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 …
Topics
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: 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, …
EcoLit Books featured on Viva la Book Review
We are pleased to have an essay featured on Viva la Book Review, an organization founded to “foster thoughtful, well-crafted book criticism that supports a crucial open dialogue among reviewers, …
Book Review: Defending Animals by Kendra Coulter
During the writing of Defending Animals: Finding Hope on the Front Lines of Animal Protection, Kendra Coulter’s dog, Sunny, spent many hours wrapped around her feet. Sunny, who had been abused …
Black Gold: Clearing the smoke on American coal
If I were to mention the words “black gold” you might picture oil (Thank you, Beverly Hillbillies). But the original black gold was coal and it is the title of …
Book Review Flashback: Animal Resistance
I had mentioned the passing of author Sarat Colling last month. Today I’d like to revisit her book Animal Resistance in the Global Capitalist Era. We reviewed the book four …