Christine Colasurdo

Return to Spirit Lake
“As St. Helens once intrigued distant audiences, so should this account of its eruption, continuing evolution and the surprising lessons therein.”
Colasurdo, writing with a solid grasp of science lightly worn, looks at volcanology and what might be salvage ecology to account for this renaissance, noting that ‘the volcano had not so much deforested its foothills as rearranged the trees’ and that most plant and animal species are, all in all, a hardy and resilient lot. The author has a grand time presenting and interpreting her arguments of how the mountain works, and she’s done her homework well. After much time walking its remnants, she writes, ‘I understood how volcanoes bloom on the Earth’s crust like so many bunches of scarlet paintbrush.’ After a session with this lyrical book, the reader will understand, too.
“Her work is a graceful blend of personal observations, scientific documentation of volcanic activity, and the earlier-than-expected regeneration of life and landscape. . . . Her book is a testament to the resilience of both landscape and human spirit.”

Golden Gate National Parks: A Photographic Journey
Colasurdo writes a sprightly, informative text illustrated by 22 photographers, including Baron Wolman and the late Galen Rowell. The book is simple and lovely, like the sweep of the Golden Gate Bridge against a chilly blue sky.”

Erna Gunther: A Pioneer in Native Plants
This brief biography of anthropologist Erna Gunther was written to appear as a chapter in the book, Plant Hunters of the Pacific Northwest, edited by Art Kruckeberg and Rhoda Love. It was published as an article in Columbia: The Magazine of Northwest History, winter 2002-03.