Forest Bathing in Big Sur

Henry Miller Memorial Library is a literary and musical dreamscape nestled among the towering redwoods of Big Sur, California. I’ve spent some of the most memorable and formative moments of my life in Big Sur & HMML specifically.

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Most recently, my husband and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary by visiting our favorite spots in the area : Nepenthe, The Phoenix Shop, Pfeiffer & Big Sur Bakery (they’ve got the best chai & baked goods). At HMML we read the timeline of Henry Miller’s fascinating life, perused their perfectly curated paperbacks and sat for a while soaking in sweet tunes by Nick Drake, Rosemary Standley + more.

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Rewind over twenty years and you’ll find my dad and me sitting on a fallen tree reading poetry. I️ can still picture the cover of the book adorned with a dapper toad, leafy border and other whimsical woodland creatures. I’m grateful that at a young age my parents instilled in me a deep connection with nature. Finding moments like these for stillness, meditation and celebration in nature feels essential for my well-being. Could that be because of how I was raised or do you think it occurs because of our interconnectedness? I would think a combination of the two. I truly believe we are all part of the wild pulse of the entire universe.

Do you notice you feel differently when you’ve spent a significant amount of time away from nature? Are you a skyscraper person, totally thrilled in and filled up by urban landscapes? What does a day in nature feel like to you?

A few years later, we got rained in. There were hikes and other adventurous plans on the docket, but Mother Nature intervened and changed my life forever. Because of the rain, my dad and I had to stay in our tent at the campsite, so we needed some form of entertainment. We drove to the nearest bookstore we knew of, The Phoenix Shop, where my dad got me my first Harry Potter book. As we left, the shop owner very whimsically called after us, “Once you enter Hogwarts, you never leave!” I want to write 340,923 pages on how HP changed my life. I know she offered magic to so many people who felt quite disenchanted. Even today, as JK Rowling becomes someone completely unrecognizable and in opposition to the vision I had of her, I am learning valuable lessons… Albeit, in a more devastating manner, but I’ll take ‘em where I can get ‘em! In retrospect, I’m not sure how I missed the many problematic nuances or overtly discriminatory vibes found in the pages of Harry Potter. Wisdom seems to come with age and attention! In the future I commit to taking things in with a more critical mindset. I also learned to carefully admire individuals you don’t directly interact with. I’m still wondering how to experience artwork upon enlightenment about the creator. I’m working hard to not let her broken legacy and hateful behavior tarnish my beautiful memories of discovering magic in the wilderness with my dad.

How do you grapple with the notion of separating art from artist?

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Between then and now, I’ve had the incredibly good fortune of seeing many concerts at Henry Miller Memorial Library with a couple of my best friends. We’ve seen Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes with The Walkmen opening, Ben Gibbard and my number one life idol – Joanna Newsom with Robin Pecknold opening. For me, there is no better venue to see live music. The redwoods amplify sound so beautifully. They light the place with candles & fairy lights. They cap the number of attendees, so it feels like you’re at an intimate performance in your living room… if your living room were a forest wonderland. Unlike other concert experiences, you don’t encounter a single drunk asshole – everyone is elated & grateful & kind. Kindness prevails.

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Thanks for taking that walk down memory lane with me. Now let’s take a walk through Henry Miller Memorial Library :

You should know their mission & I️ can’t say it better than them, so here’s the lowdown straight from the source :

Henry Miller’s best friend Emil White built the house that is now the “Award Winning*” Library in mid-1960s. He named it the Henry Miller Memorial Library in 1981, a year after Henry died and, with the help of the Big Sur Land Trust, created the non-profit organization we now know.

Our Mission Statement is thus: “The Henry Miller Library is a public benefit, non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization championing the literary, artistic and cultural contributions of the late writer, artist, and Big Sur resident Henry Miller.  The Library also serves as a cultural resource center, functioning as a public gallery/performance/workshop space for artists, writers, musicians and students. In addition, the Library supports education in the arts and the local environment. Finally, the Library serves as a social center for the community.” The Library hosts events throughout the year, but particularly in the summer months (May-October), including music, lectures, book signings, and countless community events including the Esalen Gazebo School benefit, our Big Sur International Short Film Screening Series, Big Sur Stories, and of course, so much more!

But Didn’t Miller Disapprove of Memorials? Correct.  Memorials, he said, “defeated the purpose of a man’s life. Only by living your own life to the full can you honor the memory of someone.” So, is this place a memorial trying not to be a memorial? Maybe. The best way to find out is to come here, browse, look at what’s on the walls, listen to the music, have a cup of coffee or tea, sit down by the fire, read for a while, do nothing…”

Places like this give me hope. They feed our local ecosystems. You can discover treasures and build connections. They provide safe spaces for all types of people. More often than not, you leave having learned something you didn’t enter with.

How do you support the local gems in your community? Where do you feel most hopeful and inspired? Tell us about your favorite shop to buy books or spend an afternoon! Perhaps you have your own special experience at Henry Miller Memorial Library or in Big Sur. Please share!

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Thank you,

🌞 Nicole

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