Essays about beasts, monsters and nature
In 1521, the head of a sea monster was sent by Bishop Walkendorf of Trondheim to Pope Leo X. On its way south, an artist painted an effigy of the imagined entire creature on the Town Hall in Strasbourg. The mural was accompanied by a poem, the song of the walrus...
new blog post: Hirst's display, however bright and iridescent its surface, has a dark emotional undercurrent. Even if it has been 'ethically sourced'.
Bristol Museum's demonstration of what extinction means highlights the bridging of image and reality that we need to create surrounding the loss of familiar species.
Simple rules can end up producing complex results. We can turn the idea of a hive mind back to the understanding of our own brains, bodies and societies.
Highly social insects are some of the most fascinating species on the planet: they have transcended the importance of the individual.
There's a truly bizarre nation-wide phenomenon of recent years, a kind of modern-day gladiatorial spectacle eked out over three long months- what does it show about the way we run our emotional connections?
There was a piece in the Spectator US today critiquing the Season 3 of Stranger Things . Tristan Priskett argued that the writers had missed a trick by avoiding engaging with current issues head on. I couldn't get away from the feeling that Tristan had shot a rather significant blank in his understanding of the role of monsters in horror and sci fi.
Writing about nature has become a tightrope between hope and hopelessness, for me, monsters provide both escape and potential retribution for this loss.
A few months ago I was on BBC Woman's Hour talking about the persistent and not-so-recent trend in all things unicorn. [Listen to the clip here] It was a last minute appearance, I had barely had time to prepare at all before I was being ushered into the studio to sit eyeball to eyeball with the... Continue Reading →
