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Extract below
I stayed up all night, inhaling the aroma of the damp soil, running my fingers through it, placing it on my tongue, letting it roll to the back of my throat and dissolve in my cheek. This was pure stuff, wholesome, organic. There was no contamination from nearby industry, no taste of fertilizer, pesticides, or insecticides to be found. Dark and sumptuous, the smell slightly sweet with the aroma of geosmin, I instantly recognized this native prairie soil. It was taken from the small, undisturbed lot preserved by my great grandad and generations since, unaffected by and unconnected to our modern operations. It had been covered by perennials for thousands of years, before he had arrived with his wagon and family in tow, setting up homestead in Peosta; it was a font of ecological knowledge, an open classroom offering enlightenment for any farmer who cared to pay attention.
from Ground Up
Ground Up is one of 24 short stories from the anthology. Buy the eBook direct here. The paperback is available on order from your bookshop, via Amazon or direct from the publisher.
Meet the author: Elizabeth Kurucz
Elizabeth Kurucz is a Canadian writer who explores the relations between personal and ecological flourishing. Her ecofeminist work Ground Up won first prize in the Green Stories Short Story Competition in 2022. She is an Associate Professor of Leadership and Sustainability at the University of Guelph where her research focuses on challenging individual mindsets to support social-ecological resilience and to help build a regenerative future. Her non-fiction book is Reconstructing Value: Leadership Skills for a Sustainable World (University of Toronto Press). She lives with her family on the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located in Ontario, Canada. Website: https://www.uoguelph.ca/lang/people/elizabeth-kurucz
