James Fenimore Cooper

James Fenimore Cooper. . , As a boy, James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) was profoundly affected by his interactions with Otsego Lake and the Village of Cooperstown. This influence is evident in his Leatherstocking Tales, two of which, The Pioneers and The Deerslayer, take place on and around the lake., Cooper's vivid descriptions of the landscape exposed millions of Americans and Europeans to the American wilderness for the first time. Through his novels, Cooper also championed environmentalism by emphasizing the negative effects of "civilization" on nature., [Illustration captions, clockwise from top center, read] , . James Fenimore Cooper, 1822 (detail) · John Wesley Jarvis , In his novels, Cooper approached the landscape as pictures to be painted through words. This local landscape often provided him with inspiration., . The Pioneers and The Deerslayer, by James Fenimore Cooper. First American editions., . Leatherstocking Meets the Law, 1832 · John Quidor , As Cooper introduced the world to the American wilderness, artists began to paint the landscapes he described. This work by John Quidor depicts a scene from The Pioneers in which frontiersman Natty Bumppo refuses the local sheriff entry into his hut., . Otsego Lake Looking North from Two Mile Point, 1878-1888 · Edward Gay , Cooper adored Otsego Lake, integrating it into his Leatherstocking Tales as "The Glimmerglass." The term "Glimmerglass" comes from the reflective, mirror-like quality the surface of Otsego Lake assumes when the water is still., . Point Judith, 2009 , As the local landscape influenced James Fenimore Cooper, he helped shape it as well. Many features of Otsego Lake and of the Village of Cooperstown are named from Cooper's novels. For example, Point Judith, an eastern projection of Otsego Lake, derives its name from The Deerslayer character Judy Hutter., Nature is Good for the Mind , Spending time outdoors helps foster a more positive mood, thinking more expansively, and finding more meaning in life. If you can't always be in nature, consider planting a garden or adding plants to your home or workspace. , Excellus [Blue Cross Blue Shield]