About the Book
An immersive exploration of the nightly presence that has captured our imagination for the entirety of human history.
"When the Moon rises between buildings or over trees, it’s not just a beautiful light: It’s an archive of human longing, fear and adventure. The Moon is more than a rock. It’s a story.”
In the luminously told Still s Bright, the story of the Moon traverses time and space, rendering a range of human experiences—from the beliefs of ancient cultures to the science of Galileo’s telescopic discoveries, from the obsessions of colorful 19th century “selenographers” to the astronauts of Apollo and, now, Artemis.
Still As Bright also traces Cokinos's own lunar pilgrimage. With his backyard telescope, he explores the surface of the Moon, while rooted in places both domestic and wild, and this award-winning poet and writer rediscovers feelings of solace, love and wonder in the midst of loss and change.
Simultaneously steeped in rigorous cultural and scientific history, as well as memoir, Still As Bright is a thoughtful, deeply moving, evergreen natural history. It takes readers on a lyrical journey that spans the human understanding of our closest celestial neighbor, whose multi-faceted appeal has worked on witches, scientists, poets, engineers and even billionaires.
Still As Bright is a must-read for anyone who has ever looked up into the night sky in awe and wonder. Readers will never look at the Moon the same way again.
About the Author :
Christopher Cokinos is the author or coeditor of several books, including The Fallen Sky: An Intimate History of Shooting Stars, Hope Is the Things with Feathers: A Personal Chronicle of Vanished Birds, and Beyond Earth’s Edge: The Poetry of Spaceflight. He is the winner of awards and fellowships from, among others, New American Press, the Whiting Foundation, the Rachel Carson Center in Munich, and the National Science Foundation. His poems, articles, and essays have appeared in such venues as Scientific American, High Country News, Astronomy, Discover.com, and the Los Angeles Times. Having taught literature, writing, and science communication for more than three decades at three universities, he again lives and writes in Utah. His website is www.christophercokinos.com.
Review :
“The tour de force that is Christopher Cokinos’s most recent book, Still as Bright is a journey of language, depth, and straight-shooting investigative journalism that’s so expertly presented that I found myself at times just sitting back and acknowledging Cokinos’s mastery of his craft. Cokinos dives deeply into his topic and resurfaces time and again with fresh and captivating insights...Exquisite. Cokinos is a splendid observer of detail and a weaver of words both lyrical and profound.”
"Mix an amateur astronomer with a poet and a space writer, and you get Christopher Cokinos’ eloquent perspective on the cosmos. Still As Bright explores humanity’s fascination with the Moon, from the revelations of gazing at the lunar surface through a telescope to the crunch of Moon rocks beneath the boots of the Apollo astronauts. This book manages to be both marvelously philosophical and deliciously nerdy, in a wide-ranging stock-take of our celestial neighbor."
"Still as Bright is a book about humanity's fumbling efforts to understand what the moon is, over thousands of years. It's lyrical, poetic, and infused with a deep love of science. It feels spiritual, wondrous, and transcendent, while also being deeply personal as the author teases out details of the moon's mysteries in the ever-changing light and shadow of his home telescope. It's a beautiful evocation of lunar time, and mortality."
“An award-winning author takes a close and fascinating look at our cosmic neighbor. Writing with a clear, poetic voice, Cokinos shows how the story of the Moon is also a story of humanity.”
"Chris Cokinos pulls even the most adamant earth lover's gaze upward to the moon, to discover all it has reflected through time. Sunlight is the least of it. Instead we find our own earthly projections, our hopes, flaws, discoveries, and yearnings. You'll never see the moon the same."
"Armed with his trusty telescope, aided by lunar maps, and assisted by experts, Cokinos chronicles his long love affair with the moon and his virtual pilgrimage there. Cokinos finds grandeur and beauty in the barrenness of the lunar landscape. A passionate journey to the moon without ever leaving Earth."
"Still as Bright is a mesmerizing masterpiece that instills a profound sense of wonder and respect for the Moon. Its blend of poetic storytelling and scientific insights ensures an unforgettable reading experience. Whether you are passionate about space exploration or our place in the universe or simply captivated by our Moon's allure, today and through the ages, this book deserves a place on your bookshelf."
"It's rare for a book to turn science into lyricism, to weave between past and present seamlessly, and to transform personal history into a universal meditation. Still As Bright accomplishes all three, an even rarer feat. In this awe-inspiring exploration of what the Moon has meant to Earth and its people, Cokinos draws the two celestial bodies into philosophical, cultural, emotional, and scientific orbit around each other, mirroring in his text their mutual motion in the cosmos."
“The moon is a strangely challenging subject, but Christopher Cokinos does a wonderful job revealing both the oldest and latest lunar news and providing insight into the swirl of controversial new activity. People will soon be back on the moon and Still As Bright provides a better grasp on the true significance of this. This is also a poetic narrative of moonlit fascination that is a delight to read.”
“Cokinos has a way of inviting us to enter new worlds while transporting us to thoughts we haven’t yet had. It’s action and meditation in balance: by the end, we know ourselves better than we did. Still as Bright is going to be remembered as a masterpiece of ecological and philosophical exploration, taking its place beside the works of Terry Tempest Williams and Barry Lopez, Robert McFarlane and Annie Dillard.”
“Still as Bright showcases Cokinos’s peerless talent for braiding personal experience with epic scientific adventure—and in the process, conjures an alchemy of love, heartache, mystery, and wonder. This rumination on the Moon’s place in human affairs is filled with surprise and insight enough to fill the Sea of Rains."
Praise for Christopher Cokinos
“Eloquent and moving...a charming narrative that is both personal and historically meticulous."
"In this hefty, industrious book, Cokinos retraces Peary’s steps, and those of other meteor 'obsessives,' in an idiosyncratic hunt of his own."
“Cokinos guides the reader along his search for the driving force behind the passions of meteorite scientists, collectors, and dealers that make the meteoritic community such a vibrant and contentious bunch. It is a journey well worth taking.”
“Calling this a bird book would be like calling Moby Dick a fishing story."
