Imagining a different Thanksgiving tradition
The annual presidential pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey has to be one of the most curious traditions in this country. It officially dates back to George H.W. Bush, though John …
Shining a light on birding’s blind spot
I was pleased to contribute an essay to The Revelator recently. It begins… Birding is having a moment. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there are more than 90 …
Lost Animals: Voices of Extinction
What would the last living passenger pigeon (seen in silhouette above) have to say if he or she were alive today? Or the Tasmanian tiger? Or the Carolina parakeet? In …
Bloom Again, A Novel by Marybeth Holleman
University of Alaska Press, 2025 Edward O. Wilson, a pioneer of evolutionary biology, once wrote, “Humanities will have to blend with the sciences, because technology is going to demand the …
Confucius’s pet dog: The Chinese Animal Studies Network
If you’re interested in learning more about animal histories in China check out the Chinese Animal Studies Network. They have an excellent newsletter. I recently read this Talking Animals Q&A …
A Q&A with Kendra Coulter
I was thrilled to have this chat with Kendra Coulter, author of Defending Animals and the newly released novel The Tortoise’s Tale. Dr. Coulter is a professor at Huron University …
Book Review: The Tortoise’s Tale by Kendra Coulter
Years ago, when I was in the Galápagos Islands, a fellow traveler asked how long tortoises live. Our guide’s answer was: “We don’t know.” No human has yet lived long …
Writing opportunity: Ecocene
Ecocene: Cappadocia Journal of Environmental Humanities has issued another call for submissions. Here are the details: Stories are how we come to know the world. They shape our propensity to …
Writers Beware: Another email to watch out for
Judging by the reaction my previous post received I’d say we’re in the midst of an author scam epidemic. Thanks a lot AI for making these emails so much more …
Book Review: Animal History: History as If Animals Mattered
In the introduction to Animal History: History as If Animals Mattered, Andrew Linzey and Clair Linzey write, “An animal does not just have a biology, but also a biography.” Sadly, …
Writers Beware: AI scams are coming for you
Last week I mentioned in our newsletter that we’ve received a few AI-generated emails that are probably the most well-written scams I’ve yet encountered. So much so that I actually …