Paul Bogard discusses "The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light"

"Darkness is among the many things we have lost gradually, without mourning. Paul Bogard offers a brilliantly illuminating history and a badly needed reminder that we have been blind to the death of night."--Bill Streever, author of Cold and Heat

In The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light (available July 9), Paul Bogard implores us to open our eyes to the night. We all need darkness--for our physical, mental and spiritual health, and for the health of the ecosystems on which we all depend. We are wasting money, energy, and endangering ourselves by using too much artificial light. With the loss of a truly starry night we lose so much--inspiration, beauty, the chance to experience firsthand the universe around us.

As darkness continues to erode, our lives are affected in all sorts of ways. Sleep disorders, cancer, diabetes, and many other diseases are linked to exposure to light at night. Bright nights disorient critical species like bats and moths, disrupting the delicate balance of nature. Bogard delves into urban planning and the differences between beautiful and ugly lighting, as well as why a darker environment can actually be safer. But beyond all of the physical and concrete reasons to value the darkness, Bogard highlights the value of metaphorical and spiritual darkness.

The End of Night takes readers on a deeply panoramic tour, from Las Vegas’s Luxor Beam, the brightest single spot on the planet, to desert nights so starlit the sky looks like snow—to find the night where it lives, blending personal narrative, health, science, and lore to shed light on darkness.

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Paul Bogard teaches creative nonfiction at James Madison University. He is the editor of the anthology Let There Be Night: Testimony on Behalf of the Dark.