An Elven name for unreal times. That 'noble maiden,' Arwen, blew up flocks of flakes, moaned her song and smothered us in her shroud. And we remembered. Was it she played ice bells on the Church Burn in sixty-eight? A little of ourselves sleeps through that other winter still.

Review

Mary Woodbury (Dragonfly) curates a wonderful website about eco-fiction. In her words 'Dragonfly.eco is a place to find meaningful stories about our natural world and humanity’s connection with it.' She is active on Twitter @EcoFiction on writers and artists responding to the climate crisis and runs a discussion group on Discord. How does she fit it all in? Thank you, Mary.  Review of 'O Man of Clay' on Dragonfly.eco

Two reviews of climate fiction on the great Susie Williamson's blog:

 http://susiewilliamson.blog/2021/11/23/for-the-love-of-books-11/

David is building a fence by eye with rough wood. He is out there with jackdaws and a rusted thwacker like a bell to knock in the posts. I am roughly placing fenceposts and then shifting them about ready, over time, to nail some chapters in place.

 She?

Thinking of a friend gone,

spilt leaves along a field edge

rising close-by to a long curve. 

There. A shape cut out of sky. 

Moments pass. The silhouette 

 slots into place.  Single-tine antlers, 

looking, one ear turning, letting 

time sift the air between us.

A dog barks in the wood below 

and in her own time, a launch, legs

crooked, still in the air, again and 

again. Stops. Looks. Doe? We.

 

(C) Eliza Mood

 Gather round and i'll tell you a story about some of the animals - some human apes - who forgot all about our common ancestor's warnings when we took different paths through the forest. They didn't think to clean up after themselves. We've been doing it for them. When they come knocking on our door, we'll have to break it to them. We'll go on doing our best, but only if they become like us again and really mean it, will they be around to see how it all shakes down. 

'O Man of Clay'available at Stairwell Books or wherever you buy or order your books.

A little group of us had a chat about 'The Swan Book' by Alexis Wright. Organised by Linda France, writer in residence for New Writing North. Extraordinary, terrifying fable. My review on Goodreads is here. (Bonnet Mycena)

'O Man of Clay'available at Stairwell Books or wherever you buy or order your books.
 

 

The butterfly eggs have hatched. Began trying out the voice for a new novel yesterday. It's been fluttering about for a good few months. Not in any hurry to write any number of words. There are other things on the go.

 You can buy 'O Man of Clay' at Stairwell Books or on Amazon or order from any bookshop.

 You can buy 'O Man of Clay' at Stairwell Books or on Amazon or order from any bookshop.

November 2nd, 2021. 

Scarlet wax cap. A spotlight. Just the way the sun struck it.

We are still eating the kale and brocoli we grew. Its purple is darkening.