tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85848407702449292024-03-15T07:15:44.954-07:00The Alien Next DoorMusings of Nina Munteanu, SF writer and EcologistNina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.comBlogger601125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-25835548585652222502024-03-10T09:17:00.000-07:002024-03-15T07:15:11.935-07:00Nina’s “Favorite 3 Reads Of 2023: Feminist Eco-Fiction<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">In late 2023, I was invited by</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Shepherd </b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">to post an article of my</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><a href="https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/f/nina-munteanu" style="color: purple; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"><b>favourite three reads of 2023</b></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">. I had earlier that year posted on Shepherd an article describing what I considered to be the</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><a href="https://shepherd.com/best-books/eco-fiction-that-make-you-care-and-give-you-hope" style="color: purple; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"><b>best eco-fiction books that make you care and give you hope</b></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 18pt;"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnbhde3LCdngor9BIu7shUpTFcQRO1lE5ckDUaWBmGFO41nixXgcXdcJmDhBwQ2s-oZ5sznU0ZjIQqdvVGMG_mQ92voIm1IR87O43gt-uNXIAVjYgeiOWCi17brcSkGlXe81NgDJk6Kq11NszEZdRMe4xAQTWBdAgzFiwxhr8bRBY1GhmJfKzvVYN1hM/s1200/Hopeful%20Ecofiction%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1200" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnbhde3LCdngor9BIu7shUpTFcQRO1lE5ckDUaWBmGFO41nixXgcXdcJmDhBwQ2s-oZ5sznU0ZjIQqdvVGMG_mQ92voIm1IR87O43gt-uNXIAVjYgeiOWCi17brcSkGlXe81NgDJk6Kq11NszEZdRMe4xAQTWBdAgzFiwxhr8bRBY1GhmJfKzvVYN1hM/w449-h227/Hopeful%20Ecofiction%20.jpg" width="449" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 18pt;"><span lang="EN">I started out by reviewing what I had read in 2023. It looked like I’d read about thirty odd books, almost half and half non-fiction to fiction. That’s not many, but I’m a slow reader. I pore through each book at a snail’s pace, spending time making notes with some, particularly the non-fiction books, which I use to research my writing. With fiction, I dive in deep and thoroughly savor each word and sentence like a mouthful of an excellent meal made with loving hands. Books varied from non-fiction scholarly works on forest ecosystems (<i>The Treeline</i>by Ben Rawlence) and post-capitalism (<i>Four Futures</i>by Peter Frase) to literary fiction, political thrillers, speculative fiction, clifi, and eco-fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 18pt;"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 18pt;"><span lang="EN">It was a tough choice, but I came up with three choices and a thematic rationale that resonated with me and made a deep kind of sense for that year: all three books were eco-fiction of sorts and featured hopeful stories of strong women, acting out of compassion and in solidarity with intelligence, kindness and courage. For me, 2023 was a year of strong feminine energy for the planet and my favourite books reflect that. Here they are (read the <a href="https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/f/nina-munteanu" style="color: purple;"><b>original article on Shepherd here</b></a>): <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a name="_fopy89tg982w"></a><a name="_2vecmxa4ty9c"></a><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKSyz4GLKnY5j9a70yAAttI2EWtT3MkZV_HxsCX_uSetFcxGYgMhhUstBYNqoz9Y51z66w8kytOIRIF7xgmiEqzNz9WxEQZDUh_c-5GbjlJw6BUNk8G5XInJsx-zklDAeFDeAjYVdQ5kB2plYTQjtroPjmu4f9WXdsE4CXxQRww_9EGms2dgDPceGAeQ/s1500/Camp%20Zero.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="988" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKSyz4GLKnY5j9a70yAAttI2EWtT3MkZV_HxsCX_uSetFcxGYgMhhUstBYNqoz9Y51z66w8kytOIRIF7xgmiEqzNz9WxEQZDUh_c-5GbjlJw6BUNk8G5XInJsx-zklDAeFDeAjYVdQ5kB2plYTQjtroPjmu4f9WXdsE4CXxQRww_9EGms2dgDPceGAeQ/w242-h367/Camp%20Zero.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a name="_iwjjp07wj1nh"></a><b><span lang="EN">The first of my favourite three books of 2023 is Michelle Min Sterling’s <i>Camp Zero</i>.</span></b><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Set in the remote Canadian north—a place I love for its harsh beauty—this feminist climate fiction explores a warming climate through the perilous journeys of several female characters, each relating to her environment in different ways. Each woman exerts agency in surprising ways that include love, bravery and shared community. The strength of female power carried me through the pages like a braided river heading to a singular ocean. These very different women journey through the dark ruins of violent capitalism, colonialism and patriarchy—flowing past and through hubristic men pushing north with agendas and jingoistic visions—to triumph in an ocean of solidarity. I empathized with each woman as she found her strength and learned to wield true heroism—one based on collaboration and humble honesty.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a name="_o0p2vr16cdi"></a><b><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_aW_40wFLvnARyo-uSLNq8L3O0oZ6_WYZ3Hrodz_GUWJ5nfPoY_ip69D-Wl_aYSHaoFlbIeo2vm4gOTQ2O2WJX2exT1dY0yNE8KAA0dKH0rZ5wZh0dBijncFsk9onpN9nfQRwW45bQgqb4-cHzkON_O9T99fwpRxTQ6v5gIaHUSL85Ao18CPW4sI79Q/s1500/We.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="980" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_aW_40wFLvnARyo-uSLNq8L3O0oZ6_WYZ3Hrodz_GUWJ5nfPoY_ip69D-Wl_aYSHaoFlbIeo2vm4gOTQ2O2WJX2exT1dY0yNE8KAA0dKH0rZ5wZh0dBijncFsk9onpN9nfQRwW45bQgqb4-cHzkON_O9T99fwpRxTQ6v5gIaHUSL85Ao18CPW4sI79Q/w237-h363/We.jpg" width="237" /></a></b></div><b><br /><o:p><br /></o:p></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a name="_5jqc6s4fh2fb"></a><b><span lang="EN">My second favourite book of 2023 is Yevgeni Zamyatin’s <i>We</i>.</span></b><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I enjoyed this 1920 hopeful dystopia for its courageous and unprecedented feminism.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">While the story centres on logical D-503, a man vacuously content as a number in the One State, it is </span><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white;">I-330—Zamyatin’s unruly heroine—who stole my attention. Confident, powerful and heroic, the liberated I-330 embraces the Green Wind of change to influence D-503. A force of hope and resilience, she braves torture to successfully orchestrate a revolution that breaches the Green Wall—feats typically relegated to a male protagonist in novels of that era.</span><span lang="EN">When pregnant O-90 refuses to surrender her child to the State, I-330 helps her escape to the outside, where the Green Wind of freedom blows.</span><span lang="EN-CA">I resonated with Zamyatin’s cautionary tale on the folly of logic without love and Nature.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a name="_om7uumwzhl1z"></a><span lang="EN"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_KdemupZV7fQPVG0D0iR4cIoq7boO1PYRA4uAcIC24j47eD1rSbJ1zSX8exfC2SMgWYlD226RvOzzAj_TNZVRpiRzxPpNZjFU2GNZPBFOJjOLqWDK0vaciWia1kpqp-yPKBoxyPE9dZIN3-Iex7wWWOPJ7HPAUOgSeE5uihbjq-OhoJx0GnXjE1YAYc/s1500/Wool.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="996" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_KdemupZV7fQPVG0D0iR4cIoq7boO1PYRA4uAcIC24j47eD1rSbJ1zSX8exfC2SMgWYlD226RvOzzAj_TNZVRpiRzxPpNZjFU2GNZPBFOJjOLqWDK0vaciWia1kpqp-yPKBoxyPE9dZIN3-Iex7wWWOPJ7HPAUOgSeE5uihbjq-OhoJx0GnXjE1YAYc/w238-h359/Wool.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a name="_2q6gdmsp39fu"></a><b><span lang="EN">My third favourite book of 2023 is Hugh Howie’s <i>Wool</i>(first of the <i>SILO</i>series).</span></b><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Juliette—humble and gutsy, kind and relentlessly motivated in her journey for the truth—kept the pages turning for me. Juliette is a mechanic from the Down-Deep of the underground Silo, humanity’s last refuge to a toxic world. When Juliette inexplicably lands the job of sheriff, she treats her new position as a tool to seek the truth about her lover’s mysterious recent death. At her own peril, she pulls on threads that ultimately reveal a great conspiracy. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Juliette’s literal and metaphoric rise from the Down-Deep to the Up-Top is a feminist’s journey that transcends intersectional barriers as she battles small-minded men of power and maintains her integrity by refusing to abide by the inhumane Up-Top rules of order. By the end, I sensed a victory for humankind through womankind. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Also check out Shepherd’s </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023" style="color: purple;"><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">100 best books of 2023</span></b></a><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a name="_21wfbdql997s"></a><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">You might be interested in two of my own eco-fiction novels that feature several strong female protagonists:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KNehau1ZghmkHYxLRrq8lLDkZ3mxy49sGzcixHAaaOpgRw6sTOhkDuuI5ieVdylSQI9p7eJa8B-IaLKdz_0EIHHjVXe6KzaqC5QLmFywliC93Ot9qXQeGpzhJCVPvfdw9cuzOEVbp12cGiknJoCK2WjK9sbSCaD7qhUA0-qPmv7M6z_ALRM_HVLx1Po/s1360/Darwins%20Paradox-2nd%20ed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KNehau1ZghmkHYxLRrq8lLDkZ3mxy49sGzcixHAaaOpgRw6sTOhkDuuI5ieVdylSQI9p7eJa8B-IaLKdz_0EIHHjVXe6KzaqC5QLmFywliC93Ot9qXQeGpzhJCVPvfdw9cuzOEVbp12cGiknJoCK2WjK9sbSCaD7qhUA0-qPmv7M6z_ALRM_HVLx1Po/w235-h353/Darwins%20Paradox-2nd%20ed.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><br /><o:p><br /></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Darwin’s Paradox </span></i></b><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">follows the complex dynamic of a brave mother and her willful teenage daughter, both ‘gifted’ by a virus living inside them. Accused of murder and deliberately spreading the virus that killed many, Julie fled the enclosed city and settled in the climate wastelands with her husband and their child. Years later, when their harsh refuge is threatened by city forces seeking mother and daughter for experimentation, Julie leaves her family and gives herself up to the city, hoping they will abandon pursuing her daughter. Still psychically connected to the city’s AI community (now evolving into an autonomous entity with the intelligent virus), Julie</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0f1111;">entangles with political intrigue while her daughter, who followed her to the city, stumbles into her mother’s violent past.</span><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoytt7qQhK2od3VfEDV5J71wAJdybX9NUVl7r6hmZ9jzU8li6bWDUZ39t4mHdr082ILWQPFiWgZR1dlrJIbxIyT7NiWjn59RkCd8vO8DUAiFHDL7aVXut8L1M2bua_6FwyGkpR1ZDQMla0xNkv_V7ZFVziKxAfzK-aauynAlIk1MEt-Xh_6nqp7SDK53M/s900/COVER%20A%20Diary%20in%20the%20Age%20of%20Water.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoytt7qQhK2od3VfEDV5J71wAJdybX9NUVl7r6hmZ9jzU8li6bWDUZ39t4mHdr082ILWQPFiWgZR1dlrJIbxIyT7NiWjn59RkCd8vO8DUAiFHDL7aVXut8L1M2bua_6FwyGkpR1ZDQMla0xNkv_V7ZFVziKxAfzK-aauynAlIk1MEt-Xh_6nqp7SDK53M/w233-h350/COVER%20A%20Diary%20in%20the%20Age%20of%20Water.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><br /><o:p><br /></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">A Diary in the Age of Water </span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">follows the climate-induced journey of Earth and humanity through four generations of women, each with a unique relationship to water. Centuries from now, in a dying boreal forest in what used to be northern Canada, Kyo, a young acolyte called to service in the Exodus, yearns for Earth’s past—the Age of Water—before the “Water Twins” destroyed humanity. Looking for answers and plagued by vivid dreams of this holocaust, Kyo discovers the diary of Lynna, a limnologist from that time of severe water scarcity just prior to the destruction. In her work for a global giant that controls Earth’s water, Lynna witnesses and records in her diary the disturbing events that will soon lead to humanity’s demise.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WsauyKRG8nVEs1PjpuJ7kwcNzJCUwtMc2ZqTYoWuRvY2oeQaHzn3Xk4RDhR8DdpPlAGiNUlSqDJ00y_QjaD1xESkElvwS6isZ5ii55brrnxluSsmZxo8DqQeNN0GCo7xTDk3icyHc3pF_ZIznqkHH1JLtEA4LUT_xnPgXo6YGtIXscJgXAJ0EJk9WkU/s800/A%20DIARY-IN-THE-AGE-OF-WATER%20Nina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="800" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WsauyKRG8nVEs1PjpuJ7kwcNzJCUwtMc2ZqTYoWuRvY2oeQaHzn3Xk4RDhR8DdpPlAGiNUlSqDJ00y_QjaD1xESkElvwS6isZ5ii55brrnxluSsmZxo8DqQeNN0GCo7xTDk3icyHc3pF_ZIznqkHH1JLtEA4LUT_xnPgXo6YGtIXscJgXAJ0EJk9WkU/s320/A%20DIARY-IN-THE-AGE-OF-WATER%20Nina.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br /><o:p><br /></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nina Munteanu</span></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Visit </span><a href="http://www.ninamunteanu.ca/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">www.ninamunteanu.ca</span></span></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> for the latest on her books. Nina’s bilingual “</span><a href="http://www.ibs.it/code/9788899423490/munteanu-nina/natura-dell-acqua.html" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water</span></span></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">” was published by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Mincione Edizioni</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> in Rome. Her non-fiction book “</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Water-Nina-Munteanu/dp/0981101240/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Water Is…</span></span></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">” by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Pixl Press</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">(Vancouver) was selected by Margaret Atwood in the </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">New York Times</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Water Canada</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">. Her novel “<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-diary-in-the-age/9781771337373-item.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">A Diary in the Age of Water</a>” </span>was released by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Inanna Publications </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">(Toronto) in June 2020.</span></o:p></span></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-7928947125050764242024-01-16T14:10:00.000-08:002024-03-15T07:14:27.070-07:00Winter Beauty... Photographs by Nina Munteanu<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvaZZ_0Ygs_L386sr0ijmG4ZiG-8sRqrMGLdL72k5rraauQHnFRgaXi4ZGG0t42iVtQm0hh9my7WgYX3BBkJTMD3yDtGaPVZYlmpYfIupnUSO_hINWp3GTrbYylkaYyjQXAQxvggC_7n6eNr-0v2dWxjoxN3FaumG2_hGHbKD51zccpu2kgyno3dcocXo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2405" data-original-width="3594" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvaZZ_0Ygs_L386sr0ijmG4ZiG-8sRqrMGLdL72k5rraauQHnFRgaXi4ZGG0t42iVtQm0hh9my7WgYX3BBkJTMD3yDtGaPVZYlmpYfIupnUSO_hINWp3GTrbYylkaYyjQXAQxvggC_7n6eNr-0v2dWxjoxN3FaumG2_hGHbKD51zccpu2kgyno3dcocXo" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5vVTEdqCR7S7jjOT7DICW9llJUzNiqHUXSVjCJ8Yx-Bxtxb7uV04C1oKUBOCuBcJubJSP8JjC2ImYoYGeyNolskTkP7zBm_NdG4ErbQw396YYsOQw8WVa1rIuSppW0DSO4Dm0TeWsRF8otx1enNPIwG0qkE-2Uc-xUIef6-BAnf3XfOLZhjm6bA40Bf0" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nina Munteanu</span></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Visit </span><a href="http://www.ninamunteanu.ca/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">www.ninamunteanu.ca</span></span></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> for the latest on her books. Nina’s bilingual “</span><a href="http://www.ibs.it/code/9788899423490/munteanu-nina/natura-dell-acqua.html" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water</span></span></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">” was published by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Mincione Edizioni</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> in Rome. Her non-fiction book “</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Water-Nina-Munteanu/dp/0981101240/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Water Is…</span></span></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">” by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Pixl Press</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">(Vancouver) was selected by Margaret Atwood in the </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">New York Times</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Water Canada</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">. Her novel “<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-diary-in-the-age/9781771337373-item.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">A Diary in the Age of Water</a>” </span>was released by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Inanna Publications </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">(Toronto) in June 2020.</span></div><br /><br /></div><br /><p></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-79721423304219189942023-10-25T09:32:00.008-07:002023-10-27T09:56:29.978-07:00Nature’s Elegance: When Dying is Beautiful…<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYRXgJaMeTMQywWeRMNRaLiazNI04JlqK-M38pAb-Oo-ATNjkrqgz-9yJAlfDfpyGWNBQunKQ1XcIRbMswriC6H2-ocIxto0p-jzTcKbaDOwR2BUgjUbuCaaYI_DecXDfkFxmlm89xau727uvbUEJObfBKKwxjt1MipZwXtiWH5PmgnJasEaE2327i-c/s2585/Road%20HayesLine%20valley%20car%20Oct2%20PALET%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1317" data-original-width="2585" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYRXgJaMeTMQywWeRMNRaLiazNI04JlqK-M38pAb-Oo-ATNjkrqgz-9yJAlfDfpyGWNBQunKQ1XcIRbMswriC6H2-ocIxto0p-jzTcKbaDOwR2BUgjUbuCaaYI_DecXDfkFxmlm89xau727uvbUEJObfBKKwxjt1MipZwXtiWH5PmgnJasEaE2327i-c/w467-h238/Road%20HayesLine%20valley%20car%20Oct2%20PALET%20copy.jpg" width="467" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-CA"><br /> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">It started with my need for change. My need to discover. To witness beauty. That meant going outside. And I knew exactly where to go. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I made a lunch and took some snacks, saddled myself in Benny (my trusted VW steed) and drove west. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">It was late October and the cold winds hadn’t yet cajoled the colourful leaves off the maples, aspens, birches and oaks. I knew I would witness something remarkable. I was in the north temperate zone of Canada, after all, and this was the height of autumn magic…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMAheHaCCoj7UHnqZdcigKvwuv4CCUQxOxI7jMu8B9PH5w4blbtZHQYd1UGaZVB8XWNfjY78dZUMD4A3Mp_jWY9OeK1JLimiOKz3a-J7CU8laxwBF-LF_aWBmFfe4yvsRJTpLSNz6bMmduLMjy1heUWkWXN1FOAJS30oF9hBQh5JAraBZx9iondvP10k/s2592/Road%20HayesLine%20car%20hill%20mist%20Oct.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1979" data-original-width="2592" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMAheHaCCoj7UHnqZdcigKvwuv4CCUQxOxI7jMu8B9PH5w4blbtZHQYd1UGaZVB8XWNfjY78dZUMD4A3Mp_jWY9OeK1JLimiOKz3a-J7CU8laxwBF-LF_aWBmFfe4yvsRJTpLSNz6bMmduLMjy1heUWkWXN1FOAJS30oF9hBQh5JAraBZx9iondvP10k/w442-h337/Road%20HayesLine%20car%20hill%20mist%20Oct.jpg" width="442" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">Soon, I was driving along one of my favourite country roads, a gently rolling barely paved road through forest and farmland that rose and fell over drumlins and eskers with views that make you sigh. A vibrant carpet of orange-crimson forest and copper-hued fields covered the undulating hills in a patchwork of colour.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIzrtRS_ccqET-h2OGOSQpIjAe3DrxsBDsYyEWNnzA0Q4GgDFIuPN8O9rBI9z8cs9FNfgV_eehAlMu3PdPabkJYDb4YoTjbvnZyphggOpDIgQaU9KlcEnd8CVuUIJ4melVQWM7HTIUYxHPawuIVPOqQLC89EkRommUrIv6n3BBMII2GCh_fbms37z17U/s2894/Road%20hill%20car%20sugarmaple%20HayesLine%20Oct%20PALET%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="2894" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIzrtRS_ccqET-h2OGOSQpIjAe3DrxsBDsYyEWNnzA0Q4GgDFIuPN8O9rBI9z8cs9FNfgV_eehAlMu3PdPabkJYDb4YoTjbvnZyphggOpDIgQaU9KlcEnd8CVuUIJ4melVQWM7HTIUYxHPawuIVPOqQLC89EkRommUrIv6n3BBMII2GCh_fbms37z17U/w457-h230/Road%20hill%20car%20sugarmaple%20HayesLine%20Oct%20PALET%20copy.jpg" width="457" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I stopped frequently and stepped out into the light rain to take photographs. The air was fresh and clean against my skin as I breathed in the scent of wet vegetation and loam. A light mist washed the distant hills in muted shades of a watercolour painting. The nearby forests were anything but muted. I drove past flaming thickets of red-purple dogwoods and sumacs. Benny took me beneath neon canopies: the brilliant orange and deep reds of sugar and red maples, the lemon yellows and bronzes of aspens, oaks and beeches.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6f8-3J9aBO5fCQkvSSLXaT6VrZXiKtZh5yS5qMj7JdcgVf2mMDKBXkTHLZUKXOxR1EWO7ltIrFY9DWozccKuvCVA7wfCnNSwxKpR-w5Qu275fg35ZiWq56Jq6wRxZPYzLSPf1-JtF7sNzB_pCgwDKawlrwbzU01HAcfefQO-O-En30AyJntCmjIbTUXY/s2039/Road%20Maples%20flaming%20car%20HayesLine%20Oct%20PALET%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="2039" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6f8-3J9aBO5fCQkvSSLXaT6VrZXiKtZh5yS5qMj7JdcgVf2mMDKBXkTHLZUKXOxR1EWO7ltIrFY9DWozccKuvCVA7wfCnNSwxKpR-w5Qu275fg35ZiWq56Jq6wRxZPYzLSPf1-JtF7sNzB_pCgwDKawlrwbzU01HAcfefQO-O-En30AyJntCmjIbTUXY/w448-h226/Road%20Maples%20flaming%20car%20HayesLine%20Oct%20PALET%20copy.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">The flaming colours signify approaching death for the leaf. The deeper the colour, the closer to the end. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">With less light in fall, the green sugar-making pigment, chlorophyll, starts to break down. Other pigments, previously masked by the chlorophyll are revealed: the red-purples of </span><a href="https://biology.appstate.edu/fall-colors/why-red-fall-color-nearly-absent-northern-europe-prevalent-north-america" style="color: #954f72;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">anthocyanin</span></b></a><span lang="EN-CA">and the oranges and yellows of </span><a href="https://biology.appstate.edu/fall-colors/hidden-colors-leaves-what-are-functions-those-yellow-and-orange-pigments-we-see-fall" style="color: #954f72;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">carotenoids</span></b></a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">.</span></b></span><span lang="EN-CA">As chlorophyll degrades, light striking the leaf may cause injury to its biochemical machinery, particularly the parts that regulate nutrient movement. So, these other pigments help to create a physical light shield and help the leaves efficiently move their nutrients into the twigs for the tree to use later. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DPnGELuiIQuIX8mdi0VPuHsFTaKwtY7edQmd791pGxFT9WUKLeS9XwUAHeh8XOY1ZCvUWofntopmSAS3xRbj3i6qMaAFJAtxhyphenhyphendTRYWqRg5QDPUsK3vpYdUOmdUX1clmlFluv_asN-v3__KNJeL-mi3LSImS2ty5Hef0jhk7KLDrCUyG-5xv8w2GMZ0/s2848/Aspen%20trunks%20near%20Bethany%20Oct%20DRYBR2%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1483" data-original-width="2848" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DPnGELuiIQuIX8mdi0VPuHsFTaKwtY7edQmd791pGxFT9WUKLeS9XwUAHeh8XOY1ZCvUWofntopmSAS3xRbj3i6qMaAFJAtxhyphenhyphendTRYWqRg5QDPUsK3vpYdUOmdUX1clmlFluv_asN-v3__KNJeL-mi3LSImS2ty5Hef0jhk7KLDrCUyG-5xv8w2GMZ0/w471-h246/Aspen%20trunks%20near%20Bethany%20Oct%20DRYBR2%20copy.jpg" width="471" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">As the temperature plummets, the trees build a protective seal between the leaves and their branches, taking in as many nutrients as possible from the sugar-building leaves. Once the leaves are cut off from the fluid in the branches, they separate and drop to the ground, helped by the winds. Even in death, the leaves continue to contribute. </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #1b1b1b;">On the ground, the fallen leaves decompose and restock the soil with nutrients; they also contribute to the spongy humus layer of the forest floor that absorbs and holds rainfall. Fallen leaves are also food for soil organisms, whose actions in turn keep the forest functional.</span><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCely3zUZuxpE7ChutM-kuDVugIDKfO5wJ_Ad8ct5Q14GOFNh4J9kmi173BAroC24ZzRLhwgX_bXLtUVnZejlpwvQ20Lx97V8NQkUoSCaWZp9E7GqEfC-B3oaz8ZpsJeYVzGTTnrZBY1bBT7-NUm4445WUXrMV_mhZhaRkNQxtWrjxjOfF9YhmT5knIQ/s1857/Road%20HayesLine%20wet%20poplars%20Oct%20PALET2%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="1857" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCely3zUZuxpE7ChutM-kuDVugIDKfO5wJ_Ad8ct5Q14GOFNh4J9kmi173BAroC24ZzRLhwgX_bXLtUVnZejlpwvQ20Lx97V8NQkUoSCaWZp9E7GqEfC-B3oaz8ZpsJeYVzGTTnrZBY1bBT7-NUm4445WUXrMV_mhZhaRkNQxtWrjxjOfF9YhmT5knIQ/w463-h237/Road%20HayesLine%20wet%20poplars%20Oct%20PALET2%20copy.jpg" width="463" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">As I wove through the deep colours of autumn, I felt humbled by this naked beauty, so simply shown. So ingenuously revealed. How elegantly yet guileless nature went through its stages of individual dying to ensure renewal and growth for the whole. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I returned home, invigorated and humbled by nature’s transient show. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">Within weeks, the bright leaves would fall, leaving the trees bare and gray and the ground a thick slippery carpet of brownish gray-black rot. Beauty enfolded, dissected and integrated. Insects, fungi, and bacteria would deliver what the leaves used to be and create something else, a gift to the living forest.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">Is that not what death is? The end of something to ensure the beginning of something else?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhHIt7a6JY0FV3WzqGxmj148NPfhCvw1T4E0a9YAC6mrBlGFB-aVJ6It4KLHVIjzO3T4_S5508VrDqMeeWJFmb6RQ80NODGhQTUe0h6ZK1YiwEcARvLEmDumG0zShMz7lrZQYq6spndXpbqgdbGeEFSVYa6GEXutP9YzJz0KEYcuDOjKBDwL19HhIhPs/s800/A%20DIARY-IN-THE-AGE-OF-WATER%20Nina.jpg" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="800" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhHIt7a6JY0FV3WzqGxmj148NPfhCvw1T4E0a9YAC6mrBlGFB-aVJ6It4KLHVIjzO3T4_S5508VrDqMeeWJFmb6RQ80NODGhQTUe0h6ZK1YiwEcARvLEmDumG0zShMz7lrZQYq6spndXpbqgdbGeEFSVYa6GEXutP9YzJz0KEYcuDOjKBDwL19HhIhPs/w452-h294/A%20DIARY-IN-THE-AGE-OF-WATER%20Nina.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(195, 195, 195); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="452" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><i style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></i></span></p><p style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nina Munteanu</span></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Visit </span><a href="http://www.ninamunteanu.ca/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">www.ninamunteanu.ca</span></span></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> for the latest on her books. Nina’s bilingual “</span><a href="http://www.ibs.it/code/9788899423490/munteanu-nina/natura-dell-acqua.html" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water</span></span></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">” was published by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Mincione Edizioni</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> in Rome. Her non-fiction book “</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Water-Nina-Munteanu/dp/0981101240/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Water Is…</span></span></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">” by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Pixl Press</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">(Vancouver) was selected by Margaret Atwood in the </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">New York Times</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Water Canada</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">. Her novel “<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-diary-in-the-age/9781771337373-item.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">A Diary in the Age of Water</a>” </span>was released by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Inanna Publications </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">(Toronto) in June 2020.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-29166452915405713402023-09-17T19:39:00.003-07:002023-09-20T16:03:24.652-07:00Mistakes Authors Make (When We Don’t Pay Attention to Place and Things)<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgBOf4-XF8D0CUE2L8nJdI617xgOYmIZGlNTtGEyQYkdBTVtHfRBMMA0pLBscaC_Oca4GJbJq0VfPWFfWzWR5FyGaz05P8SRnWRqtlKakzuyt0yWN9fq-Hs9vouEtdrUe9ZTuW7l0Wo1j3XYCxZvSvy93lgD_xoW9fEyasNeBhaYO0nL8ZsYB8x5hvvk/s2728/Fence%20post%20fall%20vine%20colour%20Nov%20TCan%20wide%20DRYBR%20copy%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1332" data-original-width="2728" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgBOf4-XF8D0CUE2L8nJdI617xgOYmIZGlNTtGEyQYkdBTVtHfRBMMA0pLBscaC_Oca4GJbJq0VfPWFfWzWR5FyGaz05P8SRnWRqtlKakzuyt0yWN9fq-Hs9vouEtdrUe9ZTuW7l0Wo1j3XYCxZvSvy93lgD_xoW9fEyasNeBhaYO0nL8ZsYB8x5hvvk/w462-h225/Fence%20post%20fall%20vine%20colour%20Nov%20TCan%20wide%20DRYBR%20copy%202.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">In “A Dance of Cranes” (Dundurn, 2019) author Steve Burrows erroneously describes the actions and motions associated with canoeing. In the following scene, the protagonist Jejeune is canoeing on a river in the boreal wilderness of northern Canada:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"></span></p><blockquote><span lang="EN-CA">The low sun seemed to light the stand of birches from within, flickering through the trunks like a strobe light as Jejeune <i>rowed </i>past. </span></blockquote><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">One does not row a canoe; one paddles—with a paddle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">You might think that this is a small error, hardly worth mentioning; however, the friend who pointed out this mistake to me, was thrown out of the novel by it. She is a naturalist and has often gone canoeing in the lakes and rivers of Ontario. This mistake suggested a lack of professional attentiveness from both author and editor of the publication. By compromising the authenticity of the fictional setting the error stopped the reader from participating. We were no longer paddling with Jejeune; we were looking at the book.*<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">Some of you may rail at me for being overly harsh. You would remind me that this is a work of fiction, after all, not fact. You’d remind me that fiction is a work of the imagination, of characters and journeys; not a dry documentary. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I would agree with you—up to a point. Certainly, in fiction we can and do take liberties with “facts” so long as the narrative keeps the reader moving in the “fictive dream.” Authors have managed to successfully bend reality considerably in the past to great effect because the reader was fully engaged in the narrative and the characters. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">But ultimately, beginning-to-end factual accuracy remains important in a made-up story for various reasons. While some “fake facts” or mistakes (such as the example above) may slip by many readers unnoticed, <i>someone</i>will notice. Guaranteed. And, as with my naturalist friend, it can make the difference between a seamless read and a jarring one. Writer </span><a href="https://dorianbox.com/factual-accuracy-in-fiction/" style="color: #954f72;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">Dorian Box</span></b></a><span lang="EN-CA">shares that, “Some readers may even post reviews criticizing your book on that basis.” Dorian adds that when they spot large factual inaccuracies in a novel, “it detracts from the reading experience. I start to question other things. Credibility is damaged.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">All good fiction is anchored by consistent and believable world-building, whether the story is set in contemporary New York City or a made up planet in some made up solar system. The key to this believability is the use of grounding ‘facts’ or world-consistencies that immerse the reader in the story world. The reader relies on the author to realistically represent the world they are reading about. This allows the reader to experience the story as though it was real. Representing the facts accurately enables the writer to take liberties with other aspects of the story. Because the reader is nicely embedded in the world through accurate depiction, they will follow your characters through it eagerly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">The Importance and Ease of Research in Fiction Writing <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">To prevent what happened in the example I gave above, authors must exercise due diligence in world building, in representation of setting and place, and in other elements of the story. Writers have easy access to so much knowledge about so many topics through local libraries, local experts, the internet, social media, and more. In other words, no excuse. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">In the novel I’m currently working on I needed to understand what it felt like to handle, load and shoot a particular make of shotgun. I had handled one in the past but not actually used it. The internet provided exceptional instructional videos and sites that I could use to come close to the actual experience. I paid particular attention to nuances and sensual aspects such as texture, smell, weight, as well as mechanical aspects, like recoil; anything that would more viscerally help me experience it. When I had written the scenes, I showed them to someone who had handled a shotgun for their verdict on accurate depiction. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">For more examples and discussion on place and doing research, check out Chapter H and R of my first book in <i>The</i><i>Alien Guidebook Series</i></span><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Fiction-Writer-Get-Published-Write/dp/0982378300" style="color: #954f72;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">“The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now</span></b></a><b><span lang="EN-CA">!”</span></b><span lang="EN-CA">and Part 2 of my third book in the series “</span><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Ecology-Story-World-Character/dp/0981163653" style="color: #954f72;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">The Ecology of Story: World as Character</span></b></a><span lang="EN-CA">.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">*<i>There is such a thing as a rowing canoe; canoes can be set up for rowing with oarlocks and sockets, oars, rowing seats and even forward rowing contraptions such as foot brace for efficient rowing. However, this was not the case in the book I gave as an example.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhHIt7a6JY0FV3WzqGxmj148NPfhCvw1T4E0a9YAC6mrBlGFB-aVJ6It4KLHVIjzO3T4_S5508VrDqMeeWJFmb6RQ80NODGhQTUe0h6ZK1YiwEcARvLEmDumG0zShMz7lrZQYq6spndXpbqgdbGeEFSVYa6GEXutP9YzJz0KEYcuDOjKBDwL19HhIhPs/s800/A%20DIARY-IN-THE-AGE-OF-WATER%20Nina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="800" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhHIt7a6JY0FV3WzqGxmj148NPfhCvw1T4E0a9YAC6mrBlGFB-aVJ6It4KLHVIjzO3T4_S5508VrDqMeeWJFmb6RQ80NODGhQTUe0h6ZK1YiwEcARvLEmDumG0zShMz7lrZQYq6spndXpbqgdbGeEFSVYa6GEXutP9YzJz0KEYcuDOjKBDwL19HhIhPs/w452-h294/A%20DIARY-IN-THE-AGE-OF-WATER%20Nina.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nina Munteanu</span></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Visit </span><a href="http://www.ninamunteanu.ca/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">www.ninamunteanu.ca</span></span></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> for the latest on her books. Nina’s bilingual “</span><a href="http://www.ibs.it/code/9788899423490/munteanu-nina/natura-dell-acqua.html" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water</span></span></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">” was published by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Mincione Edizioni</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> in Rome. Her non-fiction book “</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Water-Nina-Munteanu/dp/0981101240/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Water Is…</span></span></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">” by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Pixl Press</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">(Vancouver) was selected by Margaret Atwood in the </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">New York Times</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Water Canada</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">. Her novel “<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-diary-in-the-age/9781771337373-item.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">A Diary in the Age of Water</a>” </span>was released by </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Inanna Publications </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">(Toronto) in June 2020.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span> </p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-45383913369855498982023-08-02T00:30:00.007-07:002023-08-02T00:35:50.046-07:00The Writer-Editor Relationship, Part 2: Editors Preparing Writers<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDlo5iUpnwS47jIlZK0ftSO03t7d53yu0qhArwAGZpy_3hcDfQREYsg2JvuJeFq6jD2jPsUhM76cdoyxTHLupXdG6v2dBCJuSOCuWkWezf4y1O9GnvumKgRD0P7iUr3ut_r_dumFrPYQtCX_CPBg-ST8Fl-j_dXnIkeNIx9AbwJ9fzi7fyaB-E0B4ncQ/s4172/Alvar%20path%20from%20SD%20forest%20birch%20poplar%202%20Apr%20DRYBR%20copy%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2051" data-original-width="4172" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDlo5iUpnwS47jIlZK0ftSO03t7d53yu0qhArwAGZpy_3hcDfQREYsg2JvuJeFq6jD2jPsUhM76cdoyxTHLupXdG6v2dBCJuSOCuWkWezf4y1O9GnvumKgRD0P7iUr3ut_r_dumFrPYQtCX_CPBg-ST8Fl-j_dXnIkeNIx9AbwJ9fzi7fyaB-E0B4ncQ/w487-h239/Alvar%20path%20from%20SD%20forest%20birch%20poplar%202%20Apr%20DRYBR%20copy%202.jpg" width="487" /></a></div><br /><p></p><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">In my previous article, “</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">F<b><a href="http://sfgirl-thealiennextdoor.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-writer-editor-relationship-part-1.html" target="_blank">ive Things Writers Should Look for in an Editor</a></b></span><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">,</span></b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">” I focused on clarifying expectations between editors and writers from the writer’s point of view. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Part 2, this article, focuses on this same relationship from the editor’s point of view. If you are a writer, this article serves as a workable checklist of what you should expect from a good editor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Realizing Expectations <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Indie authors often come to editors with unclear and, at times, unreasonable or unrealistic expectations on services. Many writers know very little about the kind of editing we do and the different levels of effort (time and associated fee) required. They do not understand the difference between “copy-editing” and “structural editing”, particularly as it pertains to their own work. In fact, many indie writers don’t even know what their MS requires. This is because of two things: 1) they can’t objectively assess their own work, particularly in relation to market needs; and 2) many authors have not sufficiently considered their “voice” or brand and matched it to a relevant target market. Both of these will influence how the writer comes into the relationship and the nature of their expectations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is best to be “up front” with everything, from understanding a writer’s work and market expectations to establishing your fees, your time, and the nature of your services. This is why a savvy editor will ask for a one to several page example of the author’s writing prior to offering their services and finalizing the nature of a potential relationship. Such an exchange may, in turn, include a sample of the editor’s work for the writer to assess. This exchange helps clarify the process for both parties.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A savvy editor will want to establish with the author the following things prior to taking him/her on as a client and embarking on the actual editing task:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The nature of the writer’s work</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">: a writer’s work should harmonize with the editor and achieve a good fit; e.g., I edit fiction and non-fiction; however, I do not edit horror, because I simply can’t relate to it and don’t care for it. More on this below.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The author’s expectations and target market</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">: this is key to establishing the kind of editing required for the author’s piece. Is it good enough to just copy-edit or will the piece require substantive edits to succeed in the identified market? This often requires open and frank communication between editor and author.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nature and time of submission</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">: on which the schedule is based. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Schedule and deadlines for deliverables</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">: based on the editor’s realistic timing (including other work) and the nature of the editing job (to be established by some reliable means).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nature of communication</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">: form and frequency; partly to ensure that the writer does not abuse the communication stream with a barrage of emails, e-chats, phone calls, etc.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">6.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nature and cost of deliverables</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">: e.g., use of track changes; inclusion of summary letter; follow up meetings, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">7.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mutual agreement on fees, fee structure and payment details</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">: what, how and when.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">8.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Inclusion and nature of contract</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">: this may include an NDS, if desired.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By clarifying these, you and the author create a new set of realistic agreed-upon expectations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fitting Writer with Editor<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The right fit for editor and writer includes more than harmonizing genre, writing style, and content. The fit includes personality. A professional editor and writing colleague of mine recently shared on our list-serve about his experience as both a freelance and publishing house editor. The editor shared that a majority of writers responded to his edits with comments like, “finally, someone who just comes out and plainly tells me what’s wrong!” However, others complained: “why are you so <i>mean</i>?” The editor admitted to using humor liberally in his assessments and was described by one of his clients as “playfully harsh.” While the work of this editor is no doubt impeccable, the added humor may not be a good fit for some writers, particularly those who are not highly confident in their work. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Knowing your own brand of editing and being up front with it is part of achieving a good fit with a writer and can avoid huge headaches down the line for both of you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Toward Honesty & Moral Integrity<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I and some of my editing colleagues have run across several cases of indie writers who have come to us with “already edited works” that they believed only needed proofing or minor edits, but in fact called for substantive editing and story coaching to fulfill market requirements. The previous editor had either done a poor job of editing or the author had done a poor job of incorporating the edits. Either way, I was now in the position to inform this author, who had already spent several thousand dollars on edits, that his work required more than a “trim job off the top” to meet the standards demanded by the market.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My colleague suggested that it is unethical to copy-edit a manuscript that obviously requires structural editing or has serious “story” problems. I’m inclined to agree. The key lies in the expectations of the author and his/her intended market. This is where the editor’s knowledge of “matching work to market” becomes a critical part of the relationship with the author, whether you take him/her on as a client or not. I talked more about this in an article on <i>Boldface</i>: “The Moving Target of Indie Publishing: What Every Editor (and Writer) Needs to Know.” Honesty is best. Following the path of moral integrity may not put food on the table; but it will maintain your reputation as an editor of quality, which will keep the roof over your head.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Below is a mock email of a general response to a writer’s inquiry for help on their MS:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; color: black; margin-left: 33.75pt;"><tbody><tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 361.5pt;" valign="top" width="362"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">Dear Alice,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">Thank you for your interest in my editing services. I am still taking on clients and would be happy to help you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">In your initial letter, you included a brief description of your story. It sounds intriguing and interesting. Science fiction is my passion (I’ve published nine SF books so far).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">Before we proceed, I need a few things from you to ensure we are a good fit and to help me do the best I can for your project. First, can you please send me a short sample of your work (2-3 pages) and a very short summary. From this I’ll be able to confirm the kind of editing that best suits your project. For the kinds of editing/coaching services and associated fees please refer to this page on my website: xxxx. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">Can you also answer the following questions?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">(If they haven’t included the genre or a short premise, I ask them for one).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">How do you intend to publish this book (traditional, indie, self-publish)? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">Who would you say is your intended audience and market?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">Is this book a stand alone or part of a trilogy or series?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">Is the book complete (first draft or more)? If not, how much is written?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">Based on this, I will suggest the kind of editing (and coaching) required to best fit your needs. This may be one or a combination of the following: 1) an evaluation/assessment at $xx/page; 2) copy-editing (with some substantive editing) at $xx/page; or 3) story coaching at $xx/hour. As outlined on my webpage (xxxx), I provide digital commentary (line by line) in your manuscript (in Word through track changes) accompanied by a summary letter with recommendations. You can find examples of what I do on this page of my website: xxxx.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">Once I’ve determined what services best suit your work and you are in agreement with the service and fees, I will draw up a contract for you and I to sign. The contract will stipulate a reasonable schedule that you and I can agree on for the process and deliverables.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">Once the contract is signed by both of us, I would ask that you send me your material along with Paypal payment for the first half of the agreed total fee by the date marked in the contract. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">I look forward to hearing from you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">Best Wishes,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">Nina<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-57189113338377511252023-07-05T13:00:00.002-07:002023-07-05T13:00:36.845-07:00Nina Munteanu Talks About The Author's Writing Process<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYfpOtgEV2ld_kwZVT5cF1Vh01HdBKqR9e00I006x6Z_tgzdr_P1Z3PLh6isIjpasZnS3GIKcBwtE7-JmOkkkzeR3TvQ6D15HkcjA4ejCXJecg4C68w_tjgcrZq-OB7ZWrIJn8r2vxHOBxg_djaeadnerrYc01rnTDbTZDezKUxB3XWhy3qq7r8LwMXk/s2337/Road%20HayesLine%20rain%20fog%20hill%202%20Jun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1442" data-original-width="2337" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYfpOtgEV2ld_kwZVT5cF1Vh01HdBKqR9e00I006x6Z_tgzdr_P1Z3PLh6isIjpasZnS3GIKcBwtE7-JmOkkkzeR3TvQ6D15HkcjA4ejCXJecg4C68w_tjgcrZq-OB7ZWrIJn8r2vxHOBxg_djaeadnerrYc01rnTDbTZDezKUxB3XWhy3qq7r8LwMXk/w449-h276/Road%20HayesLine%20rain%20fog%20hill%202%20Jun.jpg" width="449" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white;">Issue #128 of </span><a href="https://apex-magazine.com/interviews-2/interview-with-author-nina-munteanu/" style="color: #954f72;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #1abc9c; padding: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">Apex Magazine</span></b></a><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">featured an interview that Rebecca E. Treasure did with me. We discussed the power of story, the use of dystopian narrative, and the blur between fiction and non-fiction to create meaningful eco-fiction. Below we talk about the writing process I use for my stories these days. For the complete interview go </span><a href="https://apex-magazine.com/interviews-2/interview-with-author-nina-munteanu/" style="color: #954f72;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #1abc9c; padding: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">here</span></b></a><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444;">:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;">AM:</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"> <i>The language in your stories is richly thematic, using strong description to weave the subtext into the piece. For example, “killing two squirrels with one stone.” Is that something that comes about organically as you compose a piece, or a more intentional part of editing?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Calibri; padding: 0cm;">NM:</span></strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> I use both processes to achieve a final narrative that is multi-layered with metaphor, symbols, and deep meaning. The first process is through intuition derived through intimacy; the second process is more deliberate and generated through objectivity. Insights from intimacy come about organically, during moments of true inspiration, when my muse connects me to the deeper truth of a character’s voice and actions. Given that the inner story runs many layers (some of which I, as writer, may not even be overtly aware) and links in a fractal relationship with the outer story, those moments of inner inspiration happen as if of their own accord. That’s what writers mean when they admit that their characters “talk” to them and instruct them on what to write. When a writer achieves that level of intimacy and understanding, they can let the muse guide them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 20.4pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Much of the description that is woven into story is generated through the editing process when I read the manuscript as a reader. The process involves letting the story sit for a while so when I return to it, I am reading more objectively. During this process, I apply my knowledge in storytelling craft to showcase combustible moments in plot, and work in foreshadowing, subtext, and compelling metaphor. A writer can’t add metaphor without context related to story theme (otherwise this may result in what the industry calls “purple prose”). Metaphor—given its roots in the deeper psyche of a culture—must arise organically from a deep, sometimes intuitive, understanding—where the personal meets the universal. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 20.4pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">For the entire interview, go to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="https://apex-magazine.com/interviews-2/interview-with-author-nina-munteanu/" style="color: #954f72;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #1abc9c; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; padding: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">Apex Magazine, December 10, 2021</span></b></a><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 20.4pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-69377079017212940872023-05-30T16:33:00.007-07:002023-06-12T08:40:51.545-07:00The Writer-Editor Relationship, Part 1: Five Things Writers Should Look for in an Editor<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRF9N5qbnQoKESWUGyiMmWgedgrYE1DXrS8-4GOfmtgRd2AOcbZpwXQ7hgm3tbMW-BiTX2cuRqnfcvR6EzsH7vT0E4T9zynzZtlynNKyrLt2s6NKbI4L8yRRPhYPFnrMkhEvOC5YfTKPp1flD4w4xkYDeK8u8t0C3tGm9vgd2bmSX94WIpBWi6p3N/s3926/Virginia%20Bl%20Wal%20rain%202%20f8%20May%20FW%20PAINT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2620" data-original-width="3926" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRF9N5qbnQoKESWUGyiMmWgedgrYE1DXrS8-4GOfmtgRd2AOcbZpwXQ7hgm3tbMW-BiTX2cuRqnfcvR6EzsH7vT0E4T9zynzZtlynNKyrLt2s6NKbI4L8yRRPhYPFnrMkhEvOC5YfTKPp1flD4w4xkYDeK8u8t0C3tGm9vgd2bmSX94WIpBWi6p3N/w435-h291/Virginia%20Bl%20Wal%20rain%202%20f8%20May%20FW%20PAINT.jpg" width="435" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As indie publishing soars into new heights and successes, writers are looking more and more to freelance editors to help them create works of merit that will stand out in the market. Whether this process is seamless and productive or fraught with difficulties relies on the relationship established between editor and writer--at the outset and throughout.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The writer-editor relationship—like any relationship—works best when communication between parties is transparent and clear. What ultimately drives misunderstanding—or its corollary, harmony—is “expectation” and how it is met. Clarifying expectations on both sides is paramount to creating a professional and productive relationship with few hitches. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Clarity of expectation, honesty, and mutual respect are key features in a productive and successful writer-editor relationship. Writers expect editors to inform them if their expectations are out of line, and writers rely on editors’ honesty and transparency to let them know if they are comfortable with the task being asked of them. This, of course, is predicated on the editor’s full understanding of what that task is; again, it is the responsibility of the editor to determine the scope of work from the author—just as a doctor will ask key questions to diagnose a patient. If an editor has reservations, caveats, or limitations with the project, these should be shared upfront. Honesty is always best, and it should start right from the beginning so that mutual respect is cemented.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Below, I list five things that writers should look for and expect from a good editor. Each of these five items can be determined at the outset, when you and your potential editor first meet. Consider that first meeting as an interview for both of you, to determine if you are a good match.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">1. The editor will preserve the writer’s voice through open and respectful dialogue: </span></b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Losing your <i>voice </i>to the “hackings of an editor” is perhaps a beginner writer’s greatest fear. This makes sense, given that a novice writer’s voice is still in its infancy; it is tentative, evolving, and striving for an identity. While a professional editor is not likely to “hack,” the fear may remain well-founded.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">A novice’s voice is often tangled and enmeshed in a chaos of poor narrative style, grammatical errors, and a general misunderstanding of the English language. Editors trying to improve a novice writer’s narrative flow without interfering with voice are faced with a challenge. Teasing out the nuances of creative intent amid the turbulent flow of awkward and obscure expression requires finesse—and consideration. Good editors recognize that every writer has a voice, no matter how weak or ill-formed, and that voice is the culmination of a writer’s culture, beliefs, and experiences. Editing to preserve a writer’s voice—particularly when it is weak and not fully formed—needs a “soft touch” that invites more back-and-forth than usual, uses more coaching-style language, and relies on good feedback.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">An editor colleague of mine consistently accompanies her edits with the question, “Does this change preserve your meaning?” This prompt both focuses on “voice” and reminds the writer that the editor is considering it, which fosters a nurturing environment of mutual respect. Editors who are not familiar with working with writers in the early stage of their careers may wish to defer to one who is more experienced. This is something you should ask when you first find an editor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Editors also need to consider how the author’s <i>narrative voice </i>harmonizes with the standard in the author’s targeted genre and niche market. Pursuing respectful and open dialogue about how the author’s voice fits or doesn’t fit that standard is another responsibility of a good editor and one an author will come to rely on—particularly early on in their career.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">2. The editor understands—and embraces—the market and genre of your writer: </span></b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Writers are often told to write what they know. This edict applies equally to editors: edit what you “know” and understand. Each form of writing—from literary and genre fiction to journalism, the memoir, and technical writing—encompasses an overall style, culture and vision, associated language, and even “jargon” that is important to understand to succeed with readers. Even writers who subvert the trope need to first understand what they are subverting, and so does the editor.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">I write and edit science fiction and fantasy. I do it very well, because I have a passion for the genre and I intimately understand its world and language, including where the boundaries lie and where the risks—and sublime nuances of originality—also lie. I worked as a scientist for over 20 years and have published papers in peer-reviewed journals, so I am comfortable editing technical and scientific papers. I live that world. On the other hand, I do not read, nor do I understand or care for, the horror fiction genre. Not only would I do a lousy job editing a work of horror, but I wouldn’t provide the discerning editorial advice to best place that work in the horror market. It is in the area of market niche that one editor will shine over another based on their familiarity with, and current activity in, that industry sector. This is ultimately what writers are paying for: the multi-layered understanding of the editor that comes with a full embrace of that world.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Your potential editor should ensure a good fit and the best chance for success by not taking on work in a genre with which they are neither familiar nor comfortable. Which leads me to the next point:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">3. The editor is honest and practices moral integrity: they don’t take on a writer’s work unless they like and believe in it: </span></b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">When I was starting out as a writer with my first novel, I shopped it around to many agents, hoping for representation. While the book was eventually published with great success, many agents had rejected it. Literary agents take on clients and shop their books to publishing houses. They usually charge a percentage of the take and are not paid (if they are good agents) until the book is sold to a publishing house. Payment, therefore, is predicated on success. In many cases, an agent would respond with good things to say about my first manuscript but would not take it on, citing this common phrase: “It just didn’t excite me enough.” I was initially puzzled by this response. If they liked it, why didn’t they take it on? But “I like” isn’t the same as “I’m excited.” I soon realized the importance that excitement played in the agent’s business. They were my advocate, after all. If they weren’t eager about the book, how could they sell it to someone else? And if they couldn’t sell it to someone else, how could they get paid?<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">While the editor is usually paid up front and/or upon deliverable, they fulfill a similar role: that of advocate. If an editor takes on a writer’s work without enjoying it or believing in it, they are much less likely to do a good job. And both lose when that happens.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">When we just do a job for the money and not for the passion of doing something well, we run the risk of losing on all fronts. We run the risk of being dishonest in our assessments and then doing a shabby job. And then losing our reputation. Editors need to be an advocate and be honest; sometimes, that means saying “no” to a project and explaining why. As a writer, you are entitled to working with an editor who enjoys your work.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">4. Editor edits professionally and appropriately to promised deliverable: </span></b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">In my capacity as writing coach, I have met with several writers who have complained that their work had been insufficiently or inappropriately edited. This can occur for several reasons: (a) lack of time; (b) incompetence; or (c) inappropriate match-up.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 37pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -19pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(a)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Lack of time<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 37pt;"><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">As a writer, I once experienced an insufficient copy edit by a freelance professional editor. In fact, this particular editor was a good editor and had impeccably edited a previous work of mine. When I submitted my “edited” work to a beta reader, he pointed out many places that my copy editor had missed. A few is OK, but she’d missed many. From subsequent correspondence, I deduced that my editor had been overrun with other projects and had skimmed mine a little too fast. Unfortunately, this was unacceptable, given that I’d agreed to pay her a professional rate for a specific deliverable: a copy-edited, proofed, and publication-ready manuscript.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">The ultimate message here for editors is, don’t take on a writer’s work and make promises of delivering until you know what you’re getting into and know that you can do it in the time you suggested. Honesty is best here. If an editor is too busy to meet the specified deadline, they need to say so and refer the writer to another respected editor if they can’t wait. A smart editor knows they aren’t “losing” the client. But that editor I mentioned in the previous paragraph did. It’s best to create a contract with the editor that is mutually beneficial, transparent, and detailed with reasonably scheduled updates, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 37pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -19pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(b)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Incompetence<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 37pt;"><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Unfortunately, most editors who are incompetent are unaware of it. One of my professional writer-editor colleagues at SF Canada invoked the Dunning-Kruger Effect (“at a certain point, people who really don’t know something don’t know that they don’t know it”) to share her story of what passes for editorial input in “an age of homonym errors.” She suggested that some self-appointed editors are convinced they have significant skills but allow a large error rate.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">This is where organizations like Editors Canada become invaluable. Editors Canada certifies editors for skills in various editing fields and forms (that is, structural-, stylistic-, and copy editing and proofreading). Professional editors can be variously certified, and should ensure that they make this known to the writer; many writers not only don’t understand the various editing forms (for example, copy editing vs. structural editing), they also don’t necessarily recognize competence until after the job is done—when it’s too late. You, the writer, are entitled to ask your editor for references, testimonials, certifications and other forms of proven experience before signing on with them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 37pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -19pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(c)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Inappropriate match-up<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 37pt;"><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">This is similar to point 2, which talks about matching writer and editor through genre and market. A good fit also includes temperament, schedules, communication style, and other considerations that will affect the editor-writer relationship and the natural progress of the project. As editor, I have encountered a few clients whose communications with me created tension and misunderstanding. We mutually agreed to terminate our arrangement early on, which saved much tension and grief. The transparency of the relationship allowed us to recognize the mismatch early on and attend to it before it became problematic and wasted both our time and efforts. You can prevent this to some degree by researching the editor’s style and experience with other writers. Many editors—like me—put their testimonials, experience, and even editing examples on their website. Another way to achieve match-up success is to get a referral from a trusted writer friend. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">5. The editor keeps the relationship—and language—professional and respectful: </span></b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Without necessarily expressing this, the majority of writers—particularly beginning writers and, by default, indie/self-published writers—seek a professional editor who will treat them with respect. What this translates into is the use of professional language, tone, and behaviour. You aren’t looking for an editor to be your “friend.” You are also not looking for a professional editor to validate your work or you as a person. As a writer, you seek a professional editor to give you honest and helpful advice that will help you create the very best work you can for eventual publication.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Simple. Not so simple.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">As an editor who is also a writer (who gets edited a lot), I provide rationale as much as I can for the suggestions I make to writers and I do it through professional language, tone and behaviour. I am friendly but I keep it professional. This helps establish and maintain a respectful and collaborative relationship between author and editor. Think of it as a doctor-patient relationship; I’ve dropped doctors like hot potatoes who are not willing to sit with me as an equal and discuss their prognoses. I want to know <i>why</i>, and ultimately, it’s <i>my </i>decision. The editor is an expert, but so is the writer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">In the final analysis, the writer-editor relationship is foremost a professional one. As an editor, I feel it is my duty to promote integrity and respect with the writer, and this hopefully within a safe and nurturing environment for the achievement of mutual excellence. As a writer, I expect my editor to be respectful and act as advocate to my work. I offer my respect on their expertise with communication. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">I’ve been edited by many editors, including freelance editors with Editors Canada to publishing house editors throughout North America and beyond. A good editor is like gold in your pocket. They can help you improve your work beyond your own imaginings. In the end, every decision remains yours. While I normally take most of my editor’s advice (usually 95% of the time), I often find the odd place where their suggestion does not fit the heart of my writing. Then I simply say “no.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1YGmqzhb8jPF0t10zyDBhsscYwcH4_1wRWEACGRyEeUGcqqLOkZ9Rtx_EeIfllZv-0yXHJNXO6CBXNZemwd38kwxPulBRx_qOfEGn20KSKvpzlGsX2CAYbYlvV41h0yzzmp5BwaviQi7-na8VvLrrmr2-HAM1tHp4EvzNxna_fI1gsCFGksWhEkX/s300/Nina-Munteanu-A%20Diary%20in%20the%20Age%20of%20Water%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="300" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1YGmqzhb8jPF0t10zyDBhsscYwcH4_1wRWEACGRyEeUGcqqLOkZ9Rtx_EeIfllZv-0yXHJNXO6CBXNZemwd38kwxPulBRx_qOfEGn20KSKvpzlGsX2CAYbYlvV41h0yzzmp5BwaviQi7-na8VvLrrmr2-HAM1tHp4EvzNxna_fI1gsCFGksWhEkX/w418-h273/Nina-Munteanu-A%20Diary%20in%20the%20Age%20of%20Water%20copy.jpg" width="418" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><p></p><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span face="Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br /><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px;"><span lang="EN-CA"></span></p><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span face="Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="border: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nina Munteanu</span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Visit </span><a href="http://www.ninamunteanu.ca/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">www.ninamunteanu.ca</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> for the latest on her books. Nina’s bilingual “</span><a href="http://www.ibs.it/code/9788899423490/munteanu-nina/natura-dell-acqua.html" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">” was published by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Mincione Edizioni</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> in Rome. Her non-fiction book “</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Water-Nina-Munteanu/dp/0981101240/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Water Is…</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">” by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Pixl Press</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">(Vancouver) was selected by Margaret Atwood in the </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">New York Times</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Water Canada</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">. Her novel “<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-diary-in-the-age/9781771337373-item.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">A Diary in the Age of Water</a>” </span>was released by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Inanna Publications </span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">(Toronto) in June 2020.</span></span></span></span></span></div><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-30438734689646833232023-04-05T21:01:00.016-07:002023-04-05T21:03:26.352-07:00Apex Magazine Interviews Nina Munteanu About Story, Ecology, and the Future<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunhPbBpV4K_jA3N7kyqwa7gvfBN_tC-GzjS5mOawPBuC7ZTH32eOHqEjeayEmAsEQrxbKMBC3MERjMUfbSrCRxfNHO_rB16Jg8rcYmLXWe2OdV1f63H3Zs3K4nmIQ6drn1uAYz4w0sWVDb3b0c6oZp06hNJ-Lr1U0PHN0cphPUmyO-mTrN9_GhpXb/s3916/Fence%20drowned%20fog%20snow%202%20Mar%20CR%20Pb%20wide%20DRYBR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1956" data-original-width="3916" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunhPbBpV4K_jA3N7kyqwa7gvfBN_tC-GzjS5mOawPBuC7ZTH32eOHqEjeayEmAsEQrxbKMBC3MERjMUfbSrCRxfNHO_rB16Jg8rcYmLXWe2OdV1f63H3Zs3K4nmIQ6drn1uAYz4w0sWVDb3b0c6oZp06hNJ-Lr1U0PHN0cphPUmyO-mTrN9_GhpXb/w511-h256/Fence%20drowned%20fog%20snow%202%20Mar%20CR%20Pb%20wide%20DRYBR.jpg" width="511" /></a></div><br /><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">Issue #128 of</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"> </span><a href="https://apex-magazine.com/interviews-2/interview-with-author-nina-munteanu/" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Apex Magazine</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">featured an interview that Rebecca E. Treasure did with me, posted on December 10, 2021 on their site. We discussed the power of story, the use of dystopian narrative, and the blur between fiction and non-fiction to create meaningful eco-fiction. Here’s part of the interview. For the complete interview go</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"> </span><a href="https://apex-magazine.com/interviews-2/interview-with-author-nina-munteanu/" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">:</span></p><p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--large) !important; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 36px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">INTERVIEW</span></p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nina Munteanu, author of “Robin’s Last Song,” is a prolific creator with multiple books, podcasts, short stories, and nonfiction essays in publication. Her work spans genre, from <a href="https://www.inanna.ca/product/a-diary-in-the-age-of-water/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">eco-fiction</a> to <a href="https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/193865899X?fc=us&ds=1&ac=apexsciencfic-20" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">historical fantasy</a> to <a href="https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07B8WK621?fc=us&ds=1&ac=apexsciencfic-20" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">thrillers</a>, and of course, science fiction. Her work as an ecologist informs all of her writing, which circles around an essential exploration; the relationship between humanity and our environment.</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> At the top of Nina Munteanu’s website, there is a quote: “I live to write, I write to live.” This sentiment is reflected in her fiction, which is not just about characters in compelling situations solving their problems with compassion, but is about all of us, our planet, our environment, and our future.</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nina Munteanu sat down with Apex for a conversation about story, ecology, and the future.</p><p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">∞</span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">APEX MAGAZINE:</span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span>Your novels and short stories examine the role and evolution of humanity in the context of nature and technology. As an ecologist, what do you believe needs to happen—internationally, nationally, locally, and personally—to restore our planet and move forward in a sustainable way?</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">NINA MUNTEANU:</span> All things animate and inanimate naturally oscillate toward equilibrium or balance in a kind of stable chaos of polarities. Goethe and Hegel told us this long ago. Our actions have exacerbated this oscillation through massive extraction, habitat destruction, and pollution with associated conflicts, take-over and subjugation. Everything is connected and all have contributed to climate change and habitat change. Our mission—given that we’re responsible for much of that imbalance—is to help the planet return itself to balance. That means ensuring that Nature’s natural checks can do their job to ensure functional forests and phytoplankton, a healthy ocean, a resilient biodiversity—all systems that we rely on for our own healthy existence. Restoring our denuded global forests, and the oceans will need the concerted and united efforts of all nations and individuals. We have the knowledge, the science, and technology; all that is needed is the will. And that can only change as our own narrative changes. That’s where storytelling plays a key part. Surveys have proven that fiction can be deeply persuasive through character journey that convinces at a deeper more emotional level (as opposed to a litany of facts that appeals only at an intellectual level).</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AM:</span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span>Do you believe industry and sustainability are compatible? What about colonialism and sustainability? Capitalism? In other words, is sustainability something we can achieve with our current systems, or is global systemic change required?</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">NM:</span> Some people—mostly economists—would say definitely yes to the first question; we just need to be conservationist in our approach to doing business. But the very basis of capitalism is exploitation, not conservation. The driving force behind capitalism is fear and uncertainty and its main process is exploitation. From an ecologist’s perspective, this makes sense for a community during its early succession and growth stage … when it first colonizes a new area. Ecologists call this approach r-selected (for rate), based on the need to be profligate and fast-growing to successfully establish. But as we reach a climax community and our carrying capacity—where we are now—this r-selected approach no longer works. We need an economic model that better matches this new paradigm. NOT based on continued growth! A climax global economy, one based on cooperation not competition. Elisabet Sahtouris calls this ecological economy “ecosophy.” In his book <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Designing Regenerative Cultures,</span> Daniel Christian Wahl talks about changing our evolutionary narrative from one based on fear defined by a perception of scarcity, competition, and separation to one based on love defined by a perception of abundance, a sense of belonging, collaboration, and inclusion. He promotes a regenerative economy based on true reciprocation.</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And moving forward we can take a lesson from Robin Wall Kimmerer who promotes a gift economy—an economy of abundance—whose basis lies in recognizing the value of kindness, sharing, and gratitude in an impermanent world. This is what she says: “Climate change is a product of [our] extractive economy and is forcing us to confront the inevitable outcome of our consumptive lifestyle, genuine scarcity for which the market has no remedy. Indigenous story traditions are full of these cautionary teachings. When the gift is dishonored, the outcome is always material as well as spiritual. Disrespect the water and the springs dry up. Waste the corn and the garden grows barren. Regenerative economies which cherish and reciprocate the gift are the only path forward. To replenish the possibility of mutual flourishing, for birds and berries and people, we need an economy that shares the gifts of the Earth, following the lead of our oldest teachers, the plants.”</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AM:</span> The language in your stories is richly thematic, using strong description to weave the subtext into the piece. For example, “killing two squirrels with one stone.” Is that something that comes about organically as you compose a piece, or a more intentional part of editing?</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">NM:</span> I use both processes to achieve a final narrative that is multi-layered with metaphor, symbols, and deep meaning. The first process is through intuition derived through intimacy; the second process is more deliberate and generated through objectivity. Insights from intimacy come about organically, during moments of true inspiration, when my muse connects me to the deeper truth of a character’s voice and actions. Given that the inner story runs many layers (some of which I, as writer, may not even be overtly aware) and links in a fractal relationship with the outer story, those moments of inner inspiration happen as if of their own accord. That’s what writers mean when they admit that their characters “talk” to them and instruct them on what to write. When a writer achieves that level of intimacy and understanding, they can let the muse guide them.</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Much of the description that is woven into story is generated through the editing process when I read the manuscript as a reader. The process involves letting the story sit for a while so when I return to it, I am reading more objectively. During this process, I apply my knowledge in storytelling craft to showcase combustible moments in plot, and work in foreshadowing, subtext, and compelling metaphor. A writer can’t add metaphor without context related to story theme (otherwise this may result in what the industry calls “purple prose”). Metaphor—given its roots in the deeper psyche of a culture—must arise organically from a deep, sometimes intuitive, understanding—where the personal meets the universal. </p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AM:</span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span>Your work takes complex topics that are nonetheless critical to humanity’s future and pulls stories with compelling characters out of them, making the science accessible, the warnings personal to the reader. This has always been one of the callings of science fiction. What is the role of stories in the climate action movement?</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">NM:</span> Our capacity and need to tell stories is as old as our ancient beginnings. From the Paleolithic cave paintings of Lascaux to our blogs on the internet, humanity has always shared story. Story is powerful in how it helps us define who we are, what’s important to us, and where we are going. Stories compel with intrigue, stir our emotions, connect with our souls through symbols, archetypes and metaphor. Stories inspire action. We live by the stories we tell.</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For too long, our stories have promoted a dominant worldview of exploitation and capitalism. We’ve been telling the patriarchal story of “othering” for too long; we need a new voice and a new worldview to replace our old stories of conquering and taming a “savage land” and “savage people.” When Copernicus proclaimed in 1543 that the sun did not revolve around the Earth, it took a long time for the world to accept and let go of its Ptolemaic Earth-centered view. But the world did come around eventually to the point now that this is common knowledge and lies embedded in our daily lives and language.</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Storytelling about how the Earth takes care of us and how we can take care of Earth is urgently needed. This means shifting our stories from an exploitive capitalist narrative of separation toward an inclusive partnership narrative. This means embracing a more eco-centric worldview; a worldview in which humanity is not central, but lies embedded within greater planetary forces and phenomena. A worldview that sees humanity only as part of a greater entity, as participant in a greater existential celebration of life and the elements. A humanity that must learn to play along, not bully and take over. A humanity that must embrace compassion, respect and kindness; a humanity directed by humility—not hubris. It is my firm belief that until our worldview embraces humility in partnership with the natural world—until we cast off our self-serving, neo-liberal, capitalist ideologies—we will remain hampered in our journey forward. When we change our stories, we change our lives and we change the world along with it.</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This is already happening with the emergence of a strong eco-voice by writers through the feminine voice, the gylanic voice, the voice of the marginalized, of ecology and the environment itself. Authors such as Barbara Kingsolver, Annie Proulx, Margaret Atwood, Richard Powers, Emmi Itäranta Cherie Demaline, Grace Dillon, and Cormac McCarthy give Nature a face and voice to care about. And caring is the first step.</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AM:</span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span>Your stories also bridge fiction with nonfiction, using speculative fiction as a lens to bring your subject into focus for the reader. How does that work? Why do you approach story in this way?</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">NM:</span> Marcie McCauley with <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Temz Review</span> observed that, “[Munteanu] does not appear to view fiction and non-fiction as separate territories; or, if she does, then this book [<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Diary in the Age of Water</span>] is a bridge between them.” In <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Herizons</span>, Ursula Pflug called the book “a bit of a hybrid, and Munteanu a risk-taker.” <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Buried in Print </span>wrote of the same book, “ultimately it exists in an in-between place, some mystical elements of the generational tale possibly alienating the dedicated science-y readers and the instructional elements possibly alienating fiction devotees. And, yet, I read on: strangely compelling.”</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I find that I enjoy this in-between place that blurs fiction with nonfiction. It’s more edgy, gripping, and believable, albeit fantastical, even playfully challenging at times. For instance, I may subvert facts, creating semi-facts to tease the discerning reader (e.g. when the diarist in “A Diary in the Age of Water” observed that President Trump had gone blind from staring at the sun during an eclipse; while Trump did stare directly at the sun without eye protection during an eclipse in 2017, he did not go blind—yet). Readers have told me that the story was more impactful; they honestly didn’t know what was taken from fact and what was fictionalized. Such narrative reads like a true story and there is little more tantalizing than eavesdropping on another’s real experience and intrigue. The risk—that the blur will either confuse the reader or invalidate its truths and message—is hopefully addressed through compelling narrative that engages the reader. But this is also why I tend to include an extensive bibliography at the end of a novel or short story.</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Readers have told me that my fiction/nonfiction storytelling trope, like “mundane science fiction,” grips my stories with a more keen sense of relevance. Given that I am writing mostly climate fiction and eco-fiction these days, that sense of relevance is exactly what I wish to achieve. </p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AM:</span> A last question. Both “The Way of Water” and “Robin’s Last Song” showcase the relationships women have with each other, the importance of human connection, the damage that disconnecting from each other can do and, inversely, the power of connection. In your view, what is the role of individuals and local communities in the climate crisis?</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">NM:</span> There are many things we can do as individuals and as part of a community. I was recently asked this question by the <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Toronto Star</span> and I responded with three things:</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">● First, plant a tree; make an actual difference through action. By doing that, we get out from hiding under the bed and face the monster of climate change and show that we care and that we are not alone.</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">● Second, vote for green politicians. Politicians need to hear directly from their communities. They need you to push them to act on climate change.</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">● Third, find your tribe and create a movement. Everyone says that people have the power, but that power comes best through numbers and solidarity. Find your tribe and you’ll find yourself more motivated. So, start with you and your home: plant trees; put in a rain garden; put in permeable driveways and solar panels; lower meat intake, especially beef; don’t buy bottled water. Then connect with your physical community and social media community. Let them know what you’re doing and why. Work with your community. All members of a community can help change how your street looks and behaves by communicating with your local government, attending meetings, and having a voice. Initiate a tree-planting program in your parks and street greens. Do stream or lake cleanups. Let the leaders of your community know you care and are willing to do something about it. The wave of change starts local and ripples out into a global phenomenon. Change comes from the heart and heart is where the home is.</p><p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">∞</span></p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For the entire interview, go to <a href="https://apex-magazine.com/interviews-2/interview-with-author-nina-munteanu/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Apex Magazine, December 10, 2021</a>.</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://apex-magazine.com/author/rebecca-schibler/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></a></p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><a href="https://themeaningofwater.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/truck-foggy-lakefield-river-road-mar-or-paint-copy-2.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-10924" data-attachment-id="10924" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"5.6","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1647702313","copyright":"","focal_length":"18","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Truck foggy Lakefield river road Mar OR PAINT copy 2" data-large-file="https://themeaningofwater.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/truck-foggy-lakefield-river-road-mar-or-paint-copy-2.jpg?w=640" data-medium-file="https://themeaningofwater.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/truck-foggy-lakefield-river-road-mar-or-paint-copy-2.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://themeaningofwater.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/truck-foggy-lakefield-river-road-mar-or-paint-copy-2.jpg" data-orig-size="2070,993" data-permalink="https://themeaningofwater.com/2023/01/08/apex-magazine-interviews-nina-munteanu-about-stories-ecology-and-the-future/truck-foggy-lakefield-river-road-mar-or-paint-copy-2/" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" src="https://themeaningofwater.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/truck-foggy-lakefield-river-road-mar-or-paint-copy-2.jpg?w=1024" srcset="https://themeaningofwater.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/truck-foggy-lakefield-river-road-mar-or-paint-copy-2.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://themeaningofwater.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/truck-foggy-lakefield-river-road-mar-or-paint-copy-2.jpg?w=2048 2048w, https://themeaningofwater.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/truck-foggy-lakefield-river-road-mar-or-paint-copy-2.jpg?w=150 150w, https://themeaningofwater.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/truck-foggy-lakefield-river-road-mar-or-paint-copy-2.jpg?w=300 300w, https://themeaningofwater.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/truck-foggy-lakefield-river-road-mar-or-paint-copy-2.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption" style="caption-side: bottom; display: table-caption; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Road along Otonabee River on a foggy winter morning, ON (photo and rendition by Nina Munteanu)</span></figcaption></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://apex-magazine.com/author/rebecca-schibler/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rebecca E. Treasure</a> grew up reading science fiction and fantasy in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. After grad school, she began writing fiction. Rebecca has lived many places, including the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Tokyo, Japan. She currently resides in Texas Hill Country with her husband, where she juggles two children, two corgis, a violin studio, and writing. She only drops the children occasionally. To read more visit <a href="https://www.rebeccaetreasure.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">www.rebeccaetreasure.com</a>.</p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-48637396660511364312023-02-09T19:45:00.000-08:002023-02-09T19:45:07.215-08:00Eco Fiction that Makes you Care and Gives you Hope<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYavY1U0oruGonWstRTMVZ5wv44T-LbAEUfrQjCdA-17FEMucAYwNN0ql4KFqlLygqrexTKq_9DG3NSKYARq7qR6uo3XTRNWvqVT3mmm7Y7GyjqrLlRDZbfWF8KUXgPULcVFbwgtSZBCtC2ZhJO5GKjPxd_Vizf0zRTom7bYpi4TqShIOBEV6mStF/s1200/Hopeful%20Ecofiction%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1200" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYavY1U0oruGonWstRTMVZ5wv44T-LbAEUfrQjCdA-17FEMucAYwNN0ql4KFqlLygqrexTKq_9DG3NSKYARq7qR6uo3XTRNWvqVT3mmm7Y7GyjqrLlRDZbfWF8KUXgPULcVFbwgtSZBCtC2ZhJO5GKjPxd_Vizf0zRTom7bYpi4TqShIOBEV6mStF/w480-h243/Hopeful%20Ecofiction%20.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /> The environment and how we treat it has always been important to me since I was a child. My passion for storytelling morphed into writing, but the underlying park came through environmental activism. I got a university degree in aquatic ecology, published numerous papers, and now write eco-fiction that is grounded in accurate science with a focus on human ingenuity and compassion. The most meaningful and satisfying eco-fiction is ultimately optimistic literature that explores serious issues with heroic triumph. Each of these favourites intimately connects human to environment. Each moved me to cry, think, and deeply care.<p></p><p>Check out what I say about each choice here: https://shepherd.com/best-books/eco-fiction-that-make-you-care-and-give-you-hope </p><p><br /></p><p><span style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nina Munteanu</span></span><span style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Visit </span><a href="http://www.ninamunteanu.ca/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">www.ninamunteanu.ca</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> for the latest on her books. Nina’s bilingual “</span><a href="http://www.ibs.it/code/9788899423490/munteanu-nina/natura-dell-acqua.html" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">” was published by </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Mincione Edizioni</span><span style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> in Rome. Her non-fiction book “</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Water-Nina-Munteanu/dp/0981101240/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Water Is…</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">” by </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Pixl Press</span><span style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">(Vancouver) was selected by Margaret Atwood in the </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">New York Times</span><span style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"> ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Water Canada</span><span style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">. Her novel “<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-diary-in-the-age/9781771337373-item.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">A Diary in the Age of Water</a>” </span>was released by </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Inanna Publications </span><span style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;">(Toronto) in June 2020.</span></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-84566412117260058462022-11-21T16:56:00.010-08:002024-02-06T12:45:49.682-08:00 Nine Eco Fiction Novels Worth Reading and Discussing<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9b52Ai0p0DSvviHnABVYs-glDpKTUWFQO9bsmlihIp33puuglpoeXxML91fAdOR7KXm84DuFv6SAYXbZSjNzwWkOnXXiWgPgnwPW1GwZZhjlpRC0llEzLFNbk__Uij9yQLzQgAkAhSYcwFV9ifCfCvDtZmNWS6BDsd9afxX_0kaWNYzTRel0R9Y4f/s1077/18%20ECOFICTION%20BOOKS%20TO%20READ%202020%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="1077" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9b52Ai0p0DSvviHnABVYs-glDpKTUWFQO9bsmlihIp33puuglpoeXxML91fAdOR7KXm84DuFv6SAYXbZSjNzwWkOnXXiWgPgnwPW1GwZZhjlpRC0llEzLFNbk__Uij9yQLzQgAkAhSYcwFV9ifCfCvDtZmNWS6BDsd9afxX_0kaWNYzTRel0R9Y4f/w400-h191/18%20ECOFICTION%20BOOKS%20TO%20READ%202020%20copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;">In most fiction, environment plays a passive role that lies embedded in stability and an unchanging status quo. </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">From Adam Smith’s 18<sup>th</sup>Century economic vision to the conceit of bankers who drove the 2008 American housing bubble, humanity has consistently espoused the myth of a constant natural world capable of absorbing infinite abuse without oscillation. This thinking is the ideological manifestation of Holocene stability, remnants from 11,000 years of small variability in temperature and carbon dioxide levels. This stability easily gives rise to deep-seated habits and ideas about the resilience of the natural world. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">But this is changing. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Our world is changing. We currently live in a world in which climate change poses a very real existential threat to most life currently on the planet. The new normal is change. And it is within this changing climate that eco-fiction is realizing itself as a literary pursuit worth engaging in.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;">Eco-Fiction (short for ecological fiction) is a kind of fiction in which the environment—or one aspect of the environment—plays a major role, either as premise or as character. Our part in environmental destruction is often embedded in eco-fiction themes, particularly if they are dystopian or cautionary (which they often are). </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the heart of eco-fiction are strong relationships forged between a major character and an aspect of their environment. The environmental aspect may serve as a symbolic connection to theme and can illuminate through the sub-text of metaphor a core aspect of the main character and their journey: the grounding nature<i></i>of the land of Tara for Scarlet O’Hara in Margaret Mitchell’s <i>Gone With the Wind</i>; the over-exploited sacred white pine forests for the lost Mi’kmaq in Annie Proulx’s <i>Barkskins</i>; the mystical life-giving sandworms for the beleaguered Fremen of Arrakis in Frank Herbert’s <i>Dune.</i></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="p1" style="font-family: Palatino; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 7.2pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;">Many readers are seeking fiction that addresses environmental issues but explores a successful paradigm shift: fiction that accurately addresses our current issues with intelligence and hope. The power of envisioning a certain future is that the vision enables one to see it as possible. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> “</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #191919; font-family: Calibri;">the best part about writing science fiction,” writes Ottawa SF author Marie Bilodeau, “is showing different ways of being without having your characters struggle to gain rights. Invented worlds can host a social landscape where debated rights in this world – such as gay marriage, abortion and euthanasia – are just a fact of life." The emerging sub-genre of ‘mundane science fiction’ addresses Bilodeau’s argument by featuring worlds and people within a new paradigm of ‘ordinary’. Eco-fiction examples of ‘mundane’ include Paolo Bacigalupi’s <i>The Windup Girl</i>and Kim Stanley Robinson’s post-climate-change drowned <i>New York 2140</i>. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="p1" style="font-family: Palatino; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 7.2pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;">In fact, eco-fiction has been with us for decades—it just hasn’t been overtly recognized as a literary phenomenon until recently and particularly in light of mainstream concern with climate change (hence the recently adopted terms ‘climate fiction’, ‘cli-fi’, and ‘eco-punk’, all of which are eco-fiction). Strong environmental themes and/or eco-fiction characters populate all genres of fiction from the literary fiction of Richard Powers to the speculative fiction of Margaret Atwood and the science fiction of Frank Herbert. This establishes eco-fiction as a cross-genre phenomenon of literature better described as a focus or treatment than a sub-genre or brand, <i>per se</i>. My thought on the emergence of the term eco-fiction to describe works is that we are all awakening—novelists and readers of novels—to our changing environment. We are finally ready to see and portray environment as an interesting character with agency.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;">The ten examples I list below of impactful, highly enjoyable works of eco-fiction represent a range of genre, writing style, topic and treatment. Some are optimistic; others are not or have ambiguous endings that require interpretation. The relationship of humanity to environment also differs greatly among these examples as does the role of science. What they all have in common is that they are worth reading and discussing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdikAr6RRH9oiI4l0A-0I6IgCRvEpMFRjnhDGLavMP6YrNToVzxOgIoLYTzVXtSalJZj1oq3AO25O_9a6QJPxi9Z4ORmQ6Uwz1_h5YAvxPrMhTtxldPEyHOKevhxNo69r_pIfSdtuhfezVkHjC1wZrsA3CETxPDngqc3sggbH1BaJONENvYSKfhUv/s499/Flight%20Behavior%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdikAr6RRH9oiI4l0A-0I6IgCRvEpMFRjnhDGLavMP6YrNToVzxOgIoLYTzVXtSalJZj1oq3AO25O_9a6QJPxi9Z4ORmQ6Uwz1_h5YAvxPrMhTtxldPEyHOKevhxNo69r_pIfSdtuhfezVkHjC1wZrsA3CETxPDngqc3sggbH1BaJONENvYSKfhUv/s320/Flight%20Behavior%20cover.jpg" width="214" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br />Flight Behavior </i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>by Barbara Kingsolver </b>(<i>HarperCollins</i>, 2012) <b></b>is a literary fiction, whose</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri;">premise of climate change and its effect on the monarch butterfly migration is told through the eyes of Dellarobia Turnbow, a rural housewife, who yearns for meaning in her life. It starts with her scrambling up the forested mountain—slated to be clear cut—behind her eastern Tennessee farmhouse; she is desperate to take flight from her dull and pointless marriage of myopic routine. The first line of Kingsolver’s book reads: “A certain feeling comes from throwing your good life away, and it is one part rapture.” Dellarobia thinks she’s about to throw away her ordinary life by running away with the telephone man. But the rapture she’s about to experience is not from the thrill of truancy; it will come from the intervention of Nature when she witnesses the hill newly aflame with monarch butterflies who have changed their migration behavior.</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Calibri; padding: 0cm;">Flight Behavior</span></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri;"> is a multi-layered metaphoric study of “flight” in all its iterations: as movement, flow, change, transition, beauty and transcendence.</span><em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Calibri; padding: 0cm;"></span></em><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Calibri; padding: 0cm;">Flight Behavior</span></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri;"> isn’t so much about climate change and its effects and its continued denial as it is about our perceptions and the actions that rise from them: the motives that drive denial and belief. When Dellarobia questions Cub, her farmer husband, “Why would we believe Johnny Midgeon about something scientific, and not the scientists?” he responds, “Johnny Midgeon gives the weather report.” Kingsolver writes: “and Dellarobia saw her life pass before her eyes, contained in the small enclosure of this logic.”</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_mHofNnxmO4igezoGLbRCmQoxvMAQ3eCDOqg2IEZHy2tnJ6eKN5vUzMzTHWvFOPasK5jXF9rIETWsigZMip3GBr6bfJKdCmnEFS0NF4swPswEDV4DBP43rGpfVNPoudVEU0K7DFZxZcxLGj4FdzzqPcd1_moKDJ4F-Xfop1mA9EvIgt4-VH-qFuI/s364/theoverstory.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_mHofNnxmO4igezoGLbRCmQoxvMAQ3eCDOqg2IEZHy2tnJ6eKN5vUzMzTHWvFOPasK5jXF9rIETWsigZMip3GBr6bfJKdCmnEFS0NF4swPswEDV4DBP43rGpfVNPoudVEU0K7DFZxZcxLGj4FdzzqPcd1_moKDJ4F-Xfop1mA9EvIgt4-VH-qFuI/s320/theoverstory.jpg" width="211" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><br /><i>The Overstory</i> by Richard Powers</b> (W.W. Norton, 2018) is a pulitzer prize winning work of literary fiction that follows the life-stories of nine characters and their journey with trees--and ultimately their shared conflict with corporate capitalist America.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each character draws the archetype of a particular tree: there is Nicholas Hoel's blighted chestnut that struggles to outlive its destiny; Mimi Ma's bent mulberry harbinger of things to come; Patricia Westerfors's marked up marcescent beech trees that sings a unique song; and Olivia Vandergriff's immortal </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ginkgo tree that cheats death--to name a few. Like all functional ecosystems, these disparate characters--and their trees--weave into each other's journey toward a terrible irony. Each in his or her way battles humanity's canon of self-serving utility--from shape-shifting Acer saccharin to selfless sacrificing Tachigali versicoloured--toward a kind of creative destruction.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the heart of The Overstory is the pivotal life of botanist Patricia Westeerford, who will inspire a movement. Westerford is a shy introvert who discovers that trees communicate, learn, trade goods and services--and have intelligence. When she shares her discovery, she is ridiculed by her peers and loses her position at the university. What follows is a fractal story of trees with spirit, soul, and timeless societies--and their human avatars.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXs-nNqsGgPUYmQVP3ZkEe74LhTOvAFdtf7lSHpfwW8n8GsVeiaZ1k-Uk6qwYi-RARIJXwt75XvEmbEFr3Buwod3pPJxZqbw6cyqBI2VAjlzc9MjFh8CYXo8wWlE1xGe_wIjO1XRD6U903fbXFipbMD20Ir_BRJI6kIghcxWQLYVSFa9uQPsJFhyJx/s400/OryxAndCrake.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXs-nNqsGgPUYmQVP3ZkEe74LhTOvAFdtf7lSHpfwW8n8GsVeiaZ1k-Uk6qwYi-RARIJXwt75XvEmbEFr3Buwod3pPJxZqbw6cyqBI2VAjlzc9MjFh8CYXo8wWlE1xGe_wIjO1XRD6U903fbXFipbMD20Ir_BRJI6kIghcxWQLYVSFa9uQPsJFhyJx/s320/OryxAndCrake.jpg" width="207" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br />Maddaddam Trilogy </i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>by Margaret Atwood </b>(<i>McClelland & Stewart</i>, 2013) is a work of speculative dystopian fiction that explores</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">the premise of genetic experimentation and pharmaceutical engineering gone awry. On a larger scale the cautionary trilogy examines where the addiction to vanity, greed, and power may lead. Often sordid and disturbing, the trilogy explores a world where everything from sex to learning translates to power and ownership. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">Atwood begins the trilogy<i></i>with<i>Oryx and Crake </i>in which Jimmy, aka<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Snowman</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(as in Abominable) lives a somnolent, disconsolate life in a post-apocalyptic world created by a viral pandemic that destroys human civilization. The two remaining books continue the saga with other survivors such as the religious sect God’s Gardeners in <i>The Year of the Flood</i>and the Crakers of <i>Maddaddam</i>.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">The entire trilogy is a sharp-edged, dark contemplative essay that plays out like a warped tragedy written by a toked-up Shakespeare. Often sordid and disturbing, the trilogy follows the slow pace of introspection. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">The dark poetry of Atwood’s smart and edgy slice-of-life commentary is a poignant treatise on our dysfunctional society. Atwood accurately captures a growing zeitgeist that has lost the need for words like honor, integrity, compassion, humility, forgiveness, respect, and love in its vocabulary. And she has projected this trend into an alarmingly probable future. This is subversive eco-fiction at its best. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8dDp8IU1-H5Nh34h5GfRlF_WwwGkVWkrcKUqJE_kLMS1qh7-nra6qco1aP69L2c-YN5CsevqMpsjurhrziVmxQ6Bh6pTRBxlMyzs3YXhI5NSY4HoQt680yte99nssTqcyAf8GcroXHxy530S5qkvchh9W1Xup0J5ChqKk-CSSsdzasknQhLt1qTV/s330/Annihilation%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8dDp8IU1-H5Nh34h5GfRlF_WwwGkVWkrcKUqJE_kLMS1qh7-nra6qco1aP69L2c-YN5CsevqMpsjurhrziVmxQ6Bh6pTRBxlMyzs3YXhI5NSY4HoQt680yte99nssTqcyAf8GcroXHxy530S5qkvchh9W1Xup0J5ChqKk-CSSsdzasknQhLt1qTV/s320/Annihilation%20cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br />Annihilation </i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>by Jeff VanderMeer </b>(<i>HarperCollins</i>, 2014) is a science fiction eco-thriller that explores humanity’s impulse to self-destruct within a natural world of living ‘alien’ profusion.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;">The first of the <i>Southern Reach Trilogy</i>, <i>Annihilation</i>follows four women scientists who journey across a strange barrier into Area X—a region that mysteriously appeared on a marshy coastline and associated with inexplicable anomalies and disappearances. The area was closed to the public for decades by a shadowy government that is studying it. Previous expeditions resulted in traumas, suicides or aggressive cancers of those who managed to return. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;">What follows is a bizarre exploration of how our own mutating mental states and self-destructive tendencies reflect a larger paradigm of creative-destruction—a hallmark of ecological succession, change, and overall resilience. VanderMeer masters the technique of weaving the bizarre intricacies of ecological relationship, into a meaningful tapestry of powerful interconnection. Bizarre but real biological mechanisms such as epigenetically-fluid DNA drive aspects of the story’s transcendent qualities of destruction and reconstruction. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;">The book reads like a psychological thriller. The main protagonist desperately seeks answers. When faced with a greater force or intent, she struggles against self-destruction to join and become something more. On one level <i>Annihilation</i>acts as parable to humanity’s cancerous destruction of what is ‘normal’ (through climate change and habitat destruction); on another, it explores how destruction and creation are two sides of a coin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgksF8ivNuVXPAwDiOkemyTfbvYD7zgTZEQt5TwLV1ghNsO8NnrfneNZqyQimqiFBvd1PiZcRdu23hdihnrbVTS4cZK3rVy8vOnm6gBFyxWLC74oIx1W0VXs6gUc208r7jEiNxh-iH0UvvtttyRypdf-MYn6No8ldZfmMtja5mDjicH8tFhXWJo2qGO/s2113/Barksinks%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2113" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgksF8ivNuVXPAwDiOkemyTfbvYD7zgTZEQt5TwLV1ghNsO8NnrfneNZqyQimqiFBvd1PiZcRdu23hdihnrbVTS4cZK3rVy8vOnm6gBFyxWLC74oIx1W0VXs6gUc208r7jEiNxh-iH0UvvtttyRypdf-MYn6No8ldZfmMtja5mDjicH8tFhXWJo2qGO/s320/Barksinks%20cover.jpg" width="212" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br />Barkskins </i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>by Annie Proulx </b>(<i>Charles Scribner’s Sons</i>, 2016) is a work of literary fiction that </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">chronicles two wood cutters who arrive from the slums of Paris to Canada in 1693 and their descendants over 300 years of deforestation in North America.</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The foreshadowing of doom for the magnificent forests is cast by the shadow of how settlers treat the Mi'kmaq people. The fate of the forests and the Mi'kmaq are inextricably linked through settler disrespect for anything indigenous and a fierce hunger for more of the forests and lands. Ensnared by settler greed, the Mi'kmaq lose their own culture and their links to the natural world erode with grave consequence.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ploulx weaves generational stories of two settler families into a crucible of terrible greed and tragic irony. The bleak impressions by immigrants of a harsh environment crawling with pests underlies the combative mindset of the settlers who wish only to conquer and seize what they can of a presumed infinite resource. From the arrival of the Europeans in pristine forest to their destruction under the veil of global warming, Proulx lays out a saga of human-environmental interaction and consequence that lingers with the aftertaste of a bitter wine.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4C2VTDBkdOGCa3eAihDURkPxqGCcXZNQEJuTd1znwZkaE6Rq3OgR5ejFMFb_hO1jV0AU3Y4FsJg4GA2gHp_PgH0OYnb4DYtG8mQVHPuiGpMp9zCYIaxKDMVOAOHW8AtadKPcRJZnqjtGHmvItijaCA0MrSFuwZ833-tiDzt7TdHH-JASbmd1M0dT7/s499/MemoryOfWater%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4C2VTDBkdOGCa3eAihDURkPxqGCcXZNQEJuTd1znwZkaE6Rq3OgR5ejFMFb_hO1jV0AU3Y4FsJg4GA2gHp_PgH0OYnb4DYtG8mQVHPuiGpMp9zCYIaxKDMVOAOHW8AtadKPcRJZnqjtGHmvItijaCA0MrSFuwZ833-tiDzt7TdHH-JASbmd1M0dT7/s320/MemoryOfWater%20cover.jpg" width="210" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br />Memory of Water </i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>by Emmi </b></span><b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Itäranta </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-CA">(<i>Harper Collins</i>, 2014) is a work of speculative fiction </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">about a post-climate change world of sea level rise. In this envisioned world, China rules Europe, which includes the Scandinavian Union, occupied by the power state of New Qian. Water is a powerful archetype, whose secret tea masters guard with their lives. One of them is 17-year old Noria Kaitio who is learning to become a tea master from her father. Tea masters alone know the location of hidden water sources, coveted by the new government. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Faced with moral choices that draw their conflict from the tension between love and self-preservation, young Noria must do or do not before the soldiers scrutinizing her make their move. The story unfolds incrementally through place. As with every stroke of an emerging watercolour painting, Itäranta layers in tension with each story-defining description. We sense the tension and unease viscerally, as we immerse ourselves in a dark place of oppression and intrigue. Itäranta’s lyrical narrative follows a deceptively quiet yet tense pace that builds like a slow tide into compelling crisis. Told in the literary fiction style of emotional nuances, Itäranta<b>’s </b><i>Memory of Water</i>flows with mystery and suspense toward a poignant end.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eQQ6R4pbffLXkvPFnrQuop8ESj5LDWhsFrT-tyzqDBZWTrlZOpfd3A1CNVjYFdDP4n7kgGw5-Br0wQEAaKtqu4aiGfU4HKAnCY929ZBLvmf18hbdYqV6usjb33P7FL4-PquNqvB9QZnLRlD_W4PJHte5m42IA8u91cib_4fOVptP75XEAkM_34_2/s475/The%20Fifth%20Season%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eQQ6R4pbffLXkvPFnrQuop8ESj5LDWhsFrT-tyzqDBZWTrlZOpfd3A1CNVjYFdDP4n7kgGw5-Br0wQEAaKtqu4aiGfU4HKAnCY929ZBLvmf18hbdYqV6usjb33P7FL4-PquNqvB9QZnLRlD_W4PJHte5m42IA8u91cib_4fOVptP75XEAkM_34_2/s320/The%20Fifth%20Season%20cover.jpg" width="212" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br />The Broken Earth Trilogy </i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>by N.K. Jemison </b>(<i>Orbit</i>, 2018) is a fantasy trilogy set in a far-future Earth devastated by periodic cataclysmic storms known as ‘seasons.’ These apocalyptic events last over generations, remaking the world and its inhabitants each time. Giant floating crystals called Obelisks suggest an advanced prior civilization.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;">In<i>The Fifth Season</i>, the first book of the trilogy, we are introduced to Essun, an Orogene—a person gifted with the ability to draw magical power from the Earth such as quelling earthquakes. Jemison used the term orogene from the geological term orogeny, which describes the process of mountain-building. Essun was taken from her home as a child and trained brutally at the facility called the Fulcrum. Jemison uses perspective and POV shifts to interweave Essun’s story with that of Damaya, just sent to the Fulcrum, and Syenite, who is about to leave on her first mission. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;">The second and third books, <i>The Obelisk Gate </i>and <i>The Stone Sky</i>, carry through Jemison’s treatment of the dangers of marginalization, oppression, and misuse of power. Jemison’s cautionary dystopia explores the consequence of the inhumane profiteering of those who are marginalized and commodified.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfe1N8XBs66WT7mqWc7adWhLL1Q3CNyvopgEvui54hWcbKRgH7li-0A6dRQlXIuwAAh95ilN7LZptHPpPsjUNFXJYza_4bdk9Zm_SO3W7fRjauK_kzm1HxqR1NHtSFn-DHYVQ-ne6Nu69bOiut-FXMEA-MfAeon8kmbHQDMszdHJVtM06DkGr876X/s475/TheWindup%20Girl%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfe1N8XBs66WT7mqWc7adWhLL1Q3CNyvopgEvui54hWcbKRgH7li-0A6dRQlXIuwAAh95ilN7LZptHPpPsjUNFXJYza_4bdk9Zm_SO3W7fRjauK_kzm1HxqR1NHtSFn-DHYVQ-ne6Nu69bOiut-FXMEA-MfAeon8kmbHQDMszdHJVtM06DkGr876X/s320/TheWindup%20Girl%20cover.jpg" width="210" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br />The Windup Girl </i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>by Paolo Bacigalupi </b>(<i>Nightshade Books</i>, 2009) is a work of mundane science fiction that</span><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">occurs in 23</span><span class="s1" style="font-family: Palatino;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 4pt;">rd </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">century post-food crash Thailand after global warming has raised sea levels and carbon fuel sources are depleted.</span><span class="s1" style="font-family: Palatino;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 4pt;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thailand struggles under the tyrannical boot of predatory ag-biotech multinational giants that have fomented corruption and political strife through their plague-inducing genetic manipulations. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The book opens in Bangkok as ag-biotech <i>farangs</i>(foreigners) seek to exploit the secret Thai seedbank with its wealth of genetic material. Emiko is an illegal Japanese “windup” (genetically modified human), owned by a Thai sex club owner, and treated as a sub-human slave. Emiko embarks on a quest to escape her bonds and find her own people in the north. But like Bangkok—protected and trapped by the wall against a sea poised to claim it—Emiko cannot escape who and what she is: a gifted modified human, vilified and feared for the future she brings. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The rivalry between Thailand's Minister of Trade and Minister of the Environment represents the central conflict of the novel, reflecting the current conflict of neoliberal promotion of globalization and unaccountable exploitation with the forces of sustainability and environmental protection. Given the setting, both are extreme and there appears no middle ground for a balanced existence using responsible and sustainable means. Emiko, who represents the future, is precariously poised.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcm8ToX2hoH1PMNo-8PmUNaO99VPKLH24Cp1uV0MK226KOyA4Hv_efV6tHuytyQW_1LXmBaKeLPwlu7UeHBGVIq9Cmx01gu_DzbjdFnd6I8Vit_8okPsIfA--mxIe1hDaL92ovyjhIy4UCvNdpLU5uSXA1MO3r01D_4RauaiWHtQhPjQm-Xy_G_-P/s2560/ParableOfTheSower.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcm8ToX2hoH1PMNo-8PmUNaO99VPKLH24Cp1uV0MK226KOyA4Hv_efV6tHuytyQW_1LXmBaKeLPwlu7UeHBGVIq9Cmx01gu_DzbjdFnd6I8Vit_8okPsIfA--mxIe1hDaL92ovyjhIy4UCvNdpLU5uSXA1MO3r01D_4RauaiWHtQhPjQm-Xy_G_-P/s320/ParableOfTheSower.jpg" width="206" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br />Parable of the Sower </i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>by Octavia Butler </b>(<i>Four Walls Eight Windows</i>, 1993) is a science fiction dystopian novel set in 21<sup>st</sup>century America where civilization has collapsed due to climate change, wealth inequality and greed. <i>Parable of the Sower</i>is both a coming-of-age story and cautionary allegorical tale of race, gender and power. Told through journal entries, the novel follows the life of young Lauren Oya Olamina—cursed with hyperempathy—and her perilous journey to find and create a new home. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;">When her old home outside L.A. is destroyed and her family murdered, she joins an endless stream of refuges through the chaos of resource and water scarcity. Her survival skills are tested as she navigates a highly politicized battleground between various extremist groups and religious fanatics through a harsh environment of walled enclaves, pyro-addicts, thieves and murderers. What starts as a fight to survive inspires in Lauren a new vision of the world and gives birth to a new faith based on science: <i>Earthseed</i>. Written in 1993, this prescient novel and its sequel <i>Parable of the Talent </i>speak too clearly about the consequences of “making America Great Again.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;">An earlier version of this article was first published on Tor.com in November, 2020, and again in April 22, 2021 as "<b><a href="https://www.tor.com/2021/04/22/ten-eco-fiction-novels-worth-celebrating/" target="_blank">Ten Eco-Fiction Novels Worth Celebrating</a></b>" on Tor.com</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>More Eco-Fiction Worth Reading:</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;">The following is an updated list of eco-fiction books in addition to those featured above that I have since enjoyed. The list is by no means an exhaustive one, but certainly includes my favourites, those that have impacted me and incited me to think and feel and act:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: Calibri;">Dune</b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> by Frank Herbert</span></li><li><b style="font-family: Calibri;">The Water Knife</b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> by Paolo Bacigalupi</span></li><li><b style="font-family: Calibri;">A Diary in the Age of Water</b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> by Nina Munteanu</span></li><li><b style="font-family: Calibri;">New York 2140</b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> by Kim Stanley Robinson</span></li><li><b style="font-family: Calibri;">Canadian Tales of Climate Change</b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> by Exile Editions (an anthology)</span></li><li><b style="font-family: Calibri;">Ministry of the Future</b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> by Kim Stanley Robinson</span></li><li><b style="font-family: Calibri;">The Breathing Hole</b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> by Coleen Murphy</span></li><li><b style="font-family: Calibri;">Borne</b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> by Jeff Vandermeer</span></li><li><b style="font-family: Calibri;">The Bear</b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> by Andrew Krivak</span></li><li><b style="font-family: Calibri;">Fauna</b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> by Christiane Vadnais</span></li><li><b style="font-family: Calibri;">Bangkok Wakes to Rain</b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> by Pitchaya Sudbanthad </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Waste Tide</b> by Chen Qiufan </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Future Home of the Living God</b> by Louise Erdrich</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>We</b> by Yevgeny Zamyatin</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Camp Zero</b> by Michelle Min Sterling</span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-64617051050116680712022-10-02T14:34:00.003-07:002022-10-02T14:34:47.848-07:00 Now is The Age of Nature…<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9RX-EJ7uNAVZjP7EanBsuspGvjPhzA1UND2z76Ii6VQ2G0RDqA06CpF9Q6AW6_PWiX54GtbGOp9BntdOZAE_Wh0TJjoloGhN4Kq0Dy-qHehYUGCVpeYuC5gTcKkJf4GYePjtTs1T69iqG0Zq-yAqfrxVS-cxIOD_kr5fj3jsLhsl-y7bt9M1JYdd/s1170/AgeOfNature%20poster.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="1170" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9RX-EJ7uNAVZjP7EanBsuspGvjPhzA1UND2z76Ii6VQ2G0RDqA06CpF9Q6AW6_PWiX54GtbGOp9BntdOZAE_Wh0TJjoloGhN4Kq0Dy-qHehYUGCVpeYuC5gTcKkJf4GYePjtTs1T69iqG0Zq-yAqfrxVS-cxIOD_kr5fj3jsLhsl-y7bt9M1JYdd/w484-h272/AgeOfNature%20poster.png" width="484" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">Age of Nature </span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">is a series of three films made by PBS and narrated by Uma Thurman about humanity’s relationship with nature and wildlife and how scientists and conservationists study ways to restore the planet. The series, beautifully narrated and filmed, shows how restoring nature might be our best tool to slow global warming. From Borneo to Antarctica, the resilience of the planet is helping us find solutions to cope and even mitigate climate change, providing hope for a more positive future. The series consists of three episodes: <b>Awakening</b>, <b>Understanding</b>, and <b>Changing</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMTQmRfIJGzgBGq96prVigvPs3vfrTmhDhOU-z49A_bwmRb38lgKextWtaoV2R0J0_3s7mE-ft2S8YmPu2lJichtxkql5bHSxRF02IfqGv14gF-UZZ-PUwmNpSBBBUEWGc4sQJfChJEB33Ex5cJ0oEXV4g3joH0VvH3Nh7TbsylxzjZdNZWq8RAFg/s1404/Poland%20forest%20beasts-AoN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="1404" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMTQmRfIJGzgBGq96prVigvPs3vfrTmhDhOU-z49A_bwmRb38lgKextWtaoV2R0J0_3s7mE-ft2S8YmPu2lJichtxkql5bHSxRF02IfqGv14gF-UZZ-PUwmNpSBBBUEWGc4sQJfChJEB33Ex5cJ0oEXV4g3joH0VvH3Nh7TbsylxzjZdNZWq8RAFg/w472-h251/Poland%20forest%20beasts-AoN.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">In </span></b><a href="https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/full-program/the-age-of-nature-video-gallery/#.YCmKMy0ZNmB" style="color: #954f72;"><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">AWAKENING</span></b></a><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #212529;">you will discover how a new awareness of nature is helping to restore mostly collapsed ecosystems; this included: restoring the cod fishery in Norway’s Lofoten Islands; the restoring the Chagres watershed in Panama; rehabilitating the collapsed ecosystem of Mozambique’s Gorongosa Park; and restoring the denuded Loess Plateau in China by planting a forest (and reducing the sediment in the Yellow River by 80%). This episode shows how innovative actions are being taken to repair human-made damage and restore reefs, rivers, animal populations and more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #212529;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">“We are at a turning point in history,” says narrator Uma Thurman. “and moving in a new direction. How we live with nature now will determine our future. A new age is upon us, the age of nature.” </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #212529;">This new awakening comes with a change in philosophy.</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">“Materialism has suggested that wealth is coming from things. But, in fact, wealth is coming from ecological function.”—John D. Liu, Ecosystem Ambassador, Commonland Foundation </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505; font-family: ".SFNSText-Regular"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505; font-family: ".SFNSText-Regular"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vTdzC0ruxq5OF_aUfGFK_rQu3-fOTKP0WDAoK4lzR__URrXQqKSV4rWGynIuSk2eN4MWDeg3dWaXclWlqSqQ1uOSiU5FDplQwLkozxBH4RfuoBCobq1TwfvbbeLjbwGku7e8wS9IV1kefkJZrUGvMkbKyOnRnxvrmk71ZL3WraSN0XLo76NHqL2O/s1347/Jungle%20of%20Borneo-AoN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1347" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vTdzC0ruxq5OF_aUfGFK_rQu3-fOTKP0WDAoK4lzR__URrXQqKSV4rWGynIuSk2eN4MWDeg3dWaXclWlqSqQ1uOSiU5FDplQwLkozxBH4RfuoBCobq1TwfvbbeLjbwGku7e8wS9IV1kefkJZrUGvMkbKyOnRnxvrmk71ZL3WraSN0XLo76NHqL2O/w492-h281/Jungle%20of%20Borneo-AoN.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505; font-family: ".SFNSText-Regular"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b>In </b><b style="color: #954f72;"><a href="https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/full-program/the-age-of-nature-video-gallery/#.X-LNwy0ZNmA" style="color: #954f72;">UNDERSTANDING</a> </b>you will <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #212529; font-family: Helvetica;">explore how a new understanding of nature is helping us find surprising ways to fix it. From the salmon runs and connection to forest health of the Pacific Northwest to restoring fireflies in China, and the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone—scientists, citizens and activists are restoring the environment, benefiting humans and animals alike.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">“If humans get our acts together and start thinking about the whole ecosystem, we’re going to be recovering the whales and ultimately we’re going to be saving ourselves.”—Dr. Deborah Giles, Killer whale researcher, University of Washington <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrhFSCj9GSgwYgUuJIc1YQxxjJUOi4bcOxUjAdhhKmDYr6jnx55lBFUyFSZ2o-f4YXnqu9VdtAPlpNboepnSnwjVxkp0gf9Eo3rOgIoVlbYqlPqQsuFN_V7fHaNiW6bmYfSj-TuW7EDvd_C019Rziho4E3W10789UGKxdoct-9vnFfqS5chX99IFU/s1000/AgeOfNature%20jungle%20scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrhFSCj9GSgwYgUuJIc1YQxxjJUOi4bcOxUjAdhhKmDYr6jnx55lBFUyFSZ2o-f4YXnqu9VdtAPlpNboepnSnwjVxkp0gf9Eo3rOgIoVlbYqlPqQsuFN_V7fHaNiW6bmYfSj-TuW7EDvd_C019Rziho4E3W10789UGKxdoct-9vnFfqS5chX99IFU/w483-h271/AgeOfNature%20jungle%20scene.jpg" width="483" /></a></div><br /><o:p><br /></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b>In </b><b style="color: #954f72;"><a href="https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/full-program/the-age-of-nature-video-gallery/#.YEuLsC0ZO9Z" style="color: #954f72;">CHANGING</a> </b>you will <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">discover why restoring nature might be our best tool to slow global warming. From Borneo to Antarctica, the resilience of the planet is helping us find solutions to cope and even mitigate climate change, providing hope for a more positive future. Bhutan’s negative carbon system is based on “decades of enlightened but courageous policies,” says Tshering Tobgay, former prime minister of Bhutan. By law they maintain over 60% forest cover to maintain a rich biodiversity and help balance climate as a carbon sink. Over 70% of Bhutanese live along river banks where they cultivate rice and other crops. “We’ve always had a strong association with water,” Tobgay adds. Something here ninahre.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">“Ultimately, if we’re going to understand how to stop climate change, we need to understand our planet,” says Professor Tom Crowther, who leads a team of ecologists in categorizing forests and soils around the world from “on the ground information” to understand the carbon they contain and absorb. Crowther stresses that “the key is to restore these ecosystems in the right ecologically-minded way. That means we don’t plant trees in ecosystems that would naturally be grasslands. We also restore trees in a very biodiverse mixture; we don’t just want plantations, monoculture of the same species. We need all the different interacting species which help one another to grow and capture huge amounts of carbon…We absolutely need nature to survive on this planet. If humanity is going to have a chance, we’re going to have to restore ecosystems all across the globe…Biodiversity is the life support for our planet.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">The movie showcases three major ecosystems of significant carbon sequestration that need to be (and are in some cases) encouraged, nurtured and grown:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">1. Old growth forests of the world: </span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">Bialowieza in Poland is the oldest forest in Europe: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">Malgorzata Blicharska at Uppsala University reminds us of an ecological tenet: the higher the biodiversity of an ecosystem, the more stable and resilient it is. “The more complex the forest is, the more resilient it will be to different environmental pressures, which is really important now in relation to climate change.” A more complex ecosystem has a larger toolkit to draw from when confronted with change. “Even if one species with a particular function disappears because of climate change, there will be other species that take over this function.” This provides a natural buffer to change, helping it cope with disruption. “A natural forest is not a stable forest; it is changing all the time.” Adapting. The simpler the ecosystem, the less likely it will be equipped to adapt to imposed change; the more likely it will collapse with change. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">2, Ocean phytoplankton, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows: </span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">Peter MacReadie, at Deakin University, studies seagrass meadows that store enormous amounts of carbon. They, along with tidal marshes and mangrove forests lock massive amounts of carbon; this is known as blue carbon. Mention what the mangroves do… “Blue carbon is definitely one of the new heros in the climate change mitigation scene.” They not only effectively sequester carbon, they protect coastlines, and they support half of the world’s fisheries.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">MacReadie acknowledges the role apex predators in achieving balance in the ecosystem that might otherwise be destroyed by an over-abundance of herbivores. The apex predator keeps a balance not so much by eating prey but through what is called “fear ecology” and achieiving a healthy trophic cascade: the shark changes the behaviour of the next trophic level down, the turtle, that would otherwise over-graze the seagrass. “Through fear, they affect how much turtles breed, where they forage, where they move around,” ultimately creating a healthy balance of apex predators at the top, turtles in healthy balance and seagrass meadows thriving.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">3. Peatlands: </span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">Taryono Darusman, director of research and development of the Katingan Project in Indonesia, tells us that, “globally, peatlands store around five hundred and fifty gigatons of carbon.” Covering only 3% of the land on Earth, peatlands absorb twice the amount of carbon in all the world’s forests—which are ten times the size. Peatland ecosystems also provide for a unique and highly biodiverse community. Peatlands form in wetlands and rainforests; many of these areas have been drained to create canals or for agriculture. The drying peatlands become susceptible to fire. The Borneo fires of 2015 released more carbon than all of North America’s industry of that same year. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkq7YgMZqMyg5twNyjhGnlkFj3t9heVpTP923FMIviBr3VONNJOKy-9Tn1TfuLiLduvZPzMNlgf28m_5aRwlrOeViQkUM__YS1aOh9FHeJofOlgc2T3wo0nup-GATUgnsrIW0Cxm77WO2Hbc8qoqLAw0nBWsoedW559OVyJxCNpNkKcfvFvWY1MntF/s1337/indonesia%20peatlands%20AoN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1337" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkq7YgMZqMyg5twNyjhGnlkFj3t9heVpTP923FMIviBr3VONNJOKy-9Tn1TfuLiLduvZPzMNlgf28m_5aRwlrOeViQkUM__YS1aOh9FHeJofOlgc2T3wo0nup-GATUgnsrIW0Cxm77WO2Hbc8qoqLAw0nBWsoedW559OVyJxCNpNkKcfvFvWY1MntF/w500-h283/indonesia%20peatlands%20AoN.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><o:p><br /></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">The last ten minutes of the film are truly heartwarming and encouraging as the film documents how awareness is growing and inspiring a grass roots movement, particularly with the brave efforts of youth around the world. People like young Dayak activist, Emmanuela Shinta (who worked with youth groups to replant a destroyed ecosystem in Kalimantan, Borneo), and eleven-year old Madison Edwards (who started a social media campaign to stop oil drilling off the shores of Belize). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">Eco-heroism</span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #050505;">is sprouting all over the planet in response to her need for balance. Showing us that every single individual can make a difference… <o:p></o:p></span></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-74737040609957427412022-08-23T17:45:00.007-07:002022-08-23T17:49:31.282-07:00Walking in the Rain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXZMwzzTHUK0okTNcGlIN1qWef4lRuhg61MBOcrDNtsS6Tn7KtpBbsT-ir6Riyg3uSjcg0X2oeCXfQfVfnL11-3VAhXp9pZ06ze3UzguvlAQLoafhO5xpYKEn9nxsPTRq1bhxti39QkpWCsow3wi3Ut3Qwjka6SPleRm_9NyUhWZ4S8LXEham-hfN/s3847/Stream%20forest%20fog%20wide%20Mar%20DRYBR%20TNS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1929" data-original-width="3847" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXZMwzzTHUK0okTNcGlIN1qWef4lRuhg61MBOcrDNtsS6Tn7KtpBbsT-ir6Riyg3uSjcg0X2oeCXfQfVfnL11-3VAhXp9pZ06ze3UzguvlAQLoafhO5xpYKEn9nxsPTRq1bhxti39QkpWCsow3wi3Ut3Qwjka6SPleRm_9NyUhWZ4S8LXEham-hfN/w551-h276/Stream%20forest%20fog%20wide%20Mar%20DRYBR%20TNS.jpg" width="551" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">One morning, in late spring, I went walking in the rain through the Trent Nature Sanctuary forest. Looking for magic… <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">Moisture covered everything. It coaxed out vivid colours and textures in a tangle of stable chaos. I felt like I’d entered a Tom Thomson painting…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">The </span><span style="background-color: white;">rain intensified the forest’s mosaic of unique scents from pungent, heavy and sharp to floral, fresh and sweet.</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">The gossamer morning light favoured photography with a gentleness that softened and deepened everything, and invited intimacy. </span><span lang="EN-CA">Mist hung low and rose like steam from the damp earth, slowing time. It felt as though I was walking through a cloud. The forest emerged ghost-like in glimpses of tree, shrub and grass. The brilliant red of the osier dogwood. The vivid greens of mosses and leaves. A tangle of blue-green lichens and bright red cedar roots. I was witness to a chaotic tapestry of Nature’s art. Infinite shades of green, brown, grey and yellow created a fluid landscape that water painted into a vibrant watercolour scene. I moved through it, boots squelching along the spongy loam path, as though wrapped in a moving artwork.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dmLQbOf7evgMujxmeAX49DsRoy5XpNmjLbxuFRD40CdtjUEQ4eYrGUfLeR739OlIDXbbw0BIzGSWsBIdVyRTE1RRJyuPny2HlguMb7Nq6BFzZKnR5g4rZhTff7DcmOUvoHViNtMquhVGegU6ot4PDJZk55ePCizdlQc39rFCoy25vJfPIi-VUhyF/s3555/Road%20Payne%20Line%20dirt%20to%20LongLake%20Apr%20wide%20DRYBR%202%20Pb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1632" data-original-width="3555" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dmLQbOf7evgMujxmeAX49DsRoy5XpNmjLbxuFRD40CdtjUEQ4eYrGUfLeR739OlIDXbbw0BIzGSWsBIdVyRTE1RRJyuPny2HlguMb7Nq6BFzZKnR5g4rZhTff7DcmOUvoHViNtMquhVGegU6ot4PDJZk55ePCizdlQc39rFCoy25vJfPIi-VUhyF/w549-h252/Road%20Payne%20Line%20dirt%20to%20LongLake%20Apr%20wide%20DRYBR%202%20Pb.jpg" width="549" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white;">The moisture carried the warbles and fluting chirps of lively bird song amid the hush of raindrops on vegetation. Each surface had a unique voice. And the rainfall—from light drizzle to hard pour—carried its own tune, rhythm and percussion. A symphony of diverse frequency from rich infrasound to beyond. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakxWq35mJX2Y85uR_mwh151L9qpz52AMlo1yvIB4KvSbls7ks6yl6yzD5rC2UnlBKMYh11vqJTMSBNkfX0WXzHTdYy5FZMUhQYD5YbT5MixanNLz1SPW_xjch0md7PWHqZW3ZC5cFzu6sk3_0cbupOzLo0jgLLuUiPPjSuFMgE68YRSY6iUIUqkFm/s2592/Camera%20tripod%20at%20JacksonCreek.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1936" height="485" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakxWq35mJX2Y85uR_mwh151L9qpz52AMlo1yvIB4KvSbls7ks6yl6yzD5rC2UnlBKMYh11vqJTMSBNkfX0WXzHTdYy5FZMUhQYD5YbT5MixanNLz1SPW_xjch0md7PWHqZW3ZC5cFzu6sk3_0cbupOzLo0jgLLuUiPPjSuFMgE68YRSY6iUIUqkFm/w362-h485/Camera%20tripod%20at%20JacksonCreek.jpg" width="362" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I kept my camera, attached to its tripod, tucked under several water-proof bags and walked with deliberate steps through wet duff, decayed leaves and mud. I had a hood but couldn’t stand to keep it up—I needed to hear and feel all of it: the rain sizzling through the vegetation, the red-winged blackbird’s <i>conk-a-lee</i>! The robin’s <i>cheerily-cheer-up-cheerily-cheer up</i>! The crow’s caw and rattle. The primordial shriek of a blue jay or kingbird. All were out, though not visible, as I navigated the huge puddles and slippery mud-leaf mix. Hair dripping, face in a grin. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFGmZAU8LkfKl29J1vOG-ygwdCeRADZuAQ2wWg1g738qM0ATUfwn0xrE6Y0dpfyanDizn5hoUGJIg9H3QUTTVxTLtjClcx3c6uDF1k3a__dHmZ8-gMfno1mMYsLmTv2wkrd8f8ZMBLd7a5QIw20SmQbE39pAH41Z6JiYdamMS9hhJyz4fe17BqOQ3/s1686/Root%20cedar%20red%20wet%20moss%20patterns%20Oct%20TNS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="1686" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFGmZAU8LkfKl29J1vOG-ygwdCeRADZuAQ2wWg1g738qM0ATUfwn0xrE6Y0dpfyanDizn5hoUGJIg9H3QUTTVxTLtjClcx3c6uDF1k3a__dHmZ8-gMfno1mMYsLmTv2wkrd8f8ZMBLd7a5QIw20SmQbE39pAH41Z6JiYdamMS9hhJyz4fe17BqOQ3/w517-h301/Root%20cedar%20red%20wet%20moss%20patterns%20Oct%20TNS.jpg" width="517" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I felt elation in Nature’s celebration of life.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I was the only person in the park and thoroughly basked in that feeling of humbleness that comes with a kind of knowing: of being part of something far greater than oneself and yet in some way being that greater ‘self.’ Like I belonged there. Hard to explain. But it felt truly awesome and eternal. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I could have stayed there, wet in the rain, for hours. But I felt sorry for my camera and headed home, thinking of a warm cup of tea. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2aJ9aZS5IrpSY2oc7af6zen8BQE1S4eY0_eCpPGACPlY_NWWI9nUFVSvqvlImiPKclzFBBMZtE-fERyy6ilIt3gu-v_FH5NgJpAW9awshhHSeAXRORJ7Nl4jgR5QNjJ1iAewy09Lv7gGlktNLg9GVe0qCDqyRaAzOWhtimLaV6d-Ob_CC1uPvZwy/s4272/Cedar%20tree%20on%20mossylogs%2018f%20Apr%20TNS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2aJ9aZS5IrpSY2oc7af6zen8BQE1S4eY0_eCpPGACPlY_NWWI9nUFVSvqvlImiPKclzFBBMZtE-fERyy6ilIt3gu-v_FH5NgJpAW9awshhHSeAXRORJ7Nl4jgR5QNjJ1iAewy09Lv7gGlktNLg9GVe0qCDqyRaAzOWhtimLaV6d-Ob_CC1uPvZwy/w523-h348/Cedar%20tree%20on%20mossylogs%2018f%20Apr%20TNS.jpg" width="523" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5myGYtys1tZLuM92ZIFbZNPpTOU56UfAs-_6GoIYX6VA3BO5yBerAUL1vMPr5pSrIT37Zn_ZsrA-F4GHdCqbnm6hjzU-8gk1t_E7DsUXGVuD_xJ9leNsopUYnW6ByLZ119uxViQHCYjB31VT_hpuntuj16wXrpH5N3W92QR5-iYu09VtYg3Z_hfyr/s4032/Dew%20drops%20fore%20lichen%20back%203%20Sept%20PbDD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2115" data-original-width="4032" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5myGYtys1tZLuM92ZIFbZNPpTOU56UfAs-_6GoIYX6VA3BO5yBerAUL1vMPr5pSrIT37Zn_ZsrA-F4GHdCqbnm6hjzU-8gk1t_E7DsUXGVuD_xJ9leNsopUYnW6ByLZ119uxViQHCYjB31VT_hpuntuj16wXrpH5N3W92QR5-iYu09VtYg3Z_hfyr/w530-h279/Dew%20drops%20fore%20lichen%20back%203%20Sept%20PbDD.jpg" width="530" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3csGkpNGHgRqaJQR_bP4N0K8H08kdwhCL7Dl9kErDOhumhETZsQcaY8ZNOebVh8X8PBwfzJ8i-Po6yfMYdti1wkOys_LugS2o-zvCd0X3wjfXSffTFQCmuAMfk8q6nn-tkgd5PWlW5gR_0MQBS5mhdSC75hB-YgS-vQFR-TsxjQr3aqjwnCNTdTZW/s1492/Pond%20lily%20close%202%20mouth%20TC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="1492" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3csGkpNGHgRqaJQR_bP4N0K8H08kdwhCL7Dl9kErDOhumhETZsQcaY8ZNOebVh8X8PBwfzJ8i-Po6yfMYdti1wkOys_LugS2o-zvCd0X3wjfXSffTFQCmuAMfk8q6nn-tkgd5PWlW5gR_0MQBS5mhdSC75hB-YgS-vQFR-TsxjQr3aqjwnCNTdTZW/w530-h218/Pond%20lily%20close%202%20mouth%20TC.jpg" width="530" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiXjGI8i5X2JLRWJpQ2X2ceYVIrU5BRxQbKGIAsdHz94Gb43LILD26DstczxX58jCIIFhCC8c7uyXHqeevgd_jl1Bl4guwAlsTQ7SL3JLAehZp3Ya_jibLxEVMmfLmHFJjEHQe1BRj8oKj8WcbJgpr_c5eqJseDP8seleupZ6A9dpEnaubxKweDQU/s2022/Rain%20Marsh-creek%20bay%20Pb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2022" data-original-width="1936" height="547" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiXjGI8i5X2JLRWJpQ2X2ceYVIrU5BRxQbKGIAsdHz94Gb43LILD26DstczxX58jCIIFhCC8c7uyXHqeevgd_jl1Bl4guwAlsTQ7SL3JLAehZp3Ya_jibLxEVMmfLmHFJjEHQe1BRj8oKj8WcbJgpr_c5eqJseDP8seleupZ6A9dpEnaubxKweDQU/w524-h547/Rain%20Marsh-creek%20bay%20Pb.jpg" width="524" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EuRyjIbzjYRq3YhiJEykPsSQMcxFHyU_2Er7QUBY4pyjhoPrhpKLBqgOIFIXAypWLYPSCfLEfK6503C2unriTi02vTGt8NKvYMOzXKyivv0jNbzwg0ShosKA5TRp2uDZI5Q6fMupMzCQjlWApeey75zfTBt3VthamBZbSgd2qmDcBYHA9j992hs1/s3863/Fence%20post%20marsh%20in%20rain%20Apr%20wide%20CR6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1823" data-original-width="3863" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EuRyjIbzjYRq3YhiJEykPsSQMcxFHyU_2Er7QUBY4pyjhoPrhpKLBqgOIFIXAypWLYPSCfLEfK6503C2unriTi02vTGt8NKvYMOzXKyivv0jNbzwg0ShosKA5TRp2uDZI5Q6fMupMzCQjlWApeey75zfTBt3VthamBZbSgd2qmDcBYHA9j992hs1/w530-h250/Fence%20post%20marsh%20in%20rain%20Apr%20wide%20CR6.jpg" width="530" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-84530172630263351442022-07-31T21:24:00.003-07:002022-07-31T21:24:13.606-07:00"A Diary in the Age of Water" Included in Ecological Fiction that Inspires Action<p> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUi3VsO0LCg5BTnnwsU5qWtCovd6z03msaTZsaMUjiahkAfSm6um9GHIv6VfOHh_51ahNdLm-20DOUg6XvvOj4CFCtBaa53Y7MgEpTAUZsGA78_XUy37Uq6TutUstxBCtGVDsTqUoGeSmuY7dhrcLWpol5ZzaXE_-jGJ78dqqT7BjoQ2nB8gVoFMk/s900/ECOLOGY%20AND%20ACTION%20EcologicalFictionInspiresAction-AoW%20MaryWoodbury%20copy%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="712" height="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUi3VsO0LCg5BTnnwsU5qWtCovd6z03msaTZsaMUjiahkAfSm6um9GHIv6VfOHh_51ahNdLm-20DOUg6XvvOj4CFCtBaa53Y7MgEpTAUZsGA78_XUy37Uq6TutUstxBCtGVDsTqUoGeSmuY7dhrcLWpol5ZzaXE_-jGJ78dqqT7BjoQ2nB8gVoFMk/w539-h682/ECOLOGY%20AND%20ACTION%20EcologicalFictionInspiresAction-AoW%20MaryWoodbury%20copy%202.jpg" width="539" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-18705762239764584892022-06-05T21:25:00.001-07:002022-07-31T21:36:24.704-07:00 How We Get Tree Planting Wrong…<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGZd__T8ORf9fOcu2SEK9fKyDyv8zPJpXjY14bJTT89UOxE4ABl6BHXNW-yxFyx9xJPnRWyDNaIHMfcMFMFyIQAYiydwPNy7vKHtzGrTuWS9Ki6Gsz2xzan2FBc6BHjsw0f6aFV9e7_JgGV_qLuYlmWfestEXe0yVbyOeldod-LLU5YjGhQY1w59z/s1024/Pine%20plantation%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGZd__T8ORf9fOcu2SEK9fKyDyv8zPJpXjY14bJTT89UOxE4ABl6BHXNW-yxFyx9xJPnRWyDNaIHMfcMFMFyIQAYiydwPNy7vKHtzGrTuWS9Ki6Gsz2xzan2FBc6BHjsw0f6aFV9e7_JgGV_qLuYlmWfestEXe0yVbyOeldod-LLU5YjGhQY1w59z/w515-h343/Pine%20plantation%20copy.jpg" width="515" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">“In the face of impending climate catastrophe, there has been a growing clamor to repopulate the trillions of trees our planet has lost over the centuries,” says</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #030303;"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhvOJrkhh8I" style="color: #954f72;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">the Guardian</span></i></b></a><b><i><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #030303;">.</span></i></b><span lang="EN-CA">But large-scale tree planting is not helping, and in some cases it’s creating more problems for the environment. In the YouTube video below, Josh Toussaint-Strauss discusses how we’ve been getting tree planting wrong, and what we should be doing instead to safeguard precious ecosystems and reduce greenhouse gases.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">“The right trees in the right place are a good thing,” says Toussaint-Strauss. Choosing the right location and the right tree for it, is crucial. Toussaint-Strauss provides the example of Israel’s Yatir forestation of a natural desert, now adding to global warming due to increased albedo. The wrong location can deplete groundwater, dry up streams, and kill off peatland (itself a major CO2 sequester).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">An ecological approach is required that considers: appropriate type of soil, local climate, other biota and what is being planted (e.g. native vs. non-native). Tree planting long-term success relies on using an ecosystem approach. This does NOT include the use of monoculture, which do not form a natural ecosystem, store less carbon, lack biodiversity, do not contribute ecosystem functionality, and are susceptible to disease. This also does NOT include planting with later harvest in mind. Plant the trees and leave them there, to grow, die, and replenish the ecosystem.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">The bottom line is that we must create ecosystems, not just plant trees.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">More importantly, we must leave currently intact forest ecosystems alone. Let them flourish and do their job for the planet. We must focus on natural forest regeneration by giving already established forests room to thrive and expand—not cut them down for timber or agriculture. Deforestation removes close to 10 billion trees of intact primary forest ecosystem every year. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">We need to think like ecologists—not engineers or planners or socio-economists and politicians—for the sake of the forests and the trees on this planet. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #030303;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksU9zGpXOIvNHfuApbwKbAMDIso1HtCJXuJkhK8aBn5KuMzoNT3QKywNPdzfTY91r9iPxThe30TldC5hWJSYJdzdTb2CEUjmnPY_-c4WZ2cuQy28cyyUJ2ogZ2V_xDNXU0zdzNizo7lPMx0CEhJshGxtD2qh0dzT5Xm2F5L69smrZhSQpufJ4Dwcg/s4272/Hemlock%20mossy%20old%20CA%20July.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksU9zGpXOIvNHfuApbwKbAMDIso1HtCJXuJkhK8aBn5KuMzoNT3QKywNPdzfTY91r9iPxThe30TldC5hWJSYJdzdTb2CEUjmnPY_-c4WZ2cuQy28cyyUJ2ogZ2V_xDNXU0zdzNizo7lPMx0CEhJshGxtD2qh0dzT5Xm2F5L69smrZhSQpufJ4Dwcg/w516-h343/Hemlock%20mossy%20old%20CA%20July.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhvOJrkhh8I" style="color: #954f72;"><span lang="EN-CA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhvOJrkhh8I</span></a><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-66045692348115869122022-04-02T16:07:00.007-07:002022-04-02T16:11:42.464-07:00 A Hidden Alvar Meadow Treasure<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPCYwGxOfXcMPCRo4uXhbeJT6D2hlh4j40ufOhF471j5DvGKnO8aO_ykwRfYHd5gzuUgvBeQODrsvQcFSCdAUxmOHhsYcaO4P4VLwHwvFhZaMS9YPO6M6LbMxkyBsuj-2sY9UsjNG8wf9wveVRp10N73DvMuKdXkCMnZEgeuYF6qKU4RY45Yf1vA7/s4272/Juniper%20sumacs%20path%20thru%20alvar%20meadow%20NewSnow%20Mar%20Pb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPCYwGxOfXcMPCRo4uXhbeJT6D2hlh4j40ufOhF471j5DvGKnO8aO_ykwRfYHd5gzuUgvBeQODrsvQcFSCdAUxmOHhsYcaO4P4VLwHwvFhZaMS9YPO6M6LbMxkyBsuj-2sY9UsjNG8wf9wveVRp10N73DvMuKdXkCMnZEgeuYF6qKU4RY45Yf1vA7/w523-h348/Juniper%20sumacs%20path%20thru%20alvar%20meadow%20NewSnow%20Mar%20Pb.jpg" title="Alvar meadow with dusting of spring snow" width="523" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">It was two years ago, on a crisp April morning—as I walked the naturalized trail through Peterborough—that magic found me. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I was heading north and unsure where the trail would take me. My muse had brought me here to explore my new environment; I’d recently moved from the bustle of Toronto and felt the restlessness of discovery. The trail wound mostly through backyards and cleared parkland, lined with mixed woodland of locust, black walnut, maple and oak and clearings bordered by thickets of sumac and buckthorn. I caught glimpses of houses and backyards as I walked the trail, surrounded by a chorus of lively birdsong. Robins and cardinals. Goldfinches. Red-winged blackbirds brought fond memories of childhood with their signature <i>conk-la-ree</i>! Chickadees flitted across the trail and sang their <i>chickadee-dee-dee</i>. A group of grackles took over a lilac-buckhorn thicket, their chatter sounding like an overused squeaky clothes line.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">The trail crossed a main road then a minor one and the backyards became harder to see as the shrubs and trees that lined the trail grew dense.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">Then, at a set of rocks on the east side of the trail, the thicket opened to a grassy rise and I glimpsed a small path, leading up the rise. The path was more like a depression in the grass where repetitive footfalls had created a trail of sorts. Several mature buckthorns and willows dotted the crest of the rise. And beyond the crest … well, that was my question. What lay beyond it? From my current position I could only make out the possibility of forest in the distance. The main trail up to this point had been through forest scrub of sumac, dogwood, black locust and other shrubs dense enough to obscure what lay beyond them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEu803IU5cUFLzszGfCGSjL9b4aCG2EoSj1Ij6y5NaCoUIBcJzIHzTOL6BZ0W8bBAdZJyWHdwc1gQyWAwPvLngZS2DRqlPEUBHIxKFyedUs92XMIOMq5QVu8gZ5kficMyeLrD2OtGqw7-cbgQbHA_n3m398zv2iVjW9zD2J5scWQW6NA0XjxfeOON/s2592/Meadow%20alvar%20Mar-Pb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="2592" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEu803IU5cUFLzszGfCGSjL9b4aCG2EoSj1Ij6y5NaCoUIBcJzIHzTOL6BZ0W8bBAdZJyWHdwc1gQyWAwPvLngZS2DRqlPEUBHIxKFyedUs92XMIOMq5QVu8gZ5kficMyeLrD2OtGqw7-cbgQbHA_n3m398zv2iVjW9zD2J5scWQW6NA0XjxfeOON/w515-h385/Meadow%20alvar%20Mar-Pb.jpg" width="515" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p>Drawn to what lay beyond the rise, I turned onto the path, boots crunching on a brittle layer of frost that had settled on the grass and leaf litter. It was a steep climb through slippery wet grass. When I crested the hill, I stopped and inhaled with wonder at the unexpected view below me. It was as though I’d walked through a portal. Gone was any sign of Peterborough suburbia; below me, stretching in all directions lay a vast natural meadow, with a maple-beech woodland rising to the east; striking white limbs of poplar trees marked the leading edge of the monochrome forest. <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5J0SSlGrmAKvMs7uvbakpdLlgxPpjBzy29G79pSbD0BnZyRRLPNuZIOlWqB4yp7sqHYMTzKogVMH7DAAGaWPAMN0ILrGXu-JpJ6Fl2GWA3TayZBUQ1NoZXlSLBgGDHdtEnr-4YfUI5TRYt53D-_8iooS6xjAfatIbJ9k-SJnSKGsJgU8hRizNBP4g/s4272/Path%20through%20meadow%20alvar%20to%20poplar%20maple%20beech%20forest%20Mar%20Pb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5J0SSlGrmAKvMs7uvbakpdLlgxPpjBzy29G79pSbD0BnZyRRLPNuZIOlWqB4yp7sqHYMTzKogVMH7DAAGaWPAMN0ILrGXu-JpJ6Fl2GWA3TayZBUQ1NoZXlSLBgGDHdtEnr-4YfUI5TRYt53D-_8iooS6xjAfatIbJ9k-SJnSKGsJgU8hRizNBP4g/w520-h346/Path%20through%20meadow%20alvar%20to%20poplar%20maple%20beech%20forest%20Mar%20Pb.jpg" width="520" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">The meadow that stretched before me was a gently rolling landscape of pale gold grasses and a chaos of strewn limestone rocks and gravel dotted by russet junipers and the gray-brown umber of dwarf hawthorn, buckthorn and sumac shrubs. In a lower depression in the centre of the meadow, a grove of young cedar trees added splashes of green to the gold-copper mosaic. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I made my way down into the rock-strewn meadow and was immediately struck by the silence. As though a hush had settled there, a kind of sacred humility stayed me. I felt unexpectedly blessed. I walked with silent steps as if in a church, toward a grove of stunted sumacs and came suddenly face to face with two white-tailed deer. We were both startled. In that protracted moment when our gazes met, time paused and the world stopped. Then one deer sprang away, followed by the other, their shocking white behinds bobbing as they fled through the sumacs toward the forest.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">As if by design, at that exact moment, it began to snow. Huge flakes fell lazily like confetti in a mild breeze. Then it came down in a thick passion. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I felt the presence of magic.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9XYYolQFu-XE2BZ9MxHIaWvKFE0e-x8OgXCd7IJGLIvf6oesmDj_nrRwlu99gi6tOVacivPMOmegVDjEhZWllOlUdGj3jSmBreQnCLVc2dyECTs9FyGQVszbQTlgZRKQt-wbuWcVGpcpBFbTtrap79EhFw1Hy1WIWomC6lQ-_k41OTvUhAWGy4IX/s3236/Looking%20at%20alvar%20meadow%20from%20forest%20Mar%20Pb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="3236" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9XYYolQFu-XE2BZ9MxHIaWvKFE0e-x8OgXCd7IJGLIvf6oesmDj_nrRwlu99gi6tOVacivPMOmegVDjEhZWllOlUdGj3jSmBreQnCLVc2dyECTs9FyGQVszbQTlgZRKQt-wbuWcVGpcpBFbTtrap79EhFw1Hy1WIWomC6lQ-_k41OTvUhAWGy4IX/w561-h214/Looking%20at%20alvar%20meadow%20from%20forest%20Mar%20Pb.jpg" width="561" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">Alvar Ecosystem<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">In the next two years, I returned many times to this magic place of barren beauty. My good friend and naturalist Merridy suggested that this meadow was likely an alvar, a distinct ecosystem that establishes on a limestone or dolostone plain with thin or no soil, and characterized by sparse grassland vegetation. This made sense to me, given the habitats I’d observed. Also called a <i>pavement barren</i>of <i>limestone pavement</i>and a <i>calcareous grassland</i>, alvars are often flooded in the spring and affected by drought in midsummer. Because of this, alvars support a distinct prairie-like community of grass, lichen and mosses, as well as stunted trees and shrubs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnBa7N63Fw0t-tR8rVebnkDVBp1KEiCv5J-6HEmXLuTsUSaDa07-KfSwBwnydJCxbSnzuKwwV4z4AHjSPSltyjX0XoXh4GF96TUYBc5ypZS0a377CqROiQ9NjiUNEfh9n0eFQQvcAKyXpO2Jps41_csR9rZyW4_o9KlhDhSL7jBr8Qj5YhO8khlJ_/s2592/Meadow%20grasses%20shrub%20of%20trail%20May%20RT%20Pb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="2592" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnBa7N63Fw0t-tR8rVebnkDVBp1KEiCv5J-6HEmXLuTsUSaDa07-KfSwBwnydJCxbSnzuKwwV4z4AHjSPSltyjX0XoXh4GF96TUYBc5ypZS0a377CqROiQ9NjiUNEfh9n0eFQQvcAKyXpO2Jps41_csR9rZyW4_o9KlhDhSL7jBr8Qj5YhO8khlJ_/w514-h384/Meadow%20grasses%20shrub%20of%20trail%20May%20RT%20Pb.jpg" width="514" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span><span lang="EN-CA">The term ‘alvar’ originated in Sweden to describe the unique ecosystem of the Swedish island of </span><span style="color: #202122; font-size: 10.5pt;">Ö</span><span lang="EN-CA">land, with its unique exposed limestone slabs. Alvars are a rare ecosystem; they are found in a handful of places, including the eastern European Baltic region, the United Kingdom and Ireland. In North America, close to 75% of alvars are located in Ontario. Ecologists describe seven habitat types for alvar ecosystems in Ontario. These include</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">: tall grassy meadows, tall forb-rich meadows, low grassy meadows, low forb-rich meadows, dry grassland, rock margin grassland, and bare rock flats. In my various wanderings through this</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">alvar meadow over the seasons, I recognized several of these habitats, from wet marshy lowland grass-forb meadow to dry tall grasslands and rock-strewn stretches of dry flatland.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlC58fotjJjZthLWYz-dvQt_q1CYzdvaimGqpgCQq4SokdRE95z82i_mGzwPeK1iQ6ANSwKoPwAKkei9kmTIXqOgBBd7t5BIh4Aba5xV3NsYJwxp-n5kxBD98Moddq4gQcurcMnU8-mc-JFeHu-NojoQeiNP5Tdv-BdEEtHcB0y96uZaik5X4q-Sn/s2319/Meadow%20walking%20rocky%20path%20to%20forest%20May%20Pb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1492" data-original-width="2319" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlC58fotjJjZthLWYz-dvQt_q1CYzdvaimGqpgCQq4SokdRE95z82i_mGzwPeK1iQ6ANSwKoPwAKkei9kmTIXqOgBBd7t5BIh4Aba5xV3NsYJwxp-n5kxBD98Moddq4gQcurcMnU8-mc-JFeHu-NojoQeiNP5Tdv-BdEEtHcB0y96uZaik5X4q-Sn/w519-h334/Meadow%20walking%20rocky%20path%20to%20forest%20May%20Pb.jpg" width="519" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">Given the role of disturbance in the formation of alvars, I studied the lower ‘bowl’ of the meadow more closely for signs. An old structure may have once stood where semi-structured rock piles were arranged to form a square. A patch of young cedars and birches—both flood-tolerant—surrounded it. I’d seen this same successional phenomenon in the Trent Nature Sanctuary, where it had been previously farmed. At the southern rising edge of the alvar stood a farmhouse, accessed by the little minor road I’d crossed earlier on the trail. I considered that this alvar was dominated by early sere plants, often the first to colonize a disturbed environment—lilac, hawthorn, buckthorn, sumac. Had there been a fire through here? Had someone tried to cultivate this site? It was surrounded by rural and residential development with a dedicated parkland (Trent Nature Sanctuary) of a drumlin maple-beech forest bordering it to the east. Attempts to cultivate parts of the nature sanctuary at one time are also evident.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">This place remains a bit of a mystery and I am intrigued to solve it. Stay tuned…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5E9h51OESSdIUN3c7bLAKdq8EeM7VaEjdN-1x14BHkFL13fqPpq3ElKCxwkC21if13VTg6Tje69sbFWLRdQlbelEIlJ_EkeN4whXve-F3nrd9syb-Vio0n-JTC9_TK84OGwOMseWvTTSX3zAalw7M8gn4PF8oDs_V4FlPKI0bKLc3J1uFIVIcP1-/s3303/Meadow%20Sumac%20drupes%20Mar%20Pb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1614" data-original-width="3303" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5E9h51OESSdIUN3c7bLAKdq8EeM7VaEjdN-1x14BHkFL13fqPpq3ElKCxwkC21if13VTg6Tje69sbFWLRdQlbelEIlJ_EkeN4whXve-F3nrd9syb-Vio0n-JTC9_TK84OGwOMseWvTTSX3zAalw7M8gn4PF8oDs_V4FlPKI0bKLc3J1uFIVIcP1-/w523-h254/Meadow%20Sumac%20drupes%20Mar%20Pb.jpg" width="523" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span face="Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaf2T3WEXsabjIGE-IbcbSlhkynmeQ2LZIVgrkPGv3qA-ibZhJCFokDlkWj3O61emtlgmD8g5Vey0Y-A9ZDXZcuwrs6kpm-si_Te3pi6-szx5xvDTbS0MrzsanVKi6LEEp7Bd6IVBnfwfasq13AYyzXMTki8BA4jZQxPrxWEhS8ds7DQXYR5i-3aAJ=s1892" style="color: #954f72; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1892" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaf2T3WEXsabjIGE-IbcbSlhkynmeQ2LZIVgrkPGv3qA-ibZhJCFokDlkWj3O61emtlgmD8g5Vey0Y-A9ZDXZcuwrs6kpm-si_Te3pi6-szx5xvDTbS0MrzsanVKi6LEEp7Bd6IVBnfwfasq13AYyzXMTki8BA4jZQxPrxWEhS8ds7DQXYR5i-3aAJ=w552-h268" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(195, 195, 195); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="552" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"></span></p><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span face="Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="border: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nina Munteanu</span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Visit </span><a href="http://www.ninamunteanu.ca/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">www.ninamunteanu.ca</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> for the latest on her books. Nina’s bilingual “</span><a href="http://www.ibs.it/code/9788899423490/munteanu-nina/natura-dell-acqua.html" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">” was published by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Mincione Edizioni</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> in Rome. Her non-fiction book “</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Water-Nina-Munteanu/dp/0981101240/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Water Is…</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">” by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Pixl Press</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">(Vancouver) was selected by Margaret Atwood in the </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">New York Times</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Water Canada</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">. Her novel “<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-diary-in-the-age/9781771337373-item.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">A Diary in the Age of Water</a>” </span>was released by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Inanna Publications </span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">(Toronto) in June 2020.</span></span></span></span></span></div>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-84284462434811943052022-02-25T20:18:00.004-08:002022-02-25T20:18:43.446-08:00When Snow Dazzles...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI0JqIIoBiV3tvq4JykKUTW0V89dw1YVxZWtJr5r7SgTRDYHtcE4f_y-MK9KXaSrU-c-GmrgjQo4iWFzTDhYA8CY4qc0N48lP8qhY2eccLN8nU3-JHLWDUxzRwb9YRatEn5ivBG1F0oDNer_BavTb9CKAtzyM6mbaWsVmQurSDZVWAGpn2mAryij2g=s922" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="922" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI0JqIIoBiV3tvq4JykKUTW0V89dw1YVxZWtJr5r7SgTRDYHtcE4f_y-MK9KXaSrU-c-GmrgjQo4iWFzTDhYA8CY4qc0N48lP8qhY2eccLN8nU3-JHLWDUxzRwb9YRatEn5ivBG1F0oDNer_BavTb9CKAtzyM6mbaWsVmQurSDZVWAGpn2mAryij2g=w559-h419" width="559" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">I grew up in southern Quebec, where the first snow of the season often came from the sky in a thick passion. Huge flakes of unique beauty settled on my coat sleeves and within minutes I was covered in snow. I would stand enraptured and study each one as I could. Snow wraps everything in a blanket of soft acceptance. It creates a dazzling face on a dark Earth. It refuses to distinguish between artificial and natural. It covers everything—decorated house, shabby old car, willowy trees, manicured lawn—beneath its white mantle. It quiets the Earth.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1sOMU_vNofkf1KVtDUJ0AmtQcjT_oigdOeGnvJ1nXtER1XPjX5J-QUEWeXi5tqj2oXdJ3YGlVW7ZQpUgy6yeHZ8oS-46I_MhkEpJp6qLfebyD_NY8iQXWSgCSOCwgd0FcgEC4brX5WahE28IXawtzG0TmdSGxOOJOMSzaqQm3ZuuHrADIQMw6pKfU=s772" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="772" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1sOMU_vNofkf1KVtDUJ0AmtQcjT_oigdOeGnvJ1nXtER1XPjX5J-QUEWeXi5tqj2oXdJ3YGlVW7ZQpUgy6yeHZ8oS-46I_MhkEpJp6qLfebyD_NY8iQXWSgCSOCwgd0FcgEC4brX5WahE28IXawtzG0TmdSGxOOJOMSzaqQm3ZuuHrADIQMw6pKfU=w546-h327" width="546" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 71, 61); color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Have you ever gone for an evening walk in the fresh crisp snow, boots crunching, snow glistening in the moonlight? Each step is its own symphony of textured sound. A kind of collaboration with the deep of the night and Nature’s own whisperings.</span><p></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLf-u-DlU44V6iS75rtkEdFhc47UlFRM5aetS6359MWrBhKYD7yYvFAKNfurqXeO-QWkB6pRrzZAGdDQErEga7k8LHSo8oZMasyT0B5keITGwVyKKV2tuhvhEgNqWfHwZxrWB6aw4KeUTR0AN4BjBMNqLhxxYbNG5UvZHHSoSGnZpgfP-O4ieuQJLk=s1632" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="836" data-original-width="1632" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLf-u-DlU44V6iS75rtkEdFhc47UlFRM5aetS6359MWrBhKYD7yYvFAKNfurqXeO-QWkB6pRrzZAGdDQErEga7k8LHSo8oZMasyT0B5keITGwVyKKV2tuhvhEgNqWfHwZxrWB6aw4KeUTR0AN4BjBMNqLhxxYbNG5UvZHHSoSGnZpgfP-O4ieuQJLk=w526-h269" width="526" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Snow is a shape shifter, charging down in a fierce blizzard and as glittering hoarfrost that forms on cold, clear nights. Snow is a gypsy, conspiring with the clever wind to form mini-tornadoes and swirling on the cold pavement like misbehaving fairies. It drifts like a vagabond and piles up, cresting over the most impressive structure, creating phantoms out of icons. Some people, fearful of the chaos and confusion that snow brings, hide indoors out of the cold. Others embrace its many forms, punching holes through the snow crust to find the treasure of powder beneath or ploughing through its softness, leaving behind an ivory trail of adventure.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-fQVYHggcU9Q78uoUP0SEMjBY6tahyg6wwg7qtObMdqnX-m1W73VuFM9mjyFDZlaW9_N0HBSe6aXl3tUsPn7HGiZD7DPPOE7fcG_o0lLDCbbMqAxlBSuGTcg5gN_8qI2JfMzXQjWGfDARmycymUhprGR4q8iDq4InA_nYzk2podIlIKXUzD459rJA=s1203" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1203" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-fQVYHggcU9Q78uoUP0SEMjBY6tahyg6wwg7qtObMdqnX-m1W73VuFM9mjyFDZlaW9_N0HBSe6aXl3tUsPn7HGiZD7DPPOE7fcG_o0lLDCbbMqAxlBSuGTcg5gN_8qI2JfMzXQjWGfDARmycymUhprGR4q8iDq4InA_nYzk2podIlIKXUzD459rJA=w527-h370" width="527" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Snow is magic. It reveals as it cloaks. Animals leave their telltale tracks behind their silent sleuthing. No two snowflakes are alike. Yet every non-aggregated snowflake forms a six-fold radial symmetry, based on the hexagonal alignment of water molecules when they form ice. Tiny perfectly shaped ice-flowers drift down like world peace and settle in a gentle carpet of white. Oddly, a snowflake is really clear and colourless. It only looks white because the whole spectrum of light bounces off the crystal facets in diffuse reflection (i.e., at many angles). My son, who skies, extols “champagne powder”—very smooth and dry snow, ideal for gliding on. On powder days, after a fresh snowfall, mountain trees form glabrous Henry Moore-like sculptures. Skiers wind their way between the “snow ghosts,” leaving meandering double-helix tracks behind them.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOhq6s76G4NVXelccJH2iuIzahfQmwawTP-YmX5llxF1mS0SMsIrMPoh53hHs6ylw69bGllqlis4j4j4otB5LEjUvV9RXWZYfASPwkszwttriYxhlBCuHRoOZeSqZcm47T8cgsMor9qF5Ne2p_9im8xSwXG7pGtT79gtSgD7h4qTqDKHnS-BcLaneQ=s2016" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1413" data-original-width="2016" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOhq6s76G4NVXelccJH2iuIzahfQmwawTP-YmX5llxF1mS0SMsIrMPoh53hHs6ylw69bGllqlis4j4j4otB5LEjUvV9RXWZYfASPwkszwttriYxhlBCuHRoOZeSqZcm47T8cgsMor9qF5Ne2p_9im8xSwXG7pGtT79gtSgD7h4qTqDKHnS-BcLaneQ=w539-h377" width="539" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Snow is playful. It beckons you to stick out your tongue and taste the clouds. Snow is like an unruly child. Snow is the trickster. It stirs things up. Makes a mess. It is the herald of change, invigorating, fresh and wondrous. Cars skid in it and squeal with objection. Grumpy drivers honk their horns, impatient to get home; while others sigh in their angry wake. Brown slush flies in a chaotic fit behind a bus and splatters your new coat. Boys and girls of all ages venture outside, mischief glinting in their eyes, and throw snowballs. Great battles are fought in backyards where children build awesome forts and defend them with fierce determination.</span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjruX24PRyJIA5NwGkrqZmPX4jIWxX3poCrkILeuRrZLJ3bqDcsVA0QnuVXDMPXow4fvABRdm7v_bvilZGVi4014SS6hkv5kitfxrQjFd2jVTC8_0jht7yPNIEscNUTMMxM84m7rjfA7CWxVyVIz3ZA7F_bzasNdQHs_c4OhsWc0y1fHywqZp70fEex=s775" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="775" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjruX24PRyJIA5NwGkrqZmPX4jIWxX3poCrkILeuRrZLJ3bqDcsVA0QnuVXDMPXow4fvABRdm7v_bvilZGVi4014SS6hkv5kitfxrQjFd2jVTC8_0jht7yPNIEscNUTMMxM84m7rjfA7CWxVyVIz3ZA7F_bzasNdQHs_c4OhsWc0y1fHywqZp70fEex=w536-h396" width="536" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><br /><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">In the end, snow—a solid form of water—remains implacable, untouched by our spurious activities. It lies beyond our tedious attempts to salt it, dirty it, move it or make it, turn it into slush, sublimate it or even desublimate it. Snow, like the water it is, cannot be ‘owned’ or kept. Ultimately, it will do its job to energize the earth, give life, then quietly transform, take its leave, and move on. Along with its various water cousins, it will move mountains particle by particle with a subtle hand; it will paint the world with beauty then return to its fold and rejoice; it will transcend time and space to share and teach and transform a world.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_6tDTdjLThTUqkYY25Hj-dorlsEAtf4lyk0IExNXVYwNJMV0jaXw-9KMXC1f8rR0KrIYT6O5zG6IUxspZOxheiOUzzoU67cZJFP3W_kPlLFCEuvyADOrcXKRZ1xXAj3XkI7Yp0vV1Z_SoHQJAzp89fUTn37uEgnJZAA39NPINbGIeHlgqSBNGBUMk=s3024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2176" data-original-width="3024" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_6tDTdjLThTUqkYY25Hj-dorlsEAtf4lyk0IExNXVYwNJMV0jaXw-9KMXC1f8rR0KrIYT6O5zG6IUxspZOxheiOUzzoU67cZJFP3W_kPlLFCEuvyADOrcXKRZ1xXAj3XkI7Yp0vV1Z_SoHQJAzp89fUTn37uEgnJZAA39NPINbGIeHlgqSBNGBUMk=w558-h401" width="558" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaf2T3WEXsabjIGE-IbcbSlhkynmeQ2LZIVgrkPGv3qA-ibZhJCFokDlkWj3O61emtlgmD8g5Vey0Y-A9ZDXZcuwrs6kpm-si_Te3pi6-szx5xvDTbS0MrzsanVKi6LEEp7Bd6IVBnfwfasq13AYyzXMTki8BA4jZQxPrxWEhS8ds7DQXYR5i-3aAJ=s1892" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1892" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaf2T3WEXsabjIGE-IbcbSlhkynmeQ2LZIVgrkPGv3qA-ibZhJCFokDlkWj3O61emtlgmD8g5Vey0Y-A9ZDXZcuwrs6kpm-si_Te3pi6-szx5xvDTbS0MrzsanVKi6LEEp7Bd6IVBnfwfasq13AYyzXMTki8BA4jZQxPrxWEhS8ds7DQXYR5i-3aAJ=w552-h268" width="552" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="border: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nina Munteanu</span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Visit </span><a href="http://www.ninamunteanu.ca/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">www.ninamunteanu.ca</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> for the latest on her books. Nina’s bilingual “</span><a href="http://www.ibs.it/code/9788899423490/munteanu-nina/natura-dell-acqua.html" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">” was published by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Mincione Edizioni</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> in Rome. Her non-fiction book “</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Water-Nina-Munteanu/dp/0981101240/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Water Is…</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">” by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Pixl Press</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">(Vancouver) was selected by Margaret Atwood in the </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">New York Times</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Water Canada</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">. Her novel “<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-diary-in-the-age/9781771337373-item.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">A Diary in the Age of Water</a>” </span>was released by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Inanna Publications </span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">(Toronto) in June 2020.</span></span></span></span></div>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-33160168567562643392021-12-27T19:52:00.001-08:002021-12-27T19:52:08.826-08:00When Snow Turns Into Passion...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpU9j5bASccVKAfVQudZYRM0QkbRr6KqKIRtBvwfevL1vNelA0fzCoygiLGKOToymb7dsyiIqxxy9bzWrKacjeStFcd1VEmC7STMqjXU_i1m-YCcJf-mxfsE7T0ldJFtrlcC_vGaVBfncjLD_AjvxlSYN49RkmOjY6f7lMZrk3_EHyky6ETDbz0DJD=s3446" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1704" data-original-width="3446" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpU9j5bASccVKAfVQudZYRM0QkbRr6KqKIRtBvwfevL1vNelA0fzCoygiLGKOToymb7dsyiIqxxy9bzWrKacjeStFcd1VEmC7STMqjXU_i1m-YCcJf-mxfsE7T0ldJFtrlcC_vGaVBfncjLD_AjvxlSYN49RkmOjY6f7lMZrk3_EHyky6ETDbz0DJD=w557-h275" width="557" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">It started with a sudden hail then light snow followed by sunshine. But even as the sun shone, more snow fell. The stubborn river kept glinting in the sunlight. Huge flakes fluttered down and the river sparkled. Some trees lit up like torches behind the thick snowflakes. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEhr5cU596KX0sVnYTb-fjksYAqLXl1-52WjGZvPYO7LiL-RxIUFKB288Fo1U_c_ZMlbLgpUIU8i1N9Iv1rNyQN0IMHbSCuMMEN5UvMFicQ-LdS0SICownPK45iZssTCT4itQULAqfYsnYF08RY7S2DHqiL6E8O45ko_65tTlESFeHOqCdglwi74ro=s3965" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2330" data-original-width="3965" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEhr5cU596KX0sVnYTb-fjksYAqLXl1-52WjGZvPYO7LiL-RxIUFKB288Fo1U_c_ZMlbLgpUIU8i1N9Iv1rNyQN0IMHbSCuMMEN5UvMFicQ-LdS0SICownPK45iZssTCT4itQULAqfYsnYF08RY7S2DHqiL6E8O45ko_65tTlESFeHOqCdglwi74ro=w547-h321" width="547" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">When I got to the marsh, the snow came down in a passion and the wind picked up. Huge flakes fell in a slant and covered the thin ice on the marsh edges. It covered the ducks, their backs full of snow, who ignored it all and just clucked and quacked and drifted close to me in curiosity. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyz3O-XKYTHjPQzVy1TK9P4-Mt8X_Oln52zHK6tnL5dmhwt1GzspqHw4-QFrVJwzSb2Y5oHTUuV7IeMj3PcB5-JgEyq8q4p-m_J-Mh1qIU5jN-sfLX_WbjuHBBrdBljPAykacM32HdnWTFDXrxgkxEXh-ccghQGeRJ9uAWDbedeIXieZ9HxpTR9YVC=s3744" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="3744" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyz3O-XKYTHjPQzVy1TK9P4-Mt8X_Oln52zHK6tnL5dmhwt1GzspqHw4-QFrVJwzSb2Y5oHTUuV7IeMj3PcB5-JgEyq8q4p-m_J-Mh1qIU5jN-sfLX_WbjuHBBrdBljPAykacM32HdnWTFDXrxgkxEXh-ccghQGeRJ9uAWDbedeIXieZ9HxpTR9YVC=w549-h265" width="549" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">The clouds grew dark. Then the snow filled the sky and I could barely see the trees as I walked through the forest… </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhM41Ek-cWgTmIavtWu_dPK8hG2aZA3RO9H_yzjusrj7zmQ6TD8hLXTIKIan5DkUlL8LB9wvhJJQCjbelq8DbdoaCzzHbR6NKmhnX4wMAwUf-Q2QV0cJgGYA0J3XQYEqKg8uz_8CYDp4g0BCUYy1CkyyfFHKFpu_uzR9GUJIAeQkr4DynnFxrT5aRjq=s3111" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1720" data-original-width="3111" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhM41Ek-cWgTmIavtWu_dPK8hG2aZA3RO9H_yzjusrj7zmQ6TD8hLXTIKIan5DkUlL8LB9wvhJJQCjbelq8DbdoaCzzHbR6NKmhnX4wMAwUf-Q2QV0cJgGYA0J3XQYEqKg8uz_8CYDp4g0BCUYy1CkyyfFHKFpu_uzR9GUJIAeQkr4DynnFxrT5aRjq=w551-h304" width="551" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">By the time I made it to the path by the river, the snow was seized by a fierce wind and flew sideways.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNPuVGPJGB-78gWzbarhbgMp-B85ZFZmgr53oIJVfMZnEzHuOvgRR9W6MgS_QR8G0d0eYAPBC57m5oVOOzFxIBVMEdwjoku5exYJg6O5b_O8v4cfB5qz6TxJ1NZexZMOU4-j4NbogCF5gf0YJ4_s4NO0so1dUYgsQCQa7HlToPJakuejZ8VE2BFvju=s4240" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2120" data-original-width="4240" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNPuVGPJGB-78gWzbarhbgMp-B85ZFZmgr53oIJVfMZnEzHuOvgRR9W6MgS_QR8G0d0eYAPBC57m5oVOOzFxIBVMEdwjoku5exYJg6O5b_O8v4cfB5qz6TxJ1NZexZMOU4-j4NbogCF5gf0YJ4_s4NO0so1dUYgsQCQa7HlToPJakuejZ8VE2BFvju=w550-h275" width="550" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Then, suddenly, like a hand on a shoulder, it all stopped. The wind and the snow. The sun emerged behind a dark scudding cloud and lit the water, now calm in the beauty after the storm.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgw6cU8HTI9M5kydD8N-xmQrNweIsblDTZR4qFnMUTnDhcHww5ywXcg8oM8Z9OGjoBbJnhF7urH8ot6JAHQvsqBrIWPPQCF5OzFqYaK8_VK5UneJ6dkpkNR2t1PHdSJ0iOhMrG4aVTRAOzG5vN5cgArFtsUWPQVeV4TQQUPs2zaTRjr1NpVxQQamt-V=s3777" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2004" data-original-width="3777" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgw6cU8HTI9M5kydD8N-xmQrNweIsblDTZR4qFnMUTnDhcHww5ywXcg8oM8Z9OGjoBbJnhF7urH8ot6JAHQvsqBrIWPPQCF5OzFqYaK8_VK5UneJ6dkpkNR2t1PHdSJ0iOhMrG4aVTRAOzG5vN5cgArFtsUWPQVeV4TQQUPs2zaTRjr1NpVxQQamt-V=w557-h296" width="557" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsCMyYtX7dts_skbHag9-Xc0Hif5-zvrGUIbTEJ8UbAW76mf5HUajsdDG7wD1qWfYpRslrhM_FvcK7E7rIXU84ZYkfWySX1bWC6BtQWfajdVxIOl1XJWMMBrc2Qd006qYtEsTNhWLymMQZO8LlbGMUk92F-0Mec6vE8BN3NaMsq2apAhuPCYCZFdBP=s1892" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1892" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsCMyYtX7dts_skbHag9-Xc0Hif5-zvrGUIbTEJ8UbAW76mf5HUajsdDG7wD1qWfYpRslrhM_FvcK7E7rIXU84ZYkfWySX1bWC6BtQWfajdVxIOl1XJWMMBrc2Qd006qYtEsTNhWLymMQZO8LlbGMUk92F-0Mec6vE8BN3NaMsq2apAhuPCYCZFdBP=w552-h267" width="552" /></a></div><span style="border: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span style="border: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></p>Nina Munteanu</span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Visit </span><a href="http://www.ninamunteanu.ca/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">www.ninamunteanu.ca</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> for the latest on her books. Nina’s bilingual “</span><a href="http://www.ibs.it/code/9788899423490/munteanu-nina/natura-dell-acqua.html" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">” was published by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Mincione Edizioni</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> in Rome. Her non-fiction book “</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Water-Nina-Munteanu/dp/0981101240/" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Water Is…</span></span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">” by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Pixl Press</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">(Vancouver) was selected by Margaret Atwood in the </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">New York Times</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"> ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Water Canada</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">. Her novel “<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-diary-in-the-age/9781771337373-item.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #68adc3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">A Diary in the Age of Water</a>” </span>was released by </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">Inanna Publications </span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">(Toronto) in June 2020.</span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #33473d; font-family: Lato, proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-72216197267634145132021-10-28T19:39:00.003-07:002021-10-28T19:39:43.829-07:00Cardamom Milk Tea—The Next Best Thing to Ambrosia<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3xyOgznjmmQ/YXtcxG9vVwI/AAAAAAAANdI/cykC0Dy5yvMg_ifqtPviF5Dhy8bmqNB6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1845/Cardomom%2Bpods%2Bseeds%2Bclose%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1845" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3xyOgznjmmQ/YXtcxG9vVwI/AAAAAAAANdI/cykC0Dy5yvMg_ifqtPviF5Dhy8bmqNB6gCLcBGAsYHQ/w450-h200/Cardomom%2Bpods%2Bseeds%2Bclose%2B3.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">I’ve been thinking of cardamom lately.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">I remember having an incredible tea in an authentic Indian restaurant on Gerard Street in Toronto. I remember its rich and sweet creamy taste. There was something exotic about its lingering taste and aroma. I knew it had cardamom in it, but I remember nothing else about it. When I mentioned this recently to a client, who is from India, he said I was thinking of Cardamom Milk Tea.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;">Cardamom Milk Tea is a spicy and sweet herbal tea made from the seed pods of the cardamom plant. The seeds can be infused directly in hot water or first ground into cardamom powder. Cardamom plants are native to Asia, but are frequently grown in other regions including Guatemala and Sri Lanka. The plant belongs to the same family as ginger and features pale green or beige seeds.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;">Cardamom is one of the world’s ancient spices. Native to the western Ghats in the moist forests of southern India, it is currently cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, and Guatemala, Indo China and Tanzania. Guatemala accounts for more than 50% of the global production. The fruits are picked or clipped from the stems just before maturity, cleansed, and dried in the sun or in a heated curing chamber.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;">The ancient Egyptians chewed cardamom seeds as a tooth cleaner. The Greeks and Romans used it for its pungent aroma. It was a main ingredient in perfumes and aromatic oils. Vikings first discovered this spice during their travels and brought it back to Scandinavia. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;">Two types of cardamom can be used to brew tea: green cardamom and black cardamom. Green cardamom comes from the plant known by the botanical name </span><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #111820; padding: 0cm;">Elettaria cardamomum</span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;">. This type of cardamom boasts a strong, intense flavor that is both spicy and slightly sweet. </span><a href="https://theepicentre.com/spice/cardamom/"><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">The Epicentre</span></b></a><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;">describes it as “warm and eucalyptine with camphorous and lemony undertones.” The green pods are the ones I typically see at the store and what I buy. Inside the little furrowed green pod are brown-black seeds in double rows with about six seeds in each row.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;">I found some wonderful recipes on how to make Cardamom Milk Tea and now make it a few times a week when my mood stirs for it. I find this warm elixir a soothing, comforting drink that easily replaces coffee or hot chocolate for its comfort-factor and rich flavour-factor. The huge bonus is its many health benefits. See below! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8GC1qXJrKF0/YXtdN-xLfEI/AAAAAAAANdQ/pDf-8XQPcEYgAU_jqK8lvSumXZdPAfDiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Cardomom%2Bpods%2Bseeds%2Bmortar%2Bpestle%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1571" height="460" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8GC1qXJrKF0/YXtdN-xLfEI/AAAAAAAANdQ/pDf-8XQPcEYgAU_jqK8lvSumXZdPAfDiQCLcBGAsYHQ/w352-h460/Cardomom%2Bpods%2Bseeds%2Bmortar%2Bpestle%2B2.jpg" width="352" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">Health Benefits of Cardamom Tea<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;">Now, for the good part. Besides tasting divine, cardamom tea provides many health benefits. </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124; font-family: Arial;">The seeds, oils and extracts of cardamom have impressive medicinal properties and have been used in traditional medicine for centuries.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;">Cardamom boasts anti-inflammatory properties that protect heart health and is frequently used as an antidepressant to boost mood. </span><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><a href="https://senchateabar.com/blogs/blog/cardamom-tea">SenchaTeaBar</a> </span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;"></span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;">lists several other benefits:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #111820;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">Weight loss and prevention of serious disease:</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"></span>cardamom tea may help accelerate weight loss by streamlining the body's digestive processes. Cardamom works to prevent the buildup of fat while helping the liver process waste products. Studies have shown that ground cardamom helps prevent obesity. Researchers found that cardamom improved glucose intolerance and prevented the deposit of abdominal fats. Cardamom was also shown to ameliorate fibrosis. Researchers found that cardamom consumption increased insulin sensitivity and decreased bad LDL cholesterol in pre-diabetic women.<span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #111820; font-family: "Avenir Next"; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;">Good for oral health:</span></b><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;">cardamom tea helps protect dental health by inhibiting bacterial growth. Drinking cardamom tea can help neutralize bacteria that grow on the surface of teeth (and cause dental caries) and prevent plaque buildup, cavities, and dental caries. The antibacterial properties of cardamom also effectively treat halitosis—more commonly known as bad breath. Bad breath is caused when bacteria builds up in the mouth and begins to feed on food particles. Cardamom helps eliminate the bacteria to keep your breath fresh all day long.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;">Boosts immune system:</span></b><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;">cardamom tea may help treat and prevent the common cold and flu. That's because cardamom is packed with antioxidants and vitamins that fight off viruses, fungi, and bacterium. Researchers found that cardamom effectively prevents viruses including streptococcus, which causes sore throat and is effective against staph infections and fungal infections including candida.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;">Protects heart health:</span></b><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;">cardamom contains high levels of potassium that are good for heart health. Potassium works as a vasodilator, decreasing inflammation and pressure on arteries and blood vessels. Drinking cardamom tea regularly may help lower high blood pressure. It can help improve blood circulation and lower your risk of heart attack and blood clots.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;">Digestive aid:</span></b><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;">cardamom tea has long been used as a digestive aid to soothe stomach ailments including gas and bloating. It was used in Turkey and Arabic societies to treat intestinal worms. Crushed cardamom seeds have anti-inflammatory properties that soothe irritated stomach muscles. This helps to prevent the contractions that cause stomach pains.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;">Cardamom is a natural carminative, which means it relieves gas. Drinking cardamom tea during or after a meal can help streamline digestion and prevent gas. Some research also shows that cardamom tea may be beneficial in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome although results have been inconclusive.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;">Like ginger tea, cardamom tea can help treat nausea. Sip this hot tea before you board a boat or plane if you suffer from motion sickness. Drinking cardamom tea may also help ease morning sickness, but make sure to consult a physician before drinking cardamom tea if you are pregnant.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VgFqB2xaFAo/YXtdlVexadI/AAAAAAAANdY/CWv3PgQr2mEl1JFSP8kA2Nla2nAiARC-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/cup%2Bof%2Bcardomom%2Btea%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1628" data-original-width="2048" height="342" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VgFqB2xaFAo/YXtdlVexadI/AAAAAAAANdY/CWv3PgQr2mEl1JFSP8kA2Nla2nAiARC-ACLcBGAsYHQ/w431-h342/cup%2Bof%2Bcardomom%2Btea%2B3.jpg" width="431" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">Making Cardamom Tea<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">Cardamom tea pairs well with black tea leaves. The spicy notes of cardamom also pair well with coconut milk, dairy milk or oat milk (which is what I use). You can use honey or raw sugar to sweeten.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Raw sugar (1 Tbsp)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Tea leaves (1 Tbsp; I use Assam black tea)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Milk (1 glass; I use oat milk because I am currently avoiding cow’s milk)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Water (third of a glass)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Cardomom (3 pods; I use the green ones)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AzFCdWt1qNI/YXtd2QwewUI/AAAAAAAANdg/b9WNNfuUiSkt3zbY0fJD3qPF5yG-TEE2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Water%2Bsugar%2Btea%2Bcardomom%2Bboiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1911" height="421" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AzFCdWt1qNI/YXtd2QwewUI/AAAAAAAANdg/b9WNNfuUiSkt3zbY0fJD3qPF5yG-TEE2QCLcBGAsYHQ/w394-h421/Water%2Bsugar%2Btea%2Bcardomom%2Bboiling.jpg" width="394" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">Bring the water to a rolling boil in a stove top pot. Add tea, cardamom and sugar then simmer the tea for 1-5 minutes; it makes the tea strong and brings out the flavour. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XK_8m1e2cWs/YXteGzIqeLI/AAAAAAAANdo/CNdoC_wlzwILTtL6nRbxUhVS5Mx7uR3cgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1948/Milk%2Btea%2Bboiling%2Bup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1948" data-original-width="1936" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XK_8m1e2cWs/YXteGzIqeLI/AAAAAAAANdo/CNdoC_wlzwILTtL6nRbxUhVS5Mx7uR3cgCLcBGAsYHQ/w398-h400/Milk%2Btea%2Bboiling%2Bup.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">Add milk to the boiling tea. Wait for it to boil. It will rise up into a froth. Simmer down for several minutes. Then strain into a cup and drink while wonderfully hot.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wOWwYHmdSlg/YXteTGlm_eI/AAAAAAAANds/4-GljTVFaaMOA9l_gObDTF1QMkmoL3GlACLcBGAsYHQ/s1936/Milk%2Btea%2Bpoured%2Bthru%2Bstrainer%2Binto%2Bcup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1852" data-original-width="1936" height="383" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wOWwYHmdSlg/YXteTGlm_eI/AAAAAAAANds/4-GljTVFaaMOA9l_gObDTF1QMkmoL3GlACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h383/Milk%2Btea%2Bpoured%2Bthru%2Bstrainer%2Binto%2Bcup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;">Possible Side Effects of Cardamom Tea<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;">Cardamom tea has not been shown to have any serious side effects when consumed in moderation. However, this herbal tea may interact with certain medications so it's a good idea to talk to your doctor before drinking cardamom tea if you have a health condition. Research shows cardamom may interact with blood thinning medications and some antidepressants so limit or avoid use if you take these medications. Cardamom tea may cause allergic reactions in certain individuals. If you experience symptoms including runny nose, itchy throat, or difficulty breathing when drinking cardamom tea, stop use immediately. Don't drink cardamom tea if you are allergic to either of the cardamom plants.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #111820; font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYKMCkIfSJs/X0Xx2l9YQKI/AAAAAAAAMfY/z8u5wyUya0kRJMBPfQOzUfFygUOR2QLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1065/Nina-tree2019%2Bcopy.jpg" style="clear: left; color: black; display: inline !important; float: left; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="924" height="262" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYKMCkIfSJs/X0Xx2l9YQKI/AAAAAAAAMfY/z8u5wyUya0kRJMBPfQOzUfFygUOR2QLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/w227-h262/Nina-tree2019%2Bcopy.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(195, 195, 195); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="227" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px;">Nina Munteanu is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Nina’s bilingual “La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water” was published by Mincione Edizioni in Rome. Her non-fiction book “Water Is…” was selected by Margaret Atwood in the New York Times ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by Water Canada. Her novel “A Diary in the Age of Water” was released by Inanna Publications in 2020. Visit www.ninamunteanu.ca for the latest on her books.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-72649010884311380742021-08-22T11:13:00.005-07:002021-08-22T11:15:34.841-07:00 Paradox of Details: The Role of Place in Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-piHLY6v5f-A/YSKSJtCY-GI/AAAAAAAANVw/m3El70lV76I-SVb8Egm238Rxelu3TE_3QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1187/Paradox%2Bin%2Bthe%2BDetails.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="1187" height="277" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-piHLY6v5f-A/YSKSJtCY-GI/AAAAAAAANVw/m3El70lV76I-SVb8Egm238Rxelu3TE_3QCLcBGAsYHQ/w543-h277/Paradox%2Bin%2Bthe%2BDetails.jpg" width="543" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">A few weeks ago, I (virtually) participated in When Words Collide, one of Canada’s prime writing festivals in Calgary, Alberta. I was a featured writer, sitting on several panels and conducting presentations and lectures.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">One of the two presentations I did was on the role of place in story. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">The role of place in story is a topic close to my heart and one I recently wrote an entire writing guidebook on: </span><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Ecology-Story-World-Character/dp/0981163653"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA">The Ecology of Story: World as Character</span></i></b></a><span lang="EN-CA">. In my coaching sessions with writers and in my writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto, I’ve observed in the novice writer a need for more effective integration of setting and place in story. All too often, the lack of meaningful integration translated into a lost opportunity to explore the POV character and the story’s theme. The lack of meaningful use of place in story can result in a lacklustre story, overly vague characterizations and a story that lacks metaphoric depth and relevance.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">At the very heart of a story is a portrait of a place…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-reAyGWPHrXs/YSKSVW04SnI/AAAAAAAANV0/UGn-Fc4PpAco9bdce0o8tB03P57Y-u7-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1193/Place%2Bheart%2Bof%2Bstory.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1193" height="305" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-reAyGWPHrXs/YSKSVW04SnI/AAAAAAAANV0/UGn-Fc4PpAco9bdce0o8tB03P57Y-u7-gCLcBGAsYHQ/w542-h305/Place%2Bheart%2Bof%2Bstory.jpg" width="542" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">The presentation and following discussion drew from my guidebook <b><i>Ecology of Story</i></b>and overviewed topics covered in the book, such as:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Place as character & archetype<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Place as metaphor (personification, symbols, allegory)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Place and first impressions (openings)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Place and emotion (over time and by POV)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Place through the senses<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Place as environmental force (including climate change)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">We also discussed how characters connect with their environment and I introduced the metaphoric connection between the Mi’kmaq and the white pine forests in Annie Proulx’s <b><i>Barkskins</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">I concluded the presentation with a discussion on the “paradox of details”: the more specific description is, the more universal its appeal. This is because the details can establish relevance and realism to the scene and the POV character experiencing them. Vagueness and lack of tangibility are avoided through specificity. The key, however, is to use details that harmonize with the theme and tone of the book: as metaphor. Details as metaphor is what you want to achieve. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">Because, as Ray Bradbury once told me, “<i>everything </i>in story is metaphor.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9w7307A4LSA/YSKTPI7ypqI/AAAAAAAANWI/jh051EuYtj8BjPW4-bBk4elEk7gc_L2KACLcBGAsYHQ/s1188/Place%2Bas%2Bmetaphor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="1188" height="247" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9w7307A4LSA/YSKTPI7ypqI/AAAAAAAANWI/jh051EuYtj8BjPW4-bBk4elEk7gc_L2KACLcBGAsYHQ/w564-h247/Place%2Bas%2Bmetaphor.jpg" width="564" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_A3chaSu5wg/YSKS0ZPFJfI/AAAAAAAANWA/n9ewqgBeZsA4t2AY0jNV5IvaV0DONlNMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/EcologyOfStory%2Bcopy.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1288" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_A3chaSu5wg/YSKS0ZPFJfI/AAAAAAAANWA/n9ewqgBeZsA4t2AY0jNV5IvaV0DONlNMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/EcologyOfStory%2Bcopy.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Ecology-Story-World-Character/dp/0981163653">The Ecology of Story: World as Character</a> </span></i></b><span lang="EN-CA">is presented in two parts: <b>Part 1 </b>provides a comprehensive summary of the science of ecology, the study of relationships, and links to useful metaphor; <b>Part 2 </b>discusses world and place in story. Here I discuss how the great writers have successfully integrated place with theme, character and plot to create a multi-layered story with depth and meaning. <b>Part 2 </b>also contains several exercises and detailed case studies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-556272134115521632021-05-28T14:12:00.005-07:002021-05-28T14:14:37.766-07:00Nina Munteanu's "A Diary in the Age of Water" Longlisted for Miramichi Reader's 'The Very Best!' Book Award for 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0O6K1ecjU-k/YLFcVUS-ekI/AAAAAAAANIU/suXt6i7ec_IHpRqnITmiVCPDG3CjkqHjACLcBGAsYHQ/s1255/MiramichiReader%2BAnnounce%2BVeryBest%2BBookAwardsLonglist2021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1255" height="286" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0O6K1ecjU-k/YLFcVUS-ekI/AAAAAAAANIU/suXt6i7ec_IHpRqnITmiVCPDG3CjkqHjACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h286/MiramichiReader%2BAnnounce%2BVeryBest%2BBookAwardsLonglist2021.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://miramichireader.ca/2021/05/announcing-the-very-best-book-awards-longlist-for-2021/" target="_blank">The Miramichi Reader's popular "The Very Best!" Book Awards</a></b> were recently announced for 2021. Nina Munteanu's climate fiction novel "A Diary in the Age of Water" is one of twelve books chosen for best novel. Winners will be announced on or by June 26th, 2021.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VI3G-0LrfrY/YLFclxMRjoI/AAAAAAAANIc/WAbN04OEvmkq7ieTy_4nwGDeiRnFh0NsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1273/AoW%2Bon%2BMiramichiReader%2BLonglist%2B2021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1273" height="209" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VI3G-0LrfrY/YLFclxMRjoI/AAAAAAAANIc/WAbN04OEvmkq7ieTy_4nwGDeiRnFh0NsgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h209/AoW%2Bon%2BMiramichiReader%2BLonglist%2B2021.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-1210652906362151362021-04-22T09:26:00.003-07:002021-04-22T09:29:53.978-07:00Happy Earth Day! Celebrate with Eco-Fiction ... Then Plant a Tree!<p> <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Mary Woodbury, author and publisher of Dragonfly.eco, lists some of her favourite “Eco-Fiction [that] Inspires Action” in the Spring 2021 issue of Ecology & Action. Among them is Nina Munteanu’s eco-novel “A Diary in the Age of Water”:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TVUH_CPp3g/YIGit-aD2PI/AAAAAAAANAc/xmhP-PvKIgoCpauDnaZWT3TGFCEzqTVXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s900/ECOLOGY%2BAND%2BACTION%2BEcologicalFictionInspiresAction-AoW%2BMaryWoodbury.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="712" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TVUH_CPp3g/YIGit-aD2PI/AAAAAAAANAc/xmhP-PvKIgoCpauDnaZWT3TGFCEzqTVXgCLcBGAsYHQ/w506-h640/ECOLOGY%2BAND%2BACTION%2BEcologicalFictionInspiresAction-AoW%2BMaryWoodbury.jpg" width="506" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYKMCkIfSJs/X0Xx2l9YQKI/AAAAAAAAMfY/z8u5wyUya0kRJMBPfQOzUfFygUOR2QLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1065/Nina-tree2019%2Bcopy.jpg" style="clear: left; color: black; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="924" height="262" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYKMCkIfSJs/X0Xx2l9YQKI/AAAAAAAAMfY/z8u5wyUya0kRJMBPfQOzUfFygUOR2QLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/w227-h262/Nina-tree2019%2Bcopy.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(195, 195, 195); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="227" /></a> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri;">Nina Munteanu is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Nina’s bilingual “La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water” was published by Mincione Edizioni in Rome. Her non-fiction book “Water Is…” was selected by Margaret Atwood in the New York Times ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by Water Canada. Her novel “A Diary in the Age of Water” was released by Inanna Publications in 2020. Visit www.ninamunteanu.ca for the latest on her books.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><p><br /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-21782609638884022882021-03-23T22:10:00.005-07:002021-03-23T22:10:44.897-07:00"A Diary in the Age of Water" Finalist for Foreword 2020 Book of the Year Award<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9UmaIVBXWqY/YFrFMeZ888I/AAAAAAAAM8E/h9Dipwarg8wKAnbsDspkhC2XGaE6_pm1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s766/AoW%2BForewordBookOfYear%2B2020%2BFinalist%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="766" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9UmaIVBXWqY/YFrFMeZ888I/AAAAAAAAM8E/h9Dipwarg8wKAnbsDspkhC2XGaE6_pm1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/AoW%2BForewordBookOfYear%2B2020%2BFinalist%2B.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />On World Water Day, Foreword Reviews declared my dystopian cli-fi eco-novel <b>A Diary in the Age of Water</b> a finalist for their INDIE Book of the Year Award in the science fiction category for 2020.<p></p><p>The story follows the climate-induced journey of Earth and humanity through four generations of women, each with a unique relationship to water. The novel explores identity and our concept of what is "normal"--as a nation and an individual--in a world that is rapidly and incomprehensibly changing.</p><p><b>A Diary in the Age of Water</b> has already received much praise by reviewers and readers. <a href="https://leehallwriter.com/2020/12/04/the-best-books-i-have-read-this-year-2020/" target="_blank">Reviewer Lee Hall</a> included it in his top twenty books that he read and reviewed in 2020: "...one of the most powerful books I've ever read...A truly important once in a generation read that flows like a wild river right through your imagination and heart." </p><p><b>A Diary in the Age of Water</b> was considered by reviewers of <b><a href="https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/books/riveting-reads-573421361.html" target="_blank">The Winnipeg Free Press</a></b> one of the top twenty books reviewed in 2020. Reviewer Joel Boyce writes:</p><p>"Like the works of Margaret Atwood and George Orwell, whose flavours seep through, this story works as both literature and persuasion."</p><p><br /></p><p style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYKMCkIfSJs/X0Xx2l9YQKI/AAAAAAAAMfY/z8u5wyUya0kRJMBPfQOzUfFygUOR2QLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1065/Nina-tree2019%2Bcopy.jpg" style="clear: left; color: black; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="924" height="262" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYKMCkIfSJs/X0Xx2l9YQKI/AAAAAAAAMfY/z8u5wyUya0kRJMBPfQOzUfFygUOR2QLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/w227-h262/Nina-tree2019%2Bcopy.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(195, 195, 195); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="227" /></a> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Nina Munteanu is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Nina’s bilingual “La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water” was published by Mincione Edizioni in Rome. Her non-fiction book “Water Is…” was selected by Margaret Atwood in the New York Times ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by Water Canada. Her novel “A Diary in the Age of Water” was released by Inanna Publications in 2020. Visit www.ninamunteanu.ca for the latest on her books.</span></p><p><br /></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-85196129346668262932021-02-17T15:56:00.004-08:002021-02-17T15:56:33.813-08:00 Nina Munteanu Talks Water and Writing on Minddog TV<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LIlaj-JigBo/YC2rwamKDoI/AAAAAAAAM3c/P1RflK9hpGcKGAfcjN_6l8t7RLgvtSldgCLcBGAsYHQ/s801/Nina%2Bdiary%2Bon%2BMindDogTV.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="801" height="482" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LIlaj-JigBo/YC2rwamKDoI/AAAAAAAAM3c/P1RflK9hpGcKGAfcjN_6l8t7RLgvtSldgCLcBGAsYHQ/w540-h482/Nina%2Bdiary%2Bon%2BMindDogTV.jpg" width="540" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I was recently interviewed by Matt Nappo on </span><b style="color: #954f72;"><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="https://minddogtv.simplecast.com/episodes/meet-the-author-nina-munteanu-a-diary-in-the-age-of-water-4NEmP7NH?fbclid=IwAR0o7NB-m1uOW5ibNPBv3aG3TdiZeVQEN3nTgk2feEtnmLfFwXGSBYpeUXk" style="color: #954f72;">Minddog TV</a> </span></b><span lang="EN-CA">in New York, where we talked about the science and magic of water, climate change and how to not become cynical, the process of writing, what scares us and what takes us through it into great storytelling.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">Here’s the interview:</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2JL9LNJoxHY" width="560"></iframe>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-71300227394209317592021-01-12T12:56:00.011-08:002021-01-12T12:59:11.184-08:00"The Best Books I Have Read This Year--2020<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4wpJXqpuaww/X_4MeQMjsuI/AAAAAAAAM0Q/4A2Sskd4Clw5fj9qwxVR_xTcCJh6-C_WwCLcBGAsYHQ/s787/LeeHall%2B2020%2BBestBooks%2Bcopy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="737" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4wpJXqpuaww/X_4MeQMjsuI/AAAAAAAAM0Q/4A2Sskd4Clw5fj9qwxVR_xTcCJh6-C_WwCLcBGAsYHQ/w375-h400/LeeHall%2B2020%2BBestBooks%2Bcopy.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br /><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.7em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.7em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Author and reviewer Lee Hall recently compiled his list of the twenty best books he read in 2020. Says Lee:</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.7em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s hard to believe that we’ve got to this point but we have. For all the words you could use to describe the dumpster fire that is and was 2020 I am going to use the word grateful. </p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.7em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Grateful for the authors who have provided me with not only an escape through their wonderful works but grateful to them for providing a vital centre pillar of content for this blog – reviews. Some of these creators have become friends and important connections in the world of online authoring for me. This post is dedicated to them and the best books I have read this year. </p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.7em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">While the criteria of ‘best books’ is derived mainly from my own personal taste it is also influenced by how many views the review got on here along with my admiration for the author. These works are an extension of some wonderful personalities who make up an incredible community.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.7em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.inanna.ca/product/a-diary-in-the-age-of-water/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1abc9c; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A Diary in the Age of Water</a></span> was among the books Lee chose for 2020 reading:</p><p class="has-text-align-center" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.7em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://leehallwriter.com/2020/12/04/the-best-books-i-have-read-this-year-2020/?fbclid=IwAR20GUSRC7kKvtAtZSPouMuKQMkXtdtdL97tokwMy8gdhY43e3V7xrNc5EM" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1abc9c; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">‘A Diary in the Age of Water’ by Nina Munteanu</a></span></p><p class="has-text-align-center" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.7em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A truly important once in a generation read that flows like a wild river right through your imagination and heart</span>…<a href="https://leehallwriter.com/2020/10/29/a-diary-in-the-age-of-water-by-nina-munteanu-review/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1abc9c; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">– Quote from my review</span></a></p><figure class="wp-block-pullquote" style="background-image: none; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 3em 0px; text-align: center;"><blockquote style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4); font-family: Raleway, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-style: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 1.7em; quotes: "" ""; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.75em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.7em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m being 100% serious when I say ‘A Diary in the Age of Water’ is one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read. For what it stands for is truly a statement towards our own damning of this beautiful planet and our most precious resource – water. Canadian Author Nina Munteanu has put together a masterful look at where we could possibly end up if we don’t act. This one was another Reedsy Discovery find and thus totally justified my joining of the platform well and truly!</p><cite style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 25.200000762939453px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">LEE HALL</cite></blockquote></figure><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYKMCkIfSJs/X0Xx2l9YQKI/AAAAAAAAMfY/z8u5wyUya0kRJMBPfQOzUfFygUOR2QLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1065/Nina-tree2019%2Bcopy.jpg" style="clear: left; color: black; display: inline !important; float: left; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="924" height="262" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYKMCkIfSJs/X0Xx2l9YQKI/AAAAAAAAMfY/z8u5wyUya0kRJMBPfQOzUfFygUOR2QLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/w227-h262/Nina-tree2019%2Bcopy.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(195, 195, 195); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="227" /></a> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Nina Munteanu is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Nina’s bilingual “La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water” was published by Mincione Edizioni in Rome. Her non-fiction book “Water Is…” was selected by Margaret Atwood in the New York Times ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by Water Canada. Her novel “A Diary in the Age of Water” was released by Inanna Publications in 2020. Visit www.ninamunteanu.ca for the latest on her books.</span></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-61894608576308291452020-12-07T17:44:00.001-08:002020-12-07T17:47:55.292-08:00 Twelve Books on Climate and Environment for the Holidays<p><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/12/gift-guide-12-books-on-climate-and-environment-for-the-holidays/" style="color: #954f72;">Gift guide: 12 books on climate can environment for the holidays</a></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U4isWOMuAVA/X87bMHYh_RI/AAAAAAAAMww/81c573xaKIgkALqRoVSxNXTZGV2fvqSEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1308/ClimateConnection-EcoBooks%2B2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1308" height="386" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U4isWOMuAVA/X87bMHYh_RI/AAAAAAAAMww/81c573xaKIgkALqRoVSxNXTZGV2fvqSEwCLcBGAsYHQ/w563-h386/ClimateConnection-EcoBooks%2B2020.jpg" width="563" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">“For this year’s holiday gift guide,” writes Dr. Michael Svoboda, “Yale Climate Connections has gathered celebrated anthologies, deep-dives into climate-related science and solutions, inspiring books from or about spiritual leaders, and visionary works of climate fiction.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">All were recently published, some within the month, writes Svoboda. These twelve books address decades of writing on climate change, reassess the challenges, offer hope and guidance for action, and envision very different climate-changed futures.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">There is, for instance, the anthology <i>The Fragile Earth: Writing from the New Yorker on Climate Change </i>(Harper Collins),<i></i>which includes Bill McKibben’s seminal essay “The End of Nature.” The anthology <i>All We Can Save </i>(Penguin Random House) edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson is a collection of works dedicated to leadership “more characteristically feminine and more faithfully feminist, rooted in compassion, connection, creativity, and collaboration.” Hope, guide to action and challenges are provided by <i>Future Sea </i>(University of Chicago Press) by Deborah Rowan Wright, <i>The New Map </i>(Penguin Random House) by Daniel Yergin, <i>Solved:</i><i>How the World’s Great Cities are Fixing the Climate Crisis </i>(University of Toronto Press) by David Miller, <i>Let Us Dream </i>(Simon & Schuster) by Pope Francis. <i>Tales of Two Planets</i>(Penguin Random House) edited by John Freeman explores inequality and the impact of climate change.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><i><span lang="EN-CA">Stand Up! Speak Up! </span></i><span lang="EN-CA">(Penguin Random House) by Andrew Joyner celebrates the inspiration of youth in taking up action through hope, activism and community. <i>Our Only Home: A Climate Appeal to the World </i>(Hanover Square) by the Dalai Lama and Franz Alt is a manifesto that will empower us to take action and save the environment. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">The novel <i>The 2084 Report</i>(Simon & Schuster) by James Lawrence Powell provides an “oral history” through interviews of the devastating effects of the Great Warming, which are both fascinating and frightening. My own novel <i>A Diary in the Age of Water</i>(Inanna Publications) chronicles the journeys of four generations of women, each carrying a unique relationship with water over a time of catastrophic change. Told in the form of a diary by a limnologist, the story explores a Canada mined for its water by United States, which, in turn, is owned by China. <i>The Ministry for the Future </i>(Hachette Book Group—Orbit) a novel by Kim Stanley Robinson uses fictional eyewitness accounts to tell the story of how climate change will affect us all.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">Yale Climate Connections:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white;">Edited by veteran journalist and journalism educator Bud Ward, Yale Climate Connections provides content developed by a network of experienced independent freelance science journalists, researchers, and educators across the country.</span><span style="background-color: white;">Yale Climate Connections is an initiative of the Yale Center for Environmental Communication (YCEC), directed by Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz of the Yale School of the Environment, Yale University.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/author/msvoboda/" style="color: #954f72;"><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Dr. Michael Svoboda</span></b></a><span style="background-color: white;">is an expert on climate change, a professor at George Washington University, and frequent contributor to Yale Climate Connections.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYKMCkIfSJs/X0Xx2l9YQKI/AAAAAAAAMfY/z8u5wyUya0kRJMBPfQOzUfFygUOR2QLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1065/Nina-tree2019%2Bcopy.jpg" style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="924" height="262" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYKMCkIfSJs/X0Xx2l9YQKI/AAAAAAAAMfY/z8u5wyUya0kRJMBPfQOzUfFygUOR2QLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/w227-h262/Nina-tree2019%2Bcopy.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(195, 195, 195); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="227" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Nina Munteanu is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Nina’s bilingual “La natura dell’acqua / The Way of Water” was published by Mincione Edizioni in Rome. Her non-fiction book “Water Is…” was selected by Margaret Atwood in the New York Times ‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by Water Canada. Her novel “A Diary in the Age of Water” was released by Inanna Publications in 2020. Visit www.ninamunteanu.ca for the latest on her books.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p>Nina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.com0