About the book
Field Notes on Avoidance is a book of poetry and photography by American photographer and poet Nathan Larson. It contains over 60 original poems and 50 photographs made over more than three years of travel to the edges of the North American continent, including the Arctic Ocean, the edge of Labrador, Newfoundland, Alaska and Key West. Published by Nathan Larson in 2026, the hardcover limited first edition is 8 × 10 inches and 128 pages, with three cover variants (Flower, Mountain and Feather), priced at $135 per cover or $324 for the three-cover bundle at nathanlarson.com. An audiobook read by the author and set to field recordings is $15 at nathanlarson.com, and the Kindle eBook is available on Amazon.com and free with Kindle Unlimited.
Buy / Read
Audiobook · $15
Read by the author and a special guest, set to field recordings from across North America. A private listening link is emailed after purchase.
Buy the audiobookSee the photographs from the book in the Field Notes on Avoidance photograph collection, with fine art print editions available.
Praise
“These images are of course penetrating and powerful--but I find the poems make them better, slowing down my contemplation, giving me something to rub against. A real feat!”
Bill McKibben, author of Here Comes the Sun
“Field Notes on Avoidance is a breathtakingly beautiful blend of poetry and photography by Nathan Larson. Deftly captured with both language and image, Larson shares his intimate encounters with nature. The artistic tension between the two mediums transforms those moments into a religious awakening as we follow his pilgrimage through the natural world.”
William Ferris, author of The South in Color: A Visual Journal, former chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Grammy award winner
“Field Notes on Avoidance is beautiful. There’s a quiet depth to it and a lot to love within. To bring such open honesty to both the words and photographs takes a rare kind of talent. It feels like a lifetime work.”
Art Meripol, world-renowned award-winning photographer
“A book so out of the ordinary, I judged it immediately by its cover, opened it up, and started reading…one of the most beautiful books that's come across my desk.”
Mikaela Lefrak, Vermont Edition, Vermont Public Radio
“A beautiful book of poems and photographs...lovingly crafted.”
Tom Williams, Access Utah, Utah Public Radio
“Larson’s best work sits in its honesty. Each poem feels found, not forced. He ties observation to emotion in a way that lets a line about pine needles or kitchen vanilla carry an entire life. His rhythm is steady, and his eye for detail keeps even the smallest scene alive...This book fits with the kind of modern nature writing that looks less for untouched wilderness and more for what survives inside it. It leans toward poets who write travel as self-inventory, Mary Oliver if she had a sharper tongue and fewer sunsets. The mix of poem and photograph puts it somewhere between lyric memoir and field guide, but without the tidy lessons those books usually chase.”
Sam Wright, Editor
As heard on
Access Utah · Utah Public Radio
With Tom Williams, July 10, 2026
Vermont Edition · Vermont Public
With Mikaela Lefrak, May 13, 2026
Listen: Novelist Tim Weed, photographer Nathan Larson, and filmmaker Robbie Leppzer
Book details
About the author
Nathan Larson grew up across the United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Green Mountains. He discovered photography at a young age and began writing poetry and essays while studying at the University of Chicago. Larson has published two monographs, Avian and Cloud Hunter, as well as two books in the Why We Stay series. His photographs have appeared in magazines, on book covers, and in galleries and collections around the world. His licensed work is currently represented by Wild Apple Graphics.
Frequently asked questions
What is Field Notes on Avoidance?
It is a book of over 60 poems and 50 photographs by Nathan Larson. He wrote and photographed it during more than three years of travel to the edges of North America, from the Arctic Ocean and Labrador to Key West.
Where can I buy the print edition?
The hardcover limited first edition is sold at nathanlarson.com and select booksellers: $135 per cover, or $324 for the three-cover collector's bundle.
Is there a Kindle or eBook version?
Yes. The Kindle eBook is available on Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ5CFDGF and is free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
Is there an audiobook?
Yes. The audiobook is read by the author and a special guest and is set to field recordings from across North America. It costs $15 at nathanlarson.com, and a private listening link is emailed after purchase.
What is the difference between the three covers?
The text is the same in all three. The covers are Flower, Mountain and Feather, and each is described as an aesthetic reflection: "austere landscape, fleeting light, and contemplative stillness." The bundle includes all three.
Where were the poems and photographs made?
On the edges of the North American continent, including the Arctic Ocean, the edge of Labrador, Newfoundland, Alaska and Key West.
Who designed the book?
The cover and book design are by Ana Peres. All photographs are by Nathan Larson.