EcoLit Books Success Story: Rebekah Doyle

Tell us about your essay and what inspired it?

I wrote Beauty in the Burn Scar during the fall of 2020 after a summer of wildfires and smoke. The Bighorn Fire burned for over a month in Tucson’s Santa Catalina mountains and the images of smoke by day and orange glow at night worked their way into my dreams for weeks. The region was further impacted by extended record hot temperatures, brown skies, and smoke from other fires. I sought out forests seeking fresh air and a reprieve. The essay explores solastalgia, the feelings of grief or sadness when a place you are connected to is negatively transformed by environmental changes. I found spending time in burn scars helped me process the loss while also finding a way to move forward by exploring these altered landscapes.

What environmental books or authors have most inspired you?

I read Silent Spring at a young enough age that I decided to look at the effects of lawn chemicals on earthworms for my 8^thgrade science fair project. I continued to think about the effects of environmental contaminants and as an undergrad focused my Environmental Studies thesis on remediating soil lead in vacant lots with compost. I am grateful to Rachel Carson who fostered my concern for the planet alongside an abiding love of nature. 

My writing has also benefited from reading about others immersed in landscapes. I had the opportunity to spend several days wandering among the live oaks and walking the undeveloped coastline of Cumberland Island, Georgia during a kayaking trip over twenty years ago. It was incredible to have such access to nature and have a wilderness experience on a coastal barrier island. At the time I did not realize that Carol Ruckdeschel, a biologist and longtime resident of the island had been one of the advocates for protecting this incredible place. Years later I read about her in Will Harlan’s Untamed: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight for Cumberland Island. I’m inspired by her life, her lifestyle, and the incredible impact an individual can have through their connection to a place. 

I just started reading Nan Shepherd’s The Living Mountain and appreciate her descriptions of the Scottish Highlands and the ways she connected to her home landscape.

What’s your next writing project?

I have several essays and story ideas in various stages. I am thinking about a piece on desert grasslands for an upcoming segment on the public radio program, Arizona Spotlight. 

I have also been writing a book, The Fortysomething on the Playground, set in Tucson neighborhoods and schools where I work as a school-based physical therapist. The book incorporates a sandbox-level perspective of childhood and explores pathways for children with disabilities to engage with the natural world. It is also a story about our special education system, the parts that work despite all the dysfunction and the direction we need to go (hint: more birdwatching, less screen time). 

About Rebekah Doyle
Rebekah Doyle is a school-based physical therapist in Tucson who enjoys exploring the Borderlands and beyond. She is a contributor to Arizona Spotlight on Arizona Public Media. More of her writing can be found at rebekahdoyle.com.