Wild Nature in Urban Edgelands

In this 2024 conversation with Justine Willis Toms, Christopher Brown points our that our urban landscape is dotted with abandoned lots. We’ve all noticed them—or not noticed them. These seemingly derelict spaces are often filled with left-behind concrete slabs and littered with old tires, broken-down and rusting washing machines, and other detritus of our throwaway culture. But if you stop and look past the trash, you’ll notice grass and vines are slowly reclaiming these marginal spaces. In that reclaiming, wildlife is eking out a healthful existence outside the human realm. These abandoned places where wild nature collides with the rubble of human domination host a surprising number of species.

Christopher Brown is an accomplished lawyer who has worked on two Supreme Court confirmation hearings. He has also been general counsel for several technology companies. His varied experiences span from restoring prairies to reporting from Central American war zones. His current nonfiction book explores the natural world in urban settings. He is the author of:

Failed State: A Novel • (Eos 2020) Rule of Capture: A Novel • (Eos 2019) The Tropic of Kansas: A Novel • (Harper Voyager 2017) The Natural History of Empty Lots: Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys, and Other Wild Places • (Timber Press 2024).

Interview Date: 12/2/2024 Tags: Christopher Brown, biodiversity, abandoned lots, industrial sites, urban creeks, brownfields, Neolithic, agriculture, Kiva, pit house, colony of Harvester ants, Edgeland home Austin, wastelands, Tesla plant in Austin, biodiversity, climate change, Animals, Ecology/Nature/Environment, Social Change/Politics

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Lydbog: 23. februar 2026