Curated resources for educators, nature lovers, and spiritual seekers — books, organizations, and links connected to the film and the life of John Muir.
The Films
The Unruly Mystic: John Muir — The film at the center of this site. Stream on Amazon Prime Video. Schedule a screening for your community.
The Unruly Mystic — The audience-facing home of the full Unruly Mystic documentary series, including the Saint Hildegard film and Hildegard Speaks. Warm, spiritually-oriented content for seekers, educators, and event organizers.
Crazy Wisdom Films — The production company behind the Unruly Mystic series. Learn about the filmmaker, the full film catalog, and the publishing arm of Michael M. Conti Productions LLC.
Books
The Contemplative John Muir by Stephen K. Hatch — One of the key resources for making this film, and the reason Stephen Hatch appears in it. This is his “bible” of Muir quotations related to a vibrant and ecstatic spirituality of nature. It includes never-before-published selections from original journals in the John Muir Papers, as well as passages from his published works. Anyone interested in experiencing a deeper communion with nature will find this book invaluable.
Across the Shaman’s River (2017) by Daniel Lee Henry — Henry discusses Muir’s encounter with the Chilkat and Chilkoot Tlingit tribes, and wrote a new foreword discussing John Muir’s change of heart regarding racism after his travels to Alaska.
The Nature Fix by Florence Williams — Williams is a contributing editor at Outside Magazine and a freelance writer for the New York Times and National Geographic. Her National Geographic feature “This is Your Brain on Nature” led to her appearance in the film.
Books published by Michael M. Conti — Including Travels in Alaska (republished with a new foreword and introduction), The Life and Letters of John Muir Vol. 1 & 2, and Hildegard Speaks. Available in the shop.
Archives & Images
University of the Pacific Libraries — A gallery of John Muir images you can browse at scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/jmp. To use images from the library, review the fees and forms page.
Places to Go
Sierra Club — John Muir Exhibit — John Muir was one of the founders of the Sierra Club. The organization’s John Muir Exhibit gives a comprehensive view of Muir, his life and work.
John Muir National Historic Site — Established after the house, the Martinez Adobe, and surrounding orchards were purchased by the National Park Service in 1964. In 1993, an additional 326 acres of Muir’s original property were purchased, known as Mt. Wanda.
John Muir Association — The magic of John Muir lives today in our public parklands and wilderness areas, the orchards and vineyards of Contra Costa County, California, sunsets atop Mt. Wanda, and in writings and teachings that spread the word about nature and our place in it.
Friends of John Muir’s Birthplace — John Muir was born in Dunbar, Scotland. His birthplace is now a museum and educational center — the starting point of the John Muir Way, making it the beginning of a journey of a lifetime in more ways than one.
The John Muir Way — Stretches 134 miles (215 km) across Scotland’s heartland, from Helensburgh in the west to Dunbar on the east coast and Muir’s birthplace. We walked the Way in 2019 — read more here.
Schedule a Screening
Interested in bringing The Unruly Mystic: John Muir to your venue, church, school, or nature center? Learn about licensing a screening for your community.
