A Natural History of Empty Lots is a genre-defying work of nature writing, literary nonfiction, and memoir that explores what happens when nature and the city intersect.

Lushly written and philosophically hard-hitting, A Natural History of Empty Lots, by
Christopher Brown is a genre-bending blend of naturalism, memoir, and social manifesto for rewilding the
city, the self, and society. Through his keen examination of abandoned industrial sites, empty lots, and
deserted agricultural land, Brown discovers that even in these so-called “ruined landscapes” nature’s
resilience shines. Inspired by its unfailing persistence to return, Brown shows us how easy it can be to bring
the wilds back to these damaged places and why it is critical that we do.

Over the course of twenty years, Brown documented these liminal spaces, explored them with his son, and
even built his home in Austin, Texas on a brownfield site bisected by oil pipelines. Infused with Brown’s deep
love of nature and a constant sense of awe, A Natural History of Empty Lots combines field notes from
Brown’s travels with his personal story as he traverses the nexus of the city and the wilds.

Offering a new lens on human disruption and wild lands, he reminds readers of the magic in nature, “the
seemingly supernatural wonders produced by everyday interactions among different elements of the natural
world. Things that can all be explained by science, but also understood by poets. Even in the most urbanized
human terrains, those wonders can still be found—most often at the edges where the pavement ends and
the wild is allowed to express.”

Christopher Brown is the Philip K. Dick, World Fantasy and John W. Campbell Award-nominated author of the novels Tropic of Kansas, Rule of Capture and Failed State. Also an accomplished lawyer, he has worked on two Supreme Court confirmation hearings, led the technology corporate practice of a major American law firm, and been the General Counsel of two public companies.