“Blossoming”: Reviews
“Readers will here encounter diary selections, essays, reflections, memories, and above all, photographs. Although Peterson grapples with Parkinson’s disease, this book is not about illness but the elusive moments of awareness and growth, also showing the lasting beauty of his frequently breathtaking photography. Peterson’s ongoing artistic statement is at once naturalistic, evocative, and spiritual; for nondenominational seekers as well as artists and photographers.” —Library Journal
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“The Blossoming of the World is a collection of Peterson’s photographs, essays and journal entries. The photographs are often in stark black and white or sepia toned. Some of them are startling, some are profound and spiritual, others are beautiful, all are thought- provoking. The photography in this book was wonderful. Some of Peterson’s most moving photographs are those in the Earth and Sky collection, and the Forest Light collection. They capture the essence of nature and the contrast between light and dark which I find so soothing. I also appreciated his photographs of people which somehow allow the viewer to glimpse the personality of the subject.” —Caribousmom blog
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“Peterson’s writing is so fluid and beautiful and the artist is such a charming tale teller about himself that when he’s full-speed-ahead narrating an anecdote you want to be with him every step of the way.” —The Art Blog, Roberta Fallon
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“The Blossoming of the World has an epic title that matches its subject matter. From savoring the simple joy of eating breakfast near a sunny window to experiencing the palpable flow of divine love in a moment of dread, Brian Peterson is on a quest to ask the deepest questions. Throughout this series of first-person essays peppered with selections from his journal entries, the author courageously delves into his own experiences of fear, love, faith, and even violence….While the author's excellent writing could stand alone, his photographs throughout are at once visceral and ephemeral. Much of the subject matter is nature-related and presented in muted colors: tree bark here, a shadow there. In every case, images framing the subject matter help to contextualize the reader's journey through this book by adding emotional texture.” —ForeWord Book Reviews, Gabriella Worrell
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"The Blossoming of the World is a different kind of book from Peterson's debut memoir, The Smile at the Heart of Things, a gentle, personal reflection on art, life, and creativity written soon after that fateful diagnosis. Both are collections of essays and excerpts from diaries, combined with selected artwork. But there is a brutal honesty in The Blossoming of the World, whose prose alternates between seething anger and reverential calm. Its images are all his own photographs, culled from a lifetime of photographic passion….
When Peterson writes about himself, he does so with instructive honesty, not hollow narcissism. How does one know the difference? "I just felt those uncomfortable places are probably the places I needed to go to the most," he says. "What really shocked me about my first book was that the most risky and out-there sections were the ones people responded to the most…."
For years, Peterson was totally against organized religion, turned off by the fire-and-brimstone bellowing, the Bible-pounding evangelists. "But there's a kind of creative Christianity which isn't like that. You come to the altar with the clothes you have on. I'm just telling people one can be a reasonably intelligent person who believes in science and creativity, and finds religion relevant in life. I desperately hope those parts of the book don't turn people off. I just had to be true to myself and said what I needed to say."—Steve Siegel, Allentown Morning Call
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“In the prelude of The Blossoming of the World: Essays and Images (Tell Me Press, July 2011), Brian H. Peterson describes himself as someone who loves to wrestle with images and words. This physical and mental combat results in a collection of essays and photographs that I found impossible to put down.”—Hippocampus Reviews, Audrey Maddox