It is no coincidence that Terry Tempest Williams' theoretical "Open Space of Democracy" sounds quite like the great open spaces of her native Utah — an immense, living place of stunning natural diversity held in delicate balance at every level. It's a space, then, deserving of both engagement and protection.

Williams' ancestors followed Mormon prophet Brigham Young across the plains to Salt Lake Valley in 1846, and her family has lived in Utah ever since, cultivating an understanding of the world in which self, spirit, family, community and nature are tightly woven.

A naturalist in the American tradition of Whitman, Thoreau and Emerson, Williams, 50, has authored several books, including "Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place" and "Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert." But it is as a political activist that Williams has come to broader attention recently.

Her latest book, "The Open Space of Democracy," a reflection on the personal and ethical requirements of democracy and the heightened need for re-engagement at the community level, was pit in a highly publicized controversy just before the 2004 presidential elections.

Williams had been invited to speak at Florida Gulf Coast University but was disinvited because the school's president said he could not permit "unbalanced political commentary."

Students at the school protested, and Williams ended up speaking at a student-sponsored event. (A week after the row, the school invited Vice President Dick Cheney to speak on campus.)

The passions incited by her positions are somewhat surprising. While Williams has been an active and outspoken advocate for environment-related causes, hers has always been a gentle activism, informed by the lessons of the natural world and by those Mormon values she cherishes.

"All I advocate is a relationship with place and engagement in civil dialogue," Williams said. "... the reaction says a lot about what has been happening to us nationally."

"The Open Space of Democracy" grew out of a speech Williams gave at her alma mater, the University of Utah, in 2003. Williams was being presented with an honorary degree in humanities and her niece, Callie, was among those graduating. Williams said she wanted to use the occasion to encourage the young graduates to "question, stand, speak, act."

In her speech, Williams argued that the character of the nation was shaped by the character of its landscapes, "and it is that character that will protect it."

The heart of Williams' argument is recounted in the opening chapter of the book: "Our insistence on democracy is based on our resistance to complacency. To be engaged. To participate. To create alternatives together. We may be wrong. We will make mistakes. But we can engage in spirited conversation and listen to one another with respect and open minds as we speak and explore our differences, cherishing the vitality of the struggle."

By Williams' own estimation, the speech received as many boos as cheers.

At her talk tonight, Williams will read from "The Open Space of Democracy," share part of a new work about her recently deceased brother, and speak about her experiences during a recent tour of Rwanda.

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.