In the Aura of a Hole: Exploring Sites of Material Extraction Paperback – May 19, 2015

In the Aura of a Hole is uniquely wonderful, like no other book I've read. It is a daring combination of travelogue, science, environment, philosophy, sociology, history, art, reflection, photography, absurdity, humor - and somehow all these elements are brought together in a beautifully poetic, but also straightforward and unpretentious way.The book has an interesting organization, by chemical element. Each "chapter" examines a particular element (like sodium or chlorine), by combining stories of visits to the sites of material extraction, many beautiful photographs, quotes, anecdotes, sociological facts, drawings of scientific processes, maps, lists, etc. Each section is complete unto itself, transporting the reader not just to the place or the "objective" facts, but to a variety of experiences available in each. She could easily have approached this work as the usual critique of industrial capitalism, with endless facts about the growing toxicity and destruction of our environment; while she certainly includes information about these horrors, her approach is wider, more nuanced, a view from above; or to quote a zen phrase, simply seeing things as they are. The picture and experience that emerges is one that is complex, vague, strange, absurd. For instance, we may learn about a river that is soiled with toxins, while also hearing anecdotes from the people that gain their livelihood from the work, and later experience the wonder of the scientific process that makes it possible, or investigate the philosophical nature of matter.I'm left with the impression that I'm far more connected to these sites than I would normally think - not just in that I consume products made with these raw materials, but more deeply, even that these materials (and their toxic byproducts) are actually IN me; that my life is inextricably connected to the life of these elements, these sites, this system of industrial production, whether I like it or not; that this whole thing is in an incredibly dynamic flux - the activity at these sites ebbs and flows based on countless factors. If any critique of the system emerges from this work, it is a critique that does not simplify, individualize or consumerize blame, but points to a complex reality that few radicals or political movements are willing to face, no matter what political persuasion.Of course, this is just my reading and impression of her book. Because she does not use her book to elaborate simple-minded ideas of credit or blame, the reader could easily be led to many different experiences based on their own perspectives and history. For me, it seems that Laurie Palmer's project is to take people there, to highlight various points in the terrain (physical, economic, philosophical..), to create a space where many perspectives and subjects can cross, and to then allow the reader to experience their own unique experience, mystery, and contradiction on that journey.

A collection of observations and data that are highly informative. Ms Palmer's work, as an imagist and observer of things societal, are well honed. I highly recommend this book for those who wish to examine more closely what our relationships have been and should be to the environments we steward.