Taking on the outdoors with Sam Cook and John McPhee
Sam Cook walks his dog each day like any other person, but he goes to work and does the extreme.
Cook writes about the wonders of the outdoors in the Northland and beyond, starting from the front steps of his home in Duluth and venturing to places around the world. He shares his own experiences as well as the experiences of many others.
“Sometimes, the simplest of moments occur in our lives — small things, unwitnessed by almost anyone else, that reaffirm one’s faith in the human race,” Cook said in a column.
It is, perhaps, the little things that can capture the essence of a community, including the very things that make it up.
From deer hunting to North American expeditions, Cook brings the outdoors to life for every day people reading his work. Going beyond the topic, Cook dazzles readers with his intricate details and character.
What inspires Cook? Well, John McPhee does.
Like Cook, McPhee has a niche for the outdoors and adventure. He has been on his fair share of North American trips, witnessing the awes that many could not even dream about — that is, until they read his writing.
McPhee has countless awards and nominations for his writing, but he is more than a writer. He is an artist, painting pictures with each piece.
“They massaged everything from college football players to arthritic ancients, and they didn’t give sex,” McPhee said in an article.
Though similar, Cook and McPhee do not just write about the outdoors. Each man writes about his passions, sharing detailed journals of their lives.
How would each man write about the same adventure, same experience of the outdoors?