nature

Orwell’s toads

January 20, 2018 3 Comments
Orwell’s toads

On 12 April 1946 the magazine Tribune published a short piece by George Orwell entitled Some thoughts on the common toad.  It’s not perhaps his most original essay – its central theme is the coming of spring, and how ubiquitous it is, even in the centre of a large city like London – but it […]

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A biodiversity lesson from India

November 28, 2017 1 Comment
A biodiversity lesson from India

We tread softly behind our guide, taking care not to make the dry leaves crackle and alarm the birds around the Chambal Lodge estate.  He points upwards, to a branch where owls are asleep (it’s mid-afternoon, and we’re surprised to see owls at all).  A large Scops owl sits stock still, and stares at us […]

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Emily Dickinson’s reticent volcano

November 1, 2013 1 Comment
Emily Dickinson’s reticent volcano

It’s taken a long time for Emily Dickinson to come out. During her lifetime (1830-86) only ten of her roughly 1,800 extant poems were published, some of them without her knowledge.  After her death her manuscripts lay disregarded by all but a few.  It was not till 1955 that anything close to a complete edition […]

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