Philip A. Purser
Encyclopedia
Philip A. Purser. American writer and scholar most noted for his contributions to the fields of herpetology, marine husbandry, and Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon studies, particularly the importance of incorporating facets of medieval pre-Christian ritual and rite into modern classroom pedagogy.
Born and raised in the Appalachian foothills of northwest Georgia (particularly in the town of Douglasville
and community of Old Lost Mountain), Purser nurtured his passion for wildlife through field collection of native species. The hardwood forests and open hillsides of his homeland, he would later admit during a 2011 radio interview with animal rights advocate Jon Patch , would also come to have great bearing on his admiration for the sense of freedom and independence expressed in medieval Icelandic sagas and verse.
Purser began his career as a writer in 1999, at the age of nineteen. After returning to Douglasville from holding a position as a DNR ranger in the Okefenokee Swamp
, Purser collected photographs of the reptile and amphibian species he had encountered there, and he wrote an account of his travels and experiences in the swamp. The eco-tourism piece was picked up by Reptile & Amphibian Hobbyist magazine, and appeared in the January, 1999 issue. After writing more eco-tourism and captive pet-care articles for Reptile & Amphibian Hobbyist, Purser began writing similar pieces for a number of other animal-related periodicals, including Practical Fishkeeping
, Reptiles, Reptilia, and Bird Watcher's Digest
.
By the early 2000s, Purser began writing books on the topics of pet care and captive animal husbandry for herpetological hobbyists, public aquariums, and zoological parks. His titles include:
After the release of his ninth book on snakes in 2010, Purser turned away from the herpetological sciences in favor of Old English and Old Norse
verse, poetry, and literature, which he studied at the University of Georgia
, the University of West Georgia
, and Georgia State University
. Purser presented his research in these cultures and languages at literary conferences and organizations, including SEMA and the Georgia Philological Association. His published contributions to the fields of Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon literature and culture include "There and Back Again: J. R. R. Tolkien and the Literature of the Medieval Quest" and "Rock Icon: Reading Rocks and Stones as Symbols of Legal, Religious, and Cosmological Permanence in Icelandic Saga and Society".
Philip Purser has taught English at both Georgia State University and the University of West Georgia. He currently teaches English composition and literature at Lander University
in Greenwood, South Carolina
.
Born and raised in the Appalachian foothills of northwest Georgia (particularly in the town of Douglasville
Douglasville, Georgia
The city of Douglasville is the county seat of Douglas County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 30,961...
and community of Old Lost Mountain), Purser nurtured his passion for wildlife through field collection of native species. The hardwood forests and open hillsides of his homeland, he would later admit during a 2011 radio interview with animal rights advocate Jon Patch , would also come to have great bearing on his admiration for the sense of freedom and independence expressed in medieval Icelandic sagas and verse.
Purser began his career as a writer in 1999, at the age of nineteen. After returning to Douglasville from holding a position as a DNR ranger in the Okefenokee Swamp
Okefenokee Swamp
The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000 acre , peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida border in the United States. A majority of the swamp is in Georgia and protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee Wilderness. The Okefenokee Swamp is considered to be...
, Purser collected photographs of the reptile and amphibian species he had encountered there, and he wrote an account of his travels and experiences in the swamp. The eco-tourism piece was picked up by Reptile & Amphibian Hobbyist magazine, and appeared in the January, 1999 issue. After writing more eco-tourism and captive pet-care articles for Reptile & Amphibian Hobbyist, Purser began writing similar pieces for a number of other animal-related periodicals, including Practical Fishkeeping
Practical Fishkeeping
Practical Fishkeeping is the United Kingdom's best-selling aquarium magazine. It is published every four weeks by Bauer...
, Reptiles, Reptilia, and Bird Watcher's Digest
Bird Watcher's Digest
Bird Watcher's Digest is a bimonthly birding magazine that has been in publication since 1978. Bird Watcher's Digest was the first consumer bird watching magazine. Still today, it is the only national family-owned and operated bird watching magazine....
.
By the early 2000s, Purser began writing books on the topics of pet care and captive animal husbandry for herpetological hobbyists, public aquariums, and zoological parks. His titles include:
- Keeping Moray Eels in Aquariums (released Aug, 2005)
- Green Treefrogs (released Sept,2005)
- Garter & Ribbon Snakes (released Sept, 2005)
- Tadpole Care (released Jan, 2006)
- Corn & Rat Snakes: A Complete Guide to Pantherophis (released June, 2006)
- Bearded Dragons: A Complete Guide to Pogona vitticeps (released June, 2006)
- Natural Terrariums (released May, 2007)
- Insect-Eating Lizards (released Apr, 2008)
- Good Snakekeeping: A Complete Guide to All Things Serpentine (released May, 2010)
After the release of his ninth book on snakes in 2010, Purser turned away from the herpetological sciences in favor of Old English and Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
verse, poetry, and literature, which he studied at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, the University of West Georgia
University of West Georgia
The University of West Georgia is a comprehensive doctoral-granting university in Carrollton, Georgia, approximately 45 miles west of Atlanta, Georgia. The University is built on 645 acres including a recent land gift of 246 acres from the city of Carrollton in 2003...
, and Georgia State University
Georgia State University
Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
. Purser presented his research in these cultures and languages at literary conferences and organizations, including SEMA and the Georgia Philological Association. His published contributions to the fields of Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon literature and culture include "There and Back Again: J. R. R. Tolkien and the Literature of the Medieval Quest" and "Rock Icon: Reading Rocks and Stones as Symbols of Legal, Religious, and Cosmological Permanence in Icelandic Saga and Society".
Philip Purser has taught English at both Georgia State University and the University of West Georgia. He currently teaches English composition and literature at Lander University
Lander University
Lander University is a public university located in Greenwood, South Carolina. It is the state's smallest publicly-funded baccalaureate institution.-History:...
in Greenwood, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.