Deborah Bright’s introduction to this article struck me, in particular when she described certain areas (Lake Tahoe, Lake Wobegon) as representing quintessentially American scenes. It can often be so obvious where a photo depicting rolling red cliffs came from (perhaps Utah, Arizona, New Mexico?) compared to the moody, dramatic green landscape of say, Iceland. This universal feel of landscapes grounding us in a specific place and time is very interesting, and I like that Bright described it this way. I also love the background of the word “landscape”, especially because I’ve never really questioned its origin before. Bright’s article was informative but with enough wit and hook to keep my interest!