Lee swims through all four seasons and especially loves the winter. Through the heat of summer to the frozen depths of winter, lee traces her j. Full disclosure, it is by a friend of mine, but i think some readers of cr might be interested in checking it out especially if theyre looking for something a bit different. Turning is about the joys of swimming through the year. Lees is a trip to the lake well worth taking, inspiring even this reluctant swimmer to reach for his swimming shorts if not the ice hammer. Doretta lau speaks with the author of the memoir turning about nature writing and diversity. In 2017, canadianchinesebritish writer and environmental historian jessica j. She sets herself a challenge to swim in 52 lakes, all year round. A few days later we caught up over coffee to talk about her book and get some tips for swimming in and around the german capital. Lee on plants, people, and their intertwined migration stories when i was nine, two decades after arriving in canada with almost nothing, my parents turned the hard corner into wealth. I found turning after reading and enjoying lees essay in at the pond. She lives in berlin, where she continues her search for new lakes. Lee wasnt prepared for this new experiential feeling that would come over her soon. A swimming memoir is jessica j lee s debut and it documents her attempt to swim in 52 german lakes over 52 weeks.
Lee successfully gets under the skin of things, but her story is markedly different. Apr 12, 2018 this title is a bit unusual for cr, but i wanted to share the great cover for the uk paperback edition of jessica j. But lee captures perfectly what it feels like to sink underwater, to feel the cavern around you expanding and swallowing you in it. Jessica brilliantly takes us into the water with her, even on those freezing mornings when she had to use a hammer to smash through the ice to get her fix. Lee is a britishcanadiantaiwanese author, environmental historian, and winner of the rbc taylor prize emerging author award.
Turning, jessica j lee shop online for books in new zealand. Lee is a canadian with a doctorate in environmental history and aesthetics. During a swim at orankesee, berlin, last month we bumped into jessica j lee, author of turning. Lee published a fantastic memoir called turning, which is about a year of swimming adventures in the lakes of germany.
Since then, lee has decided to address the diversity issue in nature writing by launching a journal. Lee, author of nature writing books, turning 2017 and two trees make a forest 2019. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. Home trending history get youtube premium get youtube tv best of youtube music sports gaming. Lee weaves history, ecology, and personal memoir together in a beautiful story about her project to swim 52 of berlins lakes in one year. Lee canadian, chinese and british swims through all four seasons. It is a relativelymild, lateautumn morning in berlin.
Lessons from swimming berlins lakes, turning, jessica j. Her triggers for this undertaking are the desire to overcome a broken. Like but theres a kind of offering in the generosity of water holding you afloat. It began as a blog on the nowdefunct travel website slow travel berlin and, following its success there, lee turned her writings into a memoir. Jessica lee is living in berlin working on her doctorate. Lee canadian, chinese and british swims through all four seasons and especially loves the winter. Lee, 9780349008332, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Lessons from swimming berlins lakes during a lovely warm summers day, and it turned out to be the perfect choice. She has a doctorate in environmental history and aesthetics. In turning jessica lee writes about her exploration of, and swimming in, the various man made and natural lakes surrounding berlin, a city she is currently living and working in. A swimming memoir is jessica j lees debut and it documents her attempt to swim in 52 german lakes over 52 weeks. Jun 06, 2017 but, one saturday, i was hauling children and car seats and emptied boxes of raisins out of the car and a woman showed up on my front lawn a friend of swimmerwriter jessica j.
Lee, who had a book for me lees swim memoir turning. Her debut memoir, turning, recounts the lessons shes learned from swimming in the german capitals lakes for the course of a year, and promotes the activity as an intimate way to connect with the environment. The intimacy of touch uninhibited, rising around my legs, over my waist, up to. Her studies centre on hampstead heath in london and her home country is canada. Lee has a british father and a chinese mother but was brought up in canada. I found turning after reading and enjoying lee s essay in at the pond. Since very much enjoying amy liptrots the outrun, which is partially a memoir of outdoor swimming, i have been keen to pick up more memoirs along the same theme the times literary supplement calls turning a. Lee has been awarded the 2019 rbc taylor prize emerging writer award. Lee by ricardo rivas turning, which came out in 2017, traced lees yearlong quest to swim each week in a different lake in the countryside surrounding berlin.
Her first book, turning, which chronicles her journey swimming 52 lakes in a single year, was longlisted for the frank hegyi award for emerging authors. Apr 05, 2018 turning is a nature memoir chronicling jessica j. She swims to explore the natural history of fresh water and to examine her own place and identity in the world. Its an attentive meditation on the pleasures and lessons of swimming in lakes, particularly in winter.
In the way water holds feeling, how the body is most alive submerged and enveloped, there is the fullness of grace given freely. May 04, 2017 turning is a nature memoir chronicling jessica j. Read turning lessons from swimming berlins lakes by jessica j. Lee is a canadian author and coldwater swimmer currently based in berlin. Its as much about loss and recovery as it is swimming. She received a doctorate in environmental history and aesthetics in 2016, and her first book, turning, was published in 2017. Lee is a britishcanadiantaiwanese author and environmental historian, and winner of the 2019 rbc taylor prize emerging writer award. Lee by ricardo rivas turning, which came out in 2017, traced lee s yearlong quest to swim each week in a different lake in the countryside surrounding berlin. The intimacy of touch uninhibited, rising around my legs, over. When turning first hit the bookstores in 2017, jessica j. At the age of twentyeight, jessica, who grew up in canada and lived in england, finds herself in berlin. One to read especially for anyone interested in wild swimming, lake ecology, or berlin.
Turning is book about lake swimming, loss, resilience, solitude and finding a sense of belonging. Longlisted for the 2018 frank hegyi award for emerging authors jessica j. She swims throughout the seasons through the heat of summer to the frozen depths of winter. Full disclosure, it is by a friend of mine, but i think some readers of cr might be interested in checking it out especially if theyre looking for something a.
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