“The famous Zen parable about the master for whom, before his studies, mountains were only mountains, but during his studies mountains were no longer mountains, and afterward mountains were again mountains could be interpreted as an alleory about [the perpetual paradox that when one is closest to a destination one is also the farthest).”

American writer and activist

Rebecca Solnit is an American writer and activist. She writes about feminism, the environment, politics, place, and art. Her work ranges across essays and commentary on public life, with recurring attention to how people move through the world and how ideas shape it. She is also known for writing on land, landscape, and culture, bringing together personal observation and social critique.