Lyrical nature writing at its finest, combined with elements of memoir and self-help, Something in the Woods Loves You is a gem of a book. With deliberate attention and heartfelt honesty, Anderson contemplates the marvels he finds in the woods and discovers its deeply rooted wisdom. Though Anderson does not shy away from the pain of mental illness, these raw and beautiful observations show readers the many lessons to be found in nature. Morels reveal the virtues of seeking meaning. The white trillium teaches endurance through vulnerability. A raccoon allows us to celebrate the efforts of simply enduring. And a blue heron reveals, that while healing is hard, there is hope.

Something in the Woods Loves You is a breathtaking love letter to the natural world that gives readers the tools to see it anew. As Anderson says, “It’s a simple lesson that has taken me years to relearn. When peace and wonder call, I go. When the trees call, I go. I believe something in the woods loves you. One of those things is me.”

Jarod K. Anderson is a writer, poet, and creator of The CryptoNaturalist podcast. He has built a large audience of social media followers and podcast listeners with his strange, vibrant appreciations of nature. His books of poems are Field Guide to the Haunted Forest, Love Notes from the Hollow Tree, and Leaf Litter. He lives in Ohio between a forest and a cemetery.

Kathryn Nuernberger is the author of the poetry collections, RUE, The End of Pink and Rag & Bone. She has also written the essay collections The Witch of Eye and Brief Interviews with the Romantic Past. Her awards include the James Laughlin Prize from the Academy of American Poets, an NEA fellowship, and “notable” essays in the Best American series. HELD: Essays in Aftermaths, a collection of flash essays about symbiotic mutualisms and ways of being together, will be published by Sarabande Books in November 2025. Her co-authored textbook with Maya Jewell Zeller, Advanced Poetry: A Writer’s Guide and Anthology, was published by Bloomsbury Academic in January 2024.