FILM TELLS THE STORY OF SILENT SPRING AUTHOR

In 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, a book that documented the negative effects of pesticides on the environment, particularly on birds. The work thrust her into a political maelstrom in which she found herself pitted against the power of the big chemical companies and against the public’s sense of confidence in chemical technology. At 7 p.m Tuesday, Nov. 3, the Sam Noble Museum in Norman will screen “”Sense of Wonder,” a poignant documentary-style film about Carson’s life and work. The film is free and open to the public.

Carson was a well-respected nature writer and former marine biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but had never before been a social critic. Although a very private person, she found herself forced into taking on the role of advocate against chemical pesticides. “Sense of Wonder” paints an intimate portrait of Carson’s life as she emerges as America’s most successful advocate for the natural world. Kaiulani Lee, using many of Carson’s own words, elegantly portrays this extraordinary woman. The film was beautifully shot in HD by Oscar winning cinematographer Haskel Wexlaer at Carson’s cottage on the coast of Maine. Click here to view the trailer and learn more about "A Sense of Wonder."

Silent Spring was a national bestseller, and inspired widespread public concerns about the effects of pesticides on the environment. President John F. Kennedy ordered the President's Science Advisory Committee to examine the issues the book raised, which eventually led to the ban of the pesticide DDT[2] in 1972 in the United States. The book has been credited as one of the primary motivating factors for the environmental movement. Carson died of breast cancer in 1964.