quest of a young man in the distant future, torn between spiritual longing and commitment to his community’s survival in a harsh landscape. Red sacrifices everything to study the long-lost words of the gods. What he does not know is that he is reading the poetry of Lucille Clifton, Ḥáfiẓ, and Walt Whitman, as well as the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, and the Tao Te Ching. In a world reborn from catastrophe, these ancient texts take on new meanings.
In his quest to find the gods, Red encounters outlaws, skeptics, and true believers. His questions drive him onward. Have the gods truly abandoned the earth, or just Red? What kind of answer can he receive when he has lost the words to ask?
About the Author
I
am both a scholar and an artist, a grammarian and a poet. I love the deep dive of serious research and literary criticism just as much as I love worldbuilding for a speculative futuristic story. I do not feel compelled to choose one or the other.
I grew up in Pennsburg, PA, in a house on the top of a blustery hill. The fourth of five children, I spent my days climbing trees and pretending with my sisters. I remember the first poem I wrote in elementary school—a warm wind blowing over a pond, and a swan floating placidly by. I do not remember the first writing that I loved, because words and stories had always been part of me. My consciousness dawned against the poetry of hymns, the whimsy of runaway bunnies, the (mostly true) adventures of my grandfather’s rememberings.
I emerged from my childhood with a love of language and the living earth. In college and graduate school, I studied English, secondary education, theater, and religion. I have been teaching writing, rhetoric, and creative expression since 2003. I have steeped myself in language and literature—how to generate it, how to talk about it, how to make meaning of it in your life.
After fifteen years teaching in various classrooms, I launched out as an independent writer and editor. My work outside of education has ranged from web design for small businesses, editing projects for individuals, story consultation for media companies, and communication support for nonprofits. I’ve written grants and scripts, website copy and newsletters. It is a great joy to me that I have been able to spend my life in the company of words.
I am based in Pittsburgh, PA, where I live with my husband, my books, and my gardens.