Comments on: Meet “The Woodswoman” - Anne LaBastille

By: carol crossen

carol crossen — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:28:00 +0000

I just completed Woodswoman III and am so sad to read of her illness. I found her books to be uplifting,interesting,encouraging and supportive of those who care about the environment.
I live on a small lake, have a beautiful German shepherd dog and so can identify with so much of which she has written. I feel so much more aware of the consequences of our actions on this precious earth.
I will now search for Woodswoman IV.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:37:59 +0000

How nice to come upon this post. I read Woodswoman when I was a teenage girl just beginning to learn backpacking and hiking. Her story of independence and her committed environmental stance were, and are, inspiring. I’m so sorry to hear of her illness and sorry I missed the chance to send her a book for signing - I wouldn’t want to trouble her now. It’s gratifying to know she touched so many lives.

By: susan ryan

susan ryan — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:24:08 +0000

I was working at Mann Library at Cornell Univ. in Ithaca, NY in the early 70’s and routinely helped a blond-haired rather rustic-type woman who was a grad. student. She always had her German shepherd dog with her (in those days you could bring a dog into the library).

One day my co-worker and I were looking at a new issue of “The Conservationist” and there was an article with a photo of this same grad student. Her name was Anne LaBastille. It told of her book “Woodswoman” and her life story from growing up near NYC and getting a college job at this Adirondack hotel, eventually marrying and divorcing the owner while discovering camping and the outdoors and biology.

We at the library immediately bought her book and the next time she was in we invited her to the staff lounge for coffee and to autograph our books. She was kind and lovely and we were, from then on, interested in following her life. By then she had divorced her husband and built her cabin and written at least one book and was in grad school.

Later, I was near Big Moose lake and stumbled on an historic log hotel, which turned out to be the one owned by her ex (we discovered this in flipping through a photo album in the main room and it had photos of Anne with him). He had re-married (another blond) and was still running the hotel.

She was in Ithaca several times later lecturing with a slide show about her various efforts in ecology.

I always wanted to see her cabin (should be a museum) but we at the library treasured meeting her. I did learn that her original cabin was on Twitchell Lake near Big Moose Lake. She named it Black Bear Lake of course. All of her books were wonderful but the first was exceptional as was she. Sorry to hear the latest sad news. Life goes so quickly.

By: Terry Macmillan Clockmaker

Terry Macmillan Clockmaker — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:32:09 +0000

StudioInverness

A little clockshop located in the highlands of the Appalachains, one days drive north of Boston and an hour south west of Quebec city.
Here we live in the woods……..close to nature where we have the opportunity for resourcefulness, reflection, and creative thinking.

I am a great fan of ANNE LABASTILLE books.

May we all learn from her……..

By: Terri

Terri — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 06:34:11 +0000

I have just finished the three Woodswoman books, again, and am so glad to read the posts of others who appreciate her as much as I do. I first heard of her on a television program–I think it was PBS–in the ’80s, that featured the story of her building the cabin in the Adirondacks. I haven’t heard any reference made to that program since, but it led me to find and read her books later. I pray she has peace, if not memory, in her daily existence.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:37:26 +0000

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.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:17:45 +0000

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.

By: Jude

Jude — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:56:06 +0000

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.

By: Deirdre

Deirdre — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 02:11:26 +0000

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.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:29:01 +0000

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.