FIELD NOTES: The Grace Note of the...

FIELD NOTES: The Grace Note of the Canyon Wren by Barry Lopez (Avon: $9; 159 pp.). The 11 short stories in this anthology showcase Barry Lopez’s ability to probe modern American life in spare, well-constructed sentences. The people in his stories hurry through their lives, oblivious to the world around them: A botanist obsessed with exotic flora discovers he has become a stranger to his young daughter and his native woods in “Homecoming.” A meticulous scientist discovers nature in a vacant corner of New York City in “The Open Lot,” while the hero of “The Runner” learns that his self-effacing sister has gone off the beaten path, running hidden trails in the Grand Canyon and discovering Anasazi relics.