Bird Cloud: A Memoir

by Annie Proulx
Chapter 1
The Back Road to Bird Cloud
March 2005
The co!"peckled land"cape i" an a"hy #rey color$ % am dri&in# throu#h
'lat pa"tureland on a
rou#h county road that i" mo"tly dirt( the protecti&e #ra&el lon# a#o
")uirted into ditche" by
"peedin# ranch truck"$ *ti''ened tire track" &eer o'' the road( throu#h
mud and into the "a#e!
bru"h( the mark" o' "omeone ith back pa"ture bu"ine""$ %t i" too early
'or #ra"" and the
rancher" are "till puttin# out hay( the occa"ional line o' tumbled #reen
al'al'a the only color in a
drab orld$ The co" are "trun# out in a line determined by the rancher+"
cour"e acro"" the 'ield,
their head" are don and they pull at the bri#ht hay$ The blue!hite road
ti"t" like an o&er!
turned "nake "hoin# it" belly$ The ditche" alon#"ide are the "ame #rey
noncolor a" the du"t
that coat" the "a#e and rabbitbru"h( the bank" "lopin# crumble" o'
podery "oil that "ay -not 'ar
aay 'rom here ere once &olcanoe"$- %t i" impo""ible not to think about
tho"e old a"h!"pein#
&olcanoe" hen mo&in# throu#h .yomin#$ The "a#ebru"h "eem" nearly
black and beaten lo
by the cea"ele"" ind$ .hy ould anybody li&e here( % think$ % li&e here$
But it i" a di''erent orld don by the ri&er at Bird Cloud$ /n the north
bank rear" a 'our!
hundred!'oot cli''( the creamy caprock a cru"t o' ancient coral$ Thi"
monolith ha" been tempered
by thou"and" o' year" o' poli"hin# ind( blotorch "un( 'lood and
rattlin# hail( "luice o' rain$
A'ter rain the cli'' look" brui"ed( dark "plotche" and &ertical channel"
like old "car"$ To mile"
e"t the cli'' "hrink" into 0i##urat "tair" o' dark( iron!colored "tone$ At
the ea"t end o' the
property the cli'' "ho" a 'ault( a dia#onal "car that a #eolo#i"t 'riend
"ay" i" likely related to the
Rio 1rande Ri't hich i" "loly tearin# the 2orth American continent
apart$ %n no place that %+&e
e&er li&ed ha&e % thou#ht "o o'ten about the "ubterranean mo&ement" o'
continent"$ The 'ault in
the cli'' i" a reminder that the earth i" in "lo( con"tant 'lux( inexorably
"ho&in# continental
plate" to#ether( pullin# them apart( makin# ne ocean" and enormou"
"upercontinent"( a &a"t
ne Pan#aea Proxima predicted hundred" o' million" o' year" 'rom no(
lon# a'ter our "pecie"
ha" exited the "cene$ The Rio 1rande Ri't de'ormation( hich "tarted 30
million year" a#o in the
Ceno0oic( i" a "tretchin# and thinnin# o' the earth+" cru"t by upard!
bul#in# 'orce" in the
churnin# heat o' the mantle deep belo$ The ri't extend" 'rom .e"t
Texa" and 2e Mexico to
about tenty mile" north o' Bird Cloud( and ha" made not only the Rio
1rande Ri&er #or#e near
Tao" but "ome o' the e"t+" mo"t beauti'ul &alley"$1 %n 'act the ri't
"eem" to be related to
e"tern ba"in and ran#e topo#raphy$ The dia#onal 'ault in Bird Cloud+"
cli'' a" ell a" the cli'' +"
entire "lopin# "hape and the exi"tence o' 4ack Creek( a 'eeder "tream( are
all likely in'luenced by
thi" irre"i"tible "tretchin# 'orce$
Another ay % think about Bird Cloud+" #olden cli'' i" to remember
5luru in Au"tralia+" red
center$ Thoma" 6eneally rote rhap"odically o' the rock+" -"ublime
"and"tone con#lomerate-
hich e&enly "pall" it" outer layer" "o that it" pro'ile ne&er chan#e"
althou#h it become"
incrementally "maller a" the centurie" pa""$2 Thi" ma""i&e me#alith( not
'ar 'rom Alice *prin#"(
% "a in 1778 ith arti"t Claire 9an 9liet ho a" "ketchin# nearby
6ata T:uta ! rock
'ormation" that re"emble hu#e "tone turban"$
The re"emblance" o' the Bird Cloud property to 5luru are "e&eral(
thou#h perhap" a little 'ar!
'etched$ The to "ite" are rou#hly the "ame "i0e and bulk and #o throu#h
color "hi't" accordin#
to time o' day$ Both "eem to be 'itted ith interior li#ht" that create a
#lo a'ter dark$ 5luru ha"
it" pool" and ti"tin# atercour"e" don the hu#e body o' the rock, the
cli'' ha" the ri&er at it"
'oot$ Both 5luru and 6ata T:uta are extremely important in matter"
"piritual and ceremonial to
Abori#inal tribe"( e"pecially the Pit:ant:at:ara and ;ankunt:at:ara e"tern
de"ert tribe"( but the
"tory o' ho the Traditional /ner" lo"t the"e place" to the 'ederal
#o&ernment i" 'amiliar( "ad
and u#ly$ %n the 17<5 -a#reement- beteen the Anan#u( the Abori#inal
people o' the area( and
the #o&ernment( the Anan#u ere 'orced to lea"e 5luru and 6ata T:uta
to the 2ational Park
*er&ice and to allo touri"t" to climb 5luru$ =e"pite the unen'orceable
rule on a Park *er&ice
"i#n "tatin# that the Traditional /ner" re#ard climbin# the rock a" a
de"ecration( thou"and"
in"ultin#ly climb it e&ery year$ %n my part o' .yomin#( Bird Cloud+"
cli''" ere once a much!
u"ed campin# place 'or e"tern %ndian tribe"( the 5te( Arapaho(
*ho"hone( maybe *ioux and
Cheyenne$ 2earby >lk Mountain a" a place marker indicatin# a
mutually a#reed on battle!
#round area$ The #eo#raphy around 5luru i" laced ith ancient hero
trail" that ha&e exi"ted
"ince the =reamtime$ %t i" a place o' ritual ca&e" here certain important
ceremonie" o' the
orld+" mo"t ancient culture "till take place( here there are "acred
'ertility "tone" knon to 'e
li&in# mortal" and pool" here le#endary e&ent" occurred$ ?olloin# the
in're)uent rain"(
ti"tin# "tream" o' ater 'lo don the red 'lank" and into &ariou"
pool"$ At 5luru the #eneral
"lope o' the #reat rock i" re&er"ed by a 'old called 6and:u( accordin# to
6eneally( -a bene&olent
li0ard ho came to Ayer" Rock to 'ind hi" boomeran#$-3 And Bird
Cloud+" yello cli'' taper"
aay at it" ea"t end and i" balanced by the di"tant ri"e o' Pennock( a
re&er"e ima#e o' "lope$
Alon# 4ack Creek the lea'le"" illo "tem" burn red a" ember"$ .illo
i" cautiou"( one o' the
la"t "hrub" to put out it" lea&e" ! there i" 'ro"t dan#er until mid!4une$ The
cli'' i" re'lected in the
onyx ri&er( and "immin# acro"" it i" the "tout bea&er ith a bank den
on the 'ar "ide$ The
bea&er di"appear" into the brilliant *alix "tem"$
Thi" place i"( perhap"( here % ill end my day"$ /r "o % think$
.ell do % kno my on character ne#ati&e" ! bo""y( impatient(
reclu"i&ely "hy( "hort!tempered(
"in#le!minded$ The #ood part" are harder to "ee( but % "uppo"e a 'air
do"e o' "ympathy and e&en
compa""ion i" there( a by!product o' the riter+" ima#ination$ % can and
do put my"el' in other"+
"hoe" con"tantly$ /b"er&ational "kill"( )uick deci"ion" @not a 'e bad
one"A( and a tendency to
o&erreach( to "tretch comprehen"ion and try di''icult thin#" are part o'
ho % am$ Bi"tory "ei0ed
me a lon# time a#o$ % am like Cui#i Pirandello+" character =r$ ?ileno(
ho thou#ht he had 'ound
an e''icaciou" remedy 'or all human ill"( an in'allible recipe capable o'
brin#in# "olace to
him"el' and all mankind in ca"e o' any calamity hate&er( public or
pri&ate$
Actually it a" more than a remedy or a recipe that =octor ?ileno had
di"co&ered, it a" a
method con"i"tin# in readin# hi"tory book" 'rom mornin# till ni#ht and
practicin# lookin# at the
pre"ent a" thou#h it ere an e&ent already buried in the archi&e" o' the
pa"t$ By thi" method he
had cured him"el' o' all "u''erin# and o' all orry( and ithout ha&in# to
die had 'ound a "tern(
"erene peace( imbued ith that particular "adne"" hich cemeterie"
ould "till pre"er&e e&en i'
all men on earth ere dead$
That attitude may ha&e "omethin# to do ith buildin# a hou"e "uited to
one+" intere"t"( need" and
character$ Ba"ically % li&e alone( althou#h "ummer" are a con"tant "tream
o' &i"itor" and 'riend"$
% need room 'or thou"and" o' book" and bi# orktable" here % can heap
manu"cript"( re"earch
material( here % can "pread out map"$ Book" are &ery important to me$ %
i"h % could think o'
them a" "ome publi"her" do ! a" -product- ! but % can+t$ % ha&e li&ed in
many hou"e"( mo"t
inade)uate and chopped into akard "pace"( none ith enou#h book
"pace$ .hen % a" a child
e mo&ed o'ten( "ometime" e&ery year$ My 'ather orked in 2e
>n#land+" textile mill"( tryin#
hard to o&ercome hi" ?rench Canadian back#round by "itchin# :ob"(
alay" mo&in# up the
&ariou" ladder" o' hi" ambition: -bi##er and better :ob" and more
money(- he "aid$
The 'ir"t hou"e % can remember &i&idly a" a tiny place in northea"tern
Connecticut( not 'ar 'rom
.illimantic( a hou"e hich my parent" rented durin# the late 1730" 'rom
a Poli"h 'amily named
.o0niak$ % liked that name( .o0niak$ % can dra that hou"e 'rom
memory althou#h % a" to to
three year" old hen e li&ed there$ @Born 1735A
% ha&e a keen memory o' di00ine"" a" % tried to climb the "tair"( o' bein#
held 'a"t hen my
"eater "na##ed on a nail$ % a" comin# don ith "ome illne""( the
di00y "en"ation and the
relentle"" nail "till &i&id a'ter "e&enty year"$ .hen % a" "ick % a"
mo&ed 'rom my bed up"tair"
to a cot by the kitchen indo$ My mother #a&e me a box o' Chiclet"
chein# #um( the 'ir"t %
had e&er "een$ /ne by one % licked the "mooth candy coatin# o'' each
")uare and lined the #rey
lump" up on the indo"ill$ Bo u#ly and completely inedible they
looked$ Another time % took
the eye o' a halibut @BeilbuttA my mother a" preparin# 'or dinner @in
tho"e day" one bou#ht hole 'i"hA
and brou#ht it up"tair" to the trainin# potty( droppin# it into the puddle
o' urine and callin# my mother
to "ee hat % had rou#ht$ *he a" horri'ied( not "eein# a halibut eye
but thinkin# % had lo"t "ome
bi0arre interior part$ % reco#ni0ed her &ulnerability a" a arnin# to be
more "ecreti&e about hat % did(
an impre""ion that carried into adult li'e$
My mother( ho lo&ed the outdoor"( and ho"e 'a&orite book a" 1ene
*tratton!Porter+" Girl of
the Limberlost( took me 'or a alk in a "amp$ %t a" nece""ary to :ump
'rom one hummock o'
"amp #ra"" to another$ % a" terri'ied o' the dark ater di"tance
beteen the"e hummock" and
'inally "tood marooned and balin# on a )ui&erin# clump( unable to
make it to the next one$
.e had a #reen road"ter ith a rumble "eat here % u"ually rode in
"olitary "plendor( then ith
my little 'ox terrier( Rinty( later run o&er by a motorcycle he a"
cha"in#$ %n thi" road"ter one
time my mother a" "tun# by a yello :acket and % ept 'or her$ *he had
blood on her "kirt(
probably 'rom her period( but %( connectin# cau"e and e''ect( thou#ht the
a"p had cau"ed her to
bleed$
The hurricane o' 173< arri&ed hen my tin "i"ter"( 4oyce and 4anet(
ere only a 'e month"
old$ The ind increa"ed( "hakin# the "mall hou"e$ % don+t kno here
my 'ather a"( probably at
ork$ .e had no telephone( no radio$ My mother decided e "hould
take re'u#e at a nei#hbor+"
hou"e don the road$ .e alked( my mother burdened ith boxe" and a
"uitca"e and one o' the
tin"$ Althou#h % a" barely three % had the :ob o' carryin# the other
tin$ At the nei#hbor+"
hou"e % remember the moanin# ind and the ?rench door" that "uddenly
be#an lo"in# pane" o'
#la""( and men hammerin# board" o&er the out"ide o' the #la"" door"(
makin# the hou"e #loomy
a" ell a" "tran#e$
My mother came 'rom a lar#e rural 'amily o' 'i&e #irl" and 'our boy"$ A
'e year" a'ter the
hurricane e mo&ed to a hou"e in Plain'ield( Connecticut( a hou"e that
belon#ed to my mother+"
parent"( Cei" and *arah @1eerA 1ill$ My mother+" antecedent"( the
1ill"( 1eer" and Croell"(
came 'rom lon#time 'arm people ho be#an to be ab"orbed into the
textile indu"try in the
nineteenth century$ The Croell" had an arti"tic bent, one a" a ma"ter
'urniture maker( another
created "tencil" 'or the decorati&e panel" o' Bitchcock chair"$ =urin# the
time e li&ed in the
Plain'ield hou"e( my 'ather a" abroad( helpin# "et up a textile mill in
*outh America$
Thi" road"ide hou"e had been a #a" "tation at one time( one o' "e&eral o'
my 'ertile!minded
#rand'ather 1ill+" bu"ine"" &enture"$ Be had in&ented de&ice" 'or textile
machinery that made
him no money at all( then "tarted the #a" "tation and( a 'e year" a'ter
e li&ed in it( con&erted it
to a 'abric and millend" "hop$ Be could 'ix anythin# and a" a "killed
carpenter$ The"e
#randparent"( hom the children and #randchildren alike called Ma and
=ad( had a hu#e #arden
here % lo&ed the exotic hu"k tomatoe"( peelin# their papery co&er"
aay and eatin# the "eet!
tan#ed 'ruit"$ =ad had a #rumpy old do# named =uke$ There ere a 'e
co" that my uncle"
had to tend and an electric 'ence around the #arden$ My cou"in" and %
thou#ht it a" 'un to make
a human chain( one #ra"pin# the electric 'ence( the one on the end
#ettin# the ma#ni'ied :olt$
My maternal #randmother( Ma( nDe *arah Mayo 1eer( a" de"cended
'rom to orphan brother"
ho came 'rom Bea&itree near Bri"tol( >n#land( to Connecticut in 1835$
*he alay" "eemed
hara""ed by her lar#e 'amily o' children( and ith "o many people
"armin# in and out( the
hou"e a" le"" tidy than com'ortable$ *he a"hed and ironed her paper
money "o it ould be
cri"p$ *he may ha&e "tarched it$ *he a" impatient( but a "ucker 'or
kitchen #ad#et" and an
in&enti&e "toryteller ith a #rand "en"e o' humor and at one time rote a
ne"paper column$
The 'amily( bein# hat it i"( ha" alay" a""i#ned my intere"t in book"
and ritin# to Ma+"
in'luence$ .hy notE /ther" in the 'amily ha&e ritten book" and e""ay"
a" ell, my uncle
Ardian 1ill rote a no&el about 4ohn .e"ley Poell+" :ourney don the
Colorado Ri&er$ Cou"in
=a&id Robin"on rote 'or 2ational 1eo#raphic 'or year"$ Mu"ic and art
and cra't" ere "tron#
intere"t"$ My mother and her "i"ter 1loriana @e&eryone had to or three
nickname" and e
called her BikeeA painted$ The olde"t "i"ter( *arah( #ot #reatly in&ol&ed
in tin"el paintin# and
re"urrected the "tencil" o' their #reat!uncle( Bill Croell$ All o' them
"eed their children+"
clothe"$ My mother had a loom and o&e ru#"$ My "i"ter" and % #re up
acceptin# the makin# o'
thin#" a" normal$ ?or year" % "eed my on clothe" until computer"
made "ein# machine" "o
complicated and cranky that the 'un a" #one$
The 1ill hou"e( hich my #rand'ather and uncle" built( "eemed alay"
in excitin# turmoil(
"omeone alay" "earchin# 'or "omethin# mi"placed( and on the "tair
landin# there a" a
'abulou" indo "et ith pane" o' colored #la""$ % #a0ed throu#h it to
"ee the orld "hi't to deep
red( "ickly oran#e or an unnatural #reen$
Be'ore % "tarted "chool my mother( my tin "i"ter" and % li&ed in a "mall
lo# cabin "urrounded by
bi# pine" at the back o' my #rand'ather+" property$ To thi" day the "mell
o' hite pine in"tantly
"eep" me back to childhood ith a "en"e o' "adne"" and inchoate
lon#in#$ The lo# cabin period
may ha&e been be'ore the tin" ere born$ % don+t tru"t the trick" o'
memory$ My mother and her
brother" had built thi" cabin( probably a dream o' her Girl of the
Limberlost day"$ There a" an
old ax cylinder player in the cabin$ My mother ound up the crank( the
cylinder re&ol&ed and
the "tory o' The Three Bears emer#ed in a tinny &oice$
/ne cabin indo 'aced e"t 'ramin# a hill that had burned year"
be'ore$ The black tree "na#"
"ilhouetted a#ain"t the "ky looked like de'ormed #ira''e" and "keletal
elephant"$ They "eemed
both "ad and 'ri#htenin#$ %n the deepenin# tili#ht the bony creature
"hape" "eemed to mo&e( the
titch o' a le#( a neck bent$ Today( in the "ummer tili#ht at Bird Cloud(
the #rea"eood and
rabbitbru"h hunch them"el&e" into #iant marmot"( crippled elk$ The mo"t
beauti'ul ob:ect in my
mother+" cabin a" her cerulean blue "ilk brocade robe( a pre"ent to her
'rom my 'ather$ Burnin#
ith 'e&er one inter ni#ht "he alked bare'oot out into the "no
dre""ed only in thi" lo&ely
#arment$ Cater "omeone "aid "he had pneumonia( a di"ea"e "he harbored
many time" in her li'e$
At "ome point e mo&ed out o' the cabin and into my #rand'ather+" ex!
#a" "tation( re:u&enated
a" a hou"e$ % remember the boredom o' obli#atory nap time and the
pattern o' crack" in the
ceilin#( the na"ty yello mar"hmallo chicken" that "u#ared our "hoe"
on >a"ter mornin#$ %
remember akin# up once in darkne"" and 'eelin# "omethin# "ticky and
hot on my ear( bein#
con"ciou" o' a creature leapin# aay$ %t a" a rat and it had bitten me$
/nly the "car and the
memory remain$ Althou#h my #randparent" and #reat!#randparent" ere
clo"e by( and aunt"(
uncle" and cou"in" con"tantly &i"itin#( % had a "en"e o' alonene""( o' not
bein# part o' the
bu00in# hi&e o' relati&e"$ /ld =uke killed my "mall kitten and % a"
outra#ed that he a"
alloed to #o on li&in# a" thou#h nothin# had happened$ % ould ha&e
appreciated a trial( a :ury(
and a death "entence$
My mother lo&ed to "unbathe and ould lie motionle"" 'or hour" on a
blanket in the hot( eedy
"un( her clo"ed eye" co&ered ith to #reen lea&e"$ .e had a pet cro
@called 4immy a'ter the
Ci&il .ar "on# re'rain -4immy crack corn and % don+t care-A$ Be a"
in)ui"iti&e and ould "idle
up to my mother on her toel and care'ully remo&e each lea'$ Be a"
rea""ured that "he a" not
dead hen "he opened one o' her #reen eye"$ .hen my mother built a
"tone 'ireplace in the
backyard % a" alloed to pre"" my hand into the et( #ritty concrete
that had not yet "et and the
cro alked about in it lea&in# hi" print" a" ell$ ;ear" later( a" e
ere mo&in# 'rom 221F
McBride A&enue in 5tica( 2e ;ork( in a car packed to the roo' ith
kid" and clothe"( my
'ather put 4immy in a hole!punched cardboard box( and la"hed the box to
the back bumper$ The
poor 'ello a" dead hen e "topped 'or lunch by the "ide o' the road(
a"phyxiated by exhau"t$
% ne&er 'or#a&e my 'ather 'or thi" crime$ The mi"'ortune" that be'ell
lo&ed pet" ere my
introduction to tra#ic and incon"olable lo""$
.e mo&ed and mo&ed and mo&ed$ /&er the year" e li&ed in do0en" o'
hou"e"$ A place in
Rhode %"land had the outline o' "omeone+" arm in the broken "heetrock
at the bottom o' the
"tair"$ A hou"e in Black Mountain( 2orth Carolina( o''ered a #ood &ie
o' "hade tree" here
chain #an# road cre" re"ted$ A place in Maine had beauti'ul elm"
ho"e root" "elled up near
the "ur'ace and made moin# the lan di''icult$ Then the Maine
Turnpike ent in a )uarter o' a
mile aay and almo"t immediately there a" a #ha"tly accident that
brou#ht police( re"cue
&ehicle" and the too!late ambulance$ An o''icial "tate cro"" indicatin# a
death had occurred at
thi" "pot ent up( a "a'ety arnin# policy the "tate o' Maine dropped
hen the proli'eration o'
cro""e" alon# the hi#hay #a&e it a #houli"h appearance$
A lar#e part o' the rea"on 'or con"tantly mo&in# a" my 'ather+"
ob"e""i&e de"ire to e"cape hi"
?rench Canadian herita#e and rein&ent him"el' a" a 2e >n#land
;ankee( to e"cape orkin#!
cla"" po&erty( to achie&e 'inancial "ucce""( to climb the ladder into the
"a'e middle cla""$ Be and
hi" 'amily ere &ictim" o' the raci"m that in'ected the dominant culture
o' hite( An#lo!*axon
Prote"tant 2e >n#lander"( ho "a immi#rant"( e"pecially ?rench
Canadian" 'rom the north(
a" racially in'erior$ Ce"" o&ert no( hite raci"t anxiety per"i"t" in that
area$ % think an important
'actor in hy my 'ather married my mother ! they ere ill!"uited to each
other ! a" my
mother+" old 2e >n#land 'amily( poor but ith the "uperiority o' early
arri&al( :u"t 'i'teen year"
behind the May'loer$
They ne&er accepted him( o' cour"e ! ho could theyE A "on in!la ith
the 'lamboyant middle
name o' 2apoleonG The #enealo#ical "cratchin# around e+&e done ha"
turned up more 'lorid
?rench name" in hi" 'orebear"( "uch a" =ieudonnD( 2arci""e( 2orbot and
/&ila( hich make
1eor#e 2apoleon "ound rather tame$ *till( they tolerated him and u" and
e all pretended to be a
'amily honorin# e)uality and di&er"ity$
1roin# up e kne &ery little about my 'ather+" 'amily and rarely
"pent time ith them$ Bi"
mother( Phoebe Bri""on Proulx Maloney Carpentieri( married three
time": a ?rench Canadian
@ProulxA( an %ri"hman @MaloneyA and an %talian @CarpentieriA 'rom
2apoli ho tau#ht my 'ather
to make "pa#hetti "auce ! a "auce hich % and my "i"ter" all make today(
our be"t( perhap" our
only( #i't 'rom a hard!to!kno 'ather$ *o there ere my"terie" 'or u"$
There a" "ome talk 'rom
our 'ather that e ere part %ndian( but he belie&ed the proo' had been in
the trunk o' hi"
#randmother >xilda @a$k$a$ Ma##ieA( hich di"appeared a'ter her death
and ne&er re"ur'aced$
The only e&idence a" hi" mother+" "moky "kin color and a 'e
ima#inati&e ne"paper "torie"$
There ere other intri#uin# "torie"( "uch a" one about a #roth on our
#randmother Phoebe+"
no"e( a &oya#e acro"" -the ri&er- @the *t$!Caurent alay" ima#inedA to an
%ndian "ettlement
here a "haman or medicine man remo&ed the #roth in "ome
un"peci'ied manner$ /ur plea" to
our 'ather and to hi" mother( Phoebe( 'or detail" and enli#htenment ere
ne&er "ati"'ied$
Anonymity "eemed the #oal( but the"e hal'!"torie" ere 'uel on the 'ire
o' our lon#in# to kno
more$
Thi" attachment to clan ance"tor" "eem" to characteri0e all human"( and
the ancient "torie" told
about the departed ! embroidered and ampli'ied ! ere perhap" the
rudimentary "ource" o'
hi"tory and o' 'iction$ Certainly the Roman" them"el&e" ere keenly
re&erent o' their ance"tor"(
poli"hin# the link" to old 'amilie"( the ideal the 1racchi( 'ounder" o'
Rome in F53 B$C$( or e&en
the more ancient >tru"can" ho li&ed in central %taly be'ore Rome$
.hen Ht0i( the 2eolithic I
Copper A#e man( a" di"co&ered in a meltin# #lacier in the Alp" in
1771( hi" mitochondrial =2A
analy"i" "hoed he a" in a "ubhaplo#roup called 61$ @There are three
61 "ubhaplo!#roup"$A
Rou#hly < percent o' today+" >uropean" al"o belon# to the 61
haplo#roup$ Many then belie&ed
they ere de"cended 'rom Ht0i$ >xtremely cool to ha&e a 'i&e!thou"and!
year!old ance"tor ith a
"tone arro point in hi" back$ But 'urther =2A te"tin# report" in 200<
"hoed that Ht0i belon#ed
to a di''erent "ubhaplo#roup( one unknon be'ore the ad&anced
analy"i"$ %t i" no called -Ht0i+"
branch- and apparently thi" haplo#roup ! hi" #enetic #roup I ha"
di"appeared 'rom the human
#enome$ %t may be extinct or exceedin#ly rare$ 2o no one i" knon to
ha&e Ht0i a" an ance"tor !
one o' the di"appointment" o' "cience$
?or me( many year" later( an atmo"phere o' "pecialne"" "till ho&er" o&er
the extended maternal
'amily like "ome rare per'ume that nearly 'our hundred year" o' 2e
>n#land re"idence emit"$
% ima#ine thi" aroma compounded o' 're"h milk( "plit oak ood(
autumnal lea&e"( "no( mu##y
"amp"( photo#raph album" and cold a"he"$
1$ Mo"t o' the older "ource" place the northernmo"t "nout o' the Rio
1rande Ri't in Colorado(
but recent ork 'rom 5ni&er"ity o' .yomin# #eolo#i"t" place" it in
"outh!central .yomin#$
2$ Thoma" 6eneally( /utback @*ydney: Bodder and *tou#hton( 17<3A(
17$ ProulxJBirdJi!
2K0JPTR$indd 3 10L20L10 5:35 PM$
3$ 6eneally( /utback( 17$
K$ Cui#i Pirandello( -Ca tra#edia d+un per"ona##io- MA Character+"
Tra#edyN( in >le&en *hort
*torie"( tran"$ *tanley Appelbaum @2e ;ork: =o&er( 177KA( 1K7$
>xcerpted 'rom Bird Cloud by Annie Proulx$ Copyri#ht O 2011 by =ead
Cine( Ctd$ >xcerpted
ith permi""ion by *cribner( a di&i"ion o' *imon P *chu"ter( %nc$