A Celebration of John and William Bartram
In Philadelphia and Florida
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
JOHN BARTRAM'S HOUSE
IN PHILADELPHIA WHERE
WILLIAM WROTE TRAVELS
Arrival
I stopped to take a snapshot
at the entry driveway sign:
JOHN BARTRAM
(1699-1777)
Famed natural scientist.
Had the first botanic
garden in the U.S. for
receiving plant of America
and exotics . .
.
. . . House and
garden are 1/4 mile east.
No mention yet of his famous son, William.
As I walked back to my car, a young man
came rushing over, asking:
What you doing man? What you taking pictures of?
I tried to close the car door
but he held it open and questioned me
about why I was here, not in prison.
What you doing man? What you taking pictures of?
I explained my interest in the Bartram family,
William in particular, and took the picture
for information about John.
What you going to do next? He asked.
I'm going to drive in and see
the Bartram house and gardens,
where William worked on his Travels
.
Travels, he said. You been traveling since prison?
Don't think I met you in prison, I said,
but I have been traveling:
Through North & South Caroline, Georgia
,
East & West Florida and back in Pennsylvania.
He let me close the car door, banged the car top
with his fist and said, enjoy the Bartrams,
John and William. I started up and drove on.
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About the Book
The Bartram 300, in 1999, will celebrate the birth of America''s first great naturalist and conservationist, John Bartram. His scientific travels in Pennsylvania, New York and throughout Florida, with his son William, are now scientific and mythic legend. William''s return to Florida in 1771, and later publication of Travels, concluded the Bartram saga. The Bartrams awakened the scientific and literary world to America''s environmental beauty and natural uniqueness. The Bartrams'' history and their accomplishments continue to be globally celebrated. A Celebration of the Bartrams is a poetic interpretation of the travels of John and William Bartram. It includes the physical and spiritual retracing, by the author of the Bartram''s environmental travels in Florida and Philadelphia. Originally published as a 200th celebration of Travels, its poems have had many readings. ''John Bartram''s House'''' was read at the 1993 Centennial celebration and Bartram family reunion at historic Bartram''s garden in Philadelphia and published in the proceedings. ''''Flight of Savanna Cranes'''' received honorable mention, The John David Johnson Memorial Poetry Awards of Poet ''''93. ''''Gopher'''' appeared in The Annual Anthology of the South Florida Poetry Institute, 1992-1993.
About the Author
Thomas Peter Bennett, a native Floridian, has recently published poems in Poetalk. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine and several chapbooks, including Aquarius and Tidemarks. William Bartram''s Travels fascinated Bennett in fourth grade