Poet Stephen Wing and photographer Luz Wright celebrate Atlanta's greenspaces in new book, 'Wild Atlanta'

Poet Stephen Wing and photographer Luz Wright collaborated on a new book called "Wild Atlanta: Greenspaces and Nature Preserves of ‘The City in the Forest.'" (Photos courtesy of Sherri McLendon)

With foliage nearly covering half of our city’s expanse, Atlanta is often referred to as the “city in a forest.” A new book, “Wild Atlanta: Greenspaces and Nature Preserves of ‘The City in the Forest,'” explores those diverse and protected areas. The book is a collaboration between poet Stephen Wing and photographer Luz Wright.

“City Lights” host Lois Reitzes spoke with the authors about the project.

“My delight is not to just observe nature, but to be a participant in nature,” said Wing. “Nature is so creative in all of its multiple forms. When I’m there writing a poem, I’m participating in that creativity. And I know that my creativity doesn’t originate with me, I’m part of the creativity of the universe of life,” said Wing.

He continued, “To me, it’s a matter of relationship, my relationship with each place by spending time there. I get personally involved and my poems are in a way part of a conversation responding back to what I see around me.”

More information about “Wild Atlanta” is available here.