Where awesome book readers meet awesome writers. In this special feature, we sit down with Chip Sullivan and Elizabeth Bolts, a creative duo whose work bridges art, ecology, and storytelling. Together, they have co-authored books that invite readers to see landscapes not just as scenery, but as living stories filled with wisdom, memory, and meaning.
About Chip Sullivan and Elizabeth Bolts
Chip Sullivan and Elizabeth Bolts are celebrated for their unique ability to blend science, design, and spirituality in their work. Chip is a landscape architect and illustrator, while Elizabeth is both an artist and an educator who teaches freehand drawing, design history, and site design at the University of California, Davis.
With backgrounds in Human Ecology and Landscape Architecture, the pair approaches the natural world with curiosity and reverence. Their philosophy centers on one belief: design is storytelling. Each project, whether it’s a drawing, a garden, or a book, tells a story about humanity’s connection to the Earth.
Together, they have co-authored Illustrated History of Landscape Design (Wiley, 2010) and Wisdom of Place: A Guide to Recovering the Sacred Origins of Landscape (ORO Editions, 2024). Most recently, they released Wisdom of Place: Elemental Landscapes (ORO Editions, 2025), a tarot deck that expands on the visual themes of their latest book.
The Latest Book: Wisdom of Place: A Guide to Recovering the Sacred Origins of Landscape
Their newest work, Wisdom of Place, explores how humanity once understood the Earth as sacred and how we can rekindle that relationship today. The book is both philosophical and practical, examining how people across time and cultures shaped their environments in harmony with nature’s rhythms.
“At a time when wildfires burn, seas rise, and species disappear, we need to remember what our ancestors knew intuitively,” Elizabeth explains. “If we saw the river as our mother, perhaps we would protect it more fiercely.”
Wisdom of Place encourages readers to engage with landscapes not as passive observers but as participants in a living system. It’s a call to rediscover nature’s intelligence and our shared responsibility to care for it.
Writing Habits and Creative Process
For Elizabeth, writing begins with creating both mental and physical space. “I need to unclutter my desk before I can unclutter my mind,” she admits. “When words don’t flow, I end up dusting the baseboards or taking out the compost.”
Her creative process is fueled by countless cups of tea sweetened with honey, quiet reflection, and collaboration with Chip. Together, they balance artistic vision with academic discipline, crafting books that are both poetic and deeply researched.
Literary Influences
Elizabeth’s love affair with language began in college when she first read William Faulkner. “His ability to shape words beyond storytelling completely changed how I thought about writing,” she recalls.
She also draws inspiration from Doris Lessing, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and contemporary voices like Margaret Atwood. Poetry, too, holds a central place in her creative life, with favorites including Czeslaw Milosz, Wallace Stevens, and Jorie Graham.
“These writers taught me that words can paint pictures,” she says. “And I’ve always been captivated by that idea.”
Current and Future Projects
Chip and Elizabeth are now conceptualizing the final companion piece to Wisdom of Place. This upcoming work will explore how geography shapes folklore, ethics, and environmental consciousness.
“We’re envisioning something visual and mystical, perhaps an atlas or a travel guide,” Elizabeth shares. “It might even verge on fiction, telling a different kind of story about the journey of the heroine.”
They also plan to continue their work blending art and ecology, helping readers and students alike connect design principles with environmental awareness.
Promoting Their Work
To learn more about their projects and philosophy, readers can visit www.thewisdomofplace.com. The authors also engage with their audience through social media and creative platforms where art, design, and sustainability intersect.
Advice for Aspiring Authors
Elizabeth’s advice to new writers is clear: “Persevere. If it matters to you, put in the work. And write authentically. Find your voice. You are not a machine.”
She also recalls a favorite piece of advice from a colleague: “Don’t get it right, get it written.” For her, the key to creative progress is momentum allowing the first draft to exist without judgment.
What They’re Reading Now
Elizabeth recently began reading The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, a novel celebrating its 40th anniversary. “I can’t believe it took me so long to discover it,” she admits. “Every page is a revelation. Allende is brilliant.”
What’s Next for Elizabeth Bolts and Chip Sullivan
While joking that retirement might be tempting, Elizabeth has no plans to slow down creatively. Her next project is a textbook for beginning design students, focused on teaching the universal principles of spatial design.
“I love helping students see the world differently,” she says. “That moment when they realize design isn’t just about form, but about feeling that’s what keeps me teaching and writing.”
Books They Would Bring to a Desert Island
If stranded on a desert island, Elizabeth says she would pack a Survivor’s Guide, something deeply challenging like Shakespeare, Virgil, or James Joyce, and something purely for fun, perhaps a romance or adventure novel by Nabokov, Umberto Eco, or Jules Verne. “Even on an island, I’d want both stimulation and a good laugh,” she says.
Connect with Chip Sullivan and Elizabeth Bolts
- Website: Chip Sullivan & Elizabeth Bolts Website
- Amazon Author Page: Chip Sullivan & Elizabeth Bolts Amazon Profile
- Goodreads: Author Profiles
- Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest
Chip Sullivan and Elizabeth Bolts invite readers to see landscapes not just as spaces, but as stories living worlds that speak to our imagination and sense of belonging. Through their art and writing, they remind us that reconnecting with nature is not a luxury. It is an act of remembering who we are.
