An Illuminating History of the Moon, from Antiquity to Tomorrow
by Christopher Cokinos
Readers' rating:
Published Apr 2024
448 pages
Genre: History, Current Affairs and Religion
Publication Information
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 As 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.
"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." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"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." —Booklist
"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." —Francis French, space historian and author of Falling to Earth
"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." ―Meera Subramanian, author of A River Runs Again
"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." ―James R. Hansen, New York Times Best Selling Author of First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong
This information about Still As Bright was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
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.
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