Nature Fakers

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In 1903 John Burroughs published an Atlantic Monthly articleattacking popular nature writers -- among them William J. Long and Jack London -- as"sham naturalists." The spirited "nature fakers" controversy thatensued reveals much about public attitudes toward nature at the time. Burroughs'sargument that the writers invented facts and reported them as the gospel truthprompted a public literary debate, fueled by the avid participation of the nation'sleading magazines and newspapers, and President Theodore Roosevelt's owndenunciation of the 'faker' contingent. At issue was the conflict between scienceand sentiment as methods of understanding the creatures of the wild. Ultimately, as Ralph Lutts demonstrates in "TheNature Fakers, " the dialogue resulted in a new standard of accuracyfor the responsible nature writer and reflected a new way of thinking about moralresponsibilities to wildlife.