Nov 08 2008
Meet “The Woodswoman” - Anne LaBastille
This summer, Tom and I went on a very simple, but wonderful vacation to the Old Forge, NY area. We stayed in a cabin and browsed some quaint little shops. We swam and sat by campfires. During our week here, one of the highlights was browsing the book stores that had a lot of Adirondackbooks. I became transfixed by a series of books known as “Woodswoman” which were written by Anne LaBastille. There are four books in the series that span 35 years of her life living in the secluded Adirondack woods by herself. It should be noted that books three and four are much more difficult to find, but are well worth the search.
These books bring with them a sense of peace and independence. Her trials and tribulations in the Adirondack wooods as well as her joys and sorrows are so vividly written that sometimes you feel as if you are right there with her. As she and her various German Shepards venture through the years, you become a part of her life. As a matter of fact, you almost find yourself cheering her on.
While on vacation I spoke with several bookstore owners about Anne LaBastille and how I would have loved to have met her. All told similar tales of her being ill at this point in her life. Whether or not that is true, I do not know, but what I do know is that I am a better person for having found and read her books. If you have ever dreamed of living completely off the grid and on your own, these books will inspire you to new heights.
I can’t remember when I was first introduced to Anne’s books, but I have been deeply touched by her writings. I’ve made donations to her ecological endeavors and I have via mail received autographed copies of her four WoodsWoman series as well as personal notes from her with each one. At one site I visited I saw that she had begun work on WoodsWoman V in 2008. Do you have any information if it was completed? I didn’t know her actual age, but figured she was getting to the point she would be needing help to care for herself since her writings had begun in the 1970’s.
Thank you for your site to get as current as possible information on a lady I’ve grown to admire over the years.
Sincerely,
Diana Pope
I interviewed Anne for The Chicago Tribune in 1987 and, like many others, would like to be able to send her a note of appreciation for all she has done and for sharing her experience so generously with a wide audience. Does anyone have a current contact for her or updated information?
Thanks
Teresa Barker
Anne Labastille has advanced Alzheimers and is living in a retirement home, probably in upstate NY. (I don’t have contact info). Let’s all honor her by committing ourselves to the causes she fought for as she’s not able to fight herself for them anymore.
I am a latecomer to the wonderful world of Anne LaBastille, although my husband and I have enjoyed tramping and paddling the Adirondacks for years. Reading of her joys and heartbreaks, her expert knowledge of the natural world, her many accomplishments, her devotion to her dogs and later, Chunita, has been a wonderful experience for me. I am deeply saddened to read that Anne is possibly suffering from Alzheimers in her twilight years. Knowing personally the awful toll of that dread disease, I find it tragic that Anne has to be subjected to the robbery of her expertise, wide knowlege and proud memories in what should be her satisfying senior years. Thankfully we will have her books and writings to remember her happier times.
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Hi, I enjoyed your post. I would like to know where Jane obtained her information that Anne LaBastille has Alzheimer’s? I find this to be tragic given her inspirational life dedicated to ecology and nature.
Of course, what a great site and informative posts, I will add backlink - bookmark this site? Regards, Reader.
Reading through the comments to the original article, I found it interesting that most of the comments were posted by ladies. Well, I’m not afraid to say I have two chapters to go to finish Beyond Black Bear Lake. I found a copy of Woodswoman III on ebay and it is on it’s way and I’m currently looking for Woodswoman IV to either buy or borrow. Even as a guy, one cannot help but respect the work of Dr. LaBastille. She was visionary in many ways. I am very interested in the simplicity movement and she was already into that in the late 70’s. Just wanted to point out she is just as inspiring to men, in a non-sexist way, as she is to women. We can all learn from her. I had heard she was ill, but I never knew and am sad to hear it is Alzheimers. I hope all of you will join me in sending up prayers of peace, love and support to Dr. LaBastille.
I have several autographed books from Anne and a couple notes she kindly sent me after I discovered her books. We are very much alike in some ways and I treasure her insights into the world of living in the wild, something which I am blessed to be able to do. I am so thankful to have had some contact with her prior to her becoming incompacitated by Alzheimer’s. She is a great inspiration to me.
I am one of the fortunate who had the opportunity to spend a day with Anne La Bastille. I cried when I read that she has Alzheimer’s.
I wrote to Anne after discovering her first book on a thrift store shelf. My friend Cindy and I corresponded with Anne, and eventually were able to visit her. It was a magical day.
She met us for breakfast to check us out and make sure were trustworthy. Then she opened her world to us and took us everywhere special to her. I will treasure that memory forever. I have wondered why I got no response when writing to her.
I will cherish her letters even more now. Xandor was everything he seemed to be in her books.
God bless you Anne.
I was fortunate to have met and talked with Anne when she visited Long Lake many years ago. I’m a big fan of her writing. I’m very sorry to hear she’s not in the best of health. I can only imagine how much she must miss her beloved woods.
Randy and all fans of Dr. Anne LaBastille, I am simply a great admirer of hers and have been since she wrote “Woodswoman”. I am so sorry to hear of her devastating illness. This seems so tragic to happen to one totally devoted to nature. Anne never knew this, but she was such an inspiration to me and I felt such kinship with nature, just as she describes it in her wonderful books.
Randy, I want you to find another book, “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson.
Oh, my…Randy…I just lost my former step-son, named Randy. He would write like you. Please let me know if you are still here or if ‘my’ Randy wrote the above comment.
It’s good to read all the appreciative comments about Dr. La Bastille, and to know there are many who remember all the fine work she did. I just finished reading, with sadness, comments at another site where the Commenters focused on what they thought of as her rudeness or eccentricity when they met her in public. Almost without exception the complaints were petty and self-involved. They did not seem to understand that La Bastille had been under threat of personal attack from those who objected to her ecological stance in the Adirondacks. Arsonists had burned her barns and destroyed her vehicles. Her natural concern for her privacy was heightened by this. She must have felt she didn’t know whom to trust. It’s also possible that, if she does indeed have Alzheimer’s, her occasioal abrupt responses were early signs of it.
In any case, it was refreshing to see that many on this site wish her well in her current struggle, and appreciate how gallantly she struggled for the well-being of the natural world in the past.