I don’t know much about birds, but a little while ago I downloaded the Merlin Bird ID app on my phone (Cornell University). For the few who may not know, it’s like Shazam for bird calls, and I’m having a blast as it identifies birds in my Seattle neighborhood and on trips across the Pacific Northwest. This summer, it identified a Cooper’s hawk in our backyard. Never would’ve known it was even there otherwise. ❤️ (P.S. I think every single person in the US, no matter what their profession, has a right to an opinion as to who they feel is the best candidate and why. But that doesn’t mean they and/or the candidate should be taken strictly at their word. Research is key to informed decisions, and without due diligence, our democratic process is undermined. IMHO, character, competence, and kindness should be top priorities. And women’s autonomy should never, ever, ever be on the line.)
Dear Kate. yes I voted weeks ago by mail. Yes, I'm worried ,too, about this country! But then I think of all the desperate people in the world who have no chance to vote for anyone. We are so lucky in the US to even have an election . We as writers must remember that we have the chance to tell our own stories about what's happening to our characters. Our stories will tell future generations the truth of what really is happening in our sad world. Always, Jane Rita
This is a great post Kate. I love birds, especially owls and hummingbirds. I feed hummingbirds in my backyard. They are amazing little creatures. I also love what they symbolize—wisdom in the quiet presence of owls and resilience in the vibrant energy of hummingbirds.
The One and Future King is a great book. The Sword in the Stone is the first section of the book. The Disney version of The Sword in the Stone is good also. Someone else mentioned the Merlin Bird ID app. I recommend it also.
Thanks for the H is for Hawk reminder! I'll bump it up my list (and it engages with one of the longest running fan-fic projects of all time? Cool!). My little free library rec (not Arthurian): the 1988 short story anthology, Wave Me Goodbye, edited by Anne Boston, Viking. WWII stories, mostly by women. Grab it if you see it.
I read H is for Hawk during a recovery period after surgery. I had 2 hawks as companions perched on a tree outside my bedroom window, at least twice a day. Mabel and Helen gave me the courage to face the tug and pull when my knotted stitches came out. It was a strange way towards the path of healing, yet the more I read the easier it became to accept the burning scar tissue in my body.
I think I feel just as you do - looking away from the election now that I’ve done what I can, but also acknowledging it and not diminishing its importance. Thank you for the chuckle: “It’s not a race” to read a book. I haven’t read H is for Hawk, but maybe now I will. May good sense prevail today and all season.
I will be unsubscribing from your rather good mailing list today. Coming out of the gates spewing opinion about who people should vote for, gives me pause on everything else you might have to say. You might consider staying in your lane; agents and books. I am not a supporter of either of these candidates, In fact, I am a Canadian.
My lane is not voting for fascists who want to legislate my body and the bodies of many, many, many other people because of fear and ignorance. My lane is not giving carte blanche to billionaires and their cronies. You can be in any lane you want. And so can I. Thank you for reading Agents & Books.
Thank you! If Imay quote Elie Wiesel: "We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
The entire "system" is broken. In your country, in my country, and across the world. I am afraid you are being duped, on thinking either of these characters are going to save the country and its people. A new approach is needed to government across this globe. That's where I will be putting my attention.
I voted. I always vote. I grew up attending Vermont Town Meetings on the first Tuesday in March. Democracy is action. Also love "H Is for Hawk"! Must have given away ten copies by now. Living in coastal San Diego, we see lots of Redtail Hawks.
Not really a bird person but I did love that Hawk book a *lot,* which kind of surprised me. I was living in UAE at the time, where people are very serious about falcons, so my imagination was toggling between the desert & the English countryside. I feel similarly about Shirley Hazzard, after I read Transit of Venus and had my mind blown by what that woman could do with a sentence -- people were like "duh, where've you *beeeeeen*" ... That's the delight of libraries and bookstores, which algorithims simply cannot match: the treasures waiting to be found.
I don’t know much about birds, but a little while ago I downloaded the Merlin Bird ID app on my phone (Cornell University). For the few who may not know, it’s like Shazam for bird calls, and I’m having a blast as it identifies birds in my Seattle neighborhood and on trips across the Pacific Northwest. This summer, it identified a Cooper’s hawk in our backyard. Never would’ve known it was even there otherwise. ❤️ (P.S. I think every single person in the US, no matter what their profession, has a right to an opinion as to who they feel is the best candidate and why. But that doesn’t mean they and/or the candidate should be taken strictly at their word. Research is key to informed decisions, and without due diligence, our democratic process is undermined. IMHO, character, competence, and kindness should be top priorities. And women’s autonomy should never, ever, ever be on the line.)
The Merlin app is the BEST BEST BEST!
Dear Kate. yes I voted weeks ago by mail. Yes, I'm worried ,too, about this country! But then I think of all the desperate people in the world who have no chance to vote for anyone. We are so lucky in the US to even have an election . We as writers must remember that we have the chance to tell our own stories about what's happening to our characters. Our stories will tell future generations the truth of what really is happening in our sad world. Always, Jane Rita
This is a great post Kate. I love birds, especially owls and hummingbirds. I feed hummingbirds in my backyard. They are amazing little creatures. I also love what they symbolize—wisdom in the quiet presence of owls and resilience in the vibrant energy of hummingbirds.
Treat yourself to the Godstone and the Blackymor by White. It made me love him more than I already did for the Once and Future King.
The One and Future King is a great book. The Sword in the Stone is the first section of the book. The Disney version of The Sword in the Stone is good also. Someone else mentioned the Merlin Bird ID app. I recommend it also.
Thank you for keep it clear and keeping it real. We're not just authors and word people, we live here and our choices are important.
Read it. Loved it. Big T.H. White fan.
Thanks for the H is for Hawk reminder! I'll bump it up my list (and it engages with one of the longest running fan-fic projects of all time? Cool!). My little free library rec (not Arthurian): the 1988 short story anthology, Wave Me Goodbye, edited by Anne Boston, Viking. WWII stories, mostly by women. Grab it if you see it.
I read H is for Hawk during a recovery period after surgery. I had 2 hawks as companions perched on a tree outside my bedroom window, at least twice a day. Mabel and Helen gave me the courage to face the tug and pull when my knotted stitches came out. It was a strange way towards the path of healing, yet the more I read the easier it became to accept the burning scar tissue in my body.
I think I feel just as you do - looking away from the election now that I’ve done what I can, but also acknowledging it and not diminishing its importance. Thank you for the chuckle: “It’s not a race” to read a book. I haven’t read H is for Hawk, but maybe now I will. May good sense prevail today and all season.
I will be unsubscribing from your rather good mailing list today. Coming out of the gates spewing opinion about who people should vote for, gives me pause on everything else you might have to say. You might consider staying in your lane; agents and books. I am not a supporter of either of these candidates, In fact, I am a Canadian.
My lane is not voting for fascists who want to legislate my body and the bodies of many, many, many other people because of fear and ignorance. My lane is not giving carte blanche to billionaires and their cronies. You can be in any lane you want. And so can I. Thank you for reading Agents & Books.
Thank you! If Imay quote Elie Wiesel: "We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
The entire "system" is broken. In your country, in my country, and across the world. I am afraid you are being duped, on thinking either of these characters are going to save the country and its people. A new approach is needed to government across this globe. That's where I will be putting my attention.
I voted. I always vote. I grew up attending Vermont Town Meetings on the first Tuesday in March. Democracy is action. Also love "H Is for Hawk"! Must have given away ten copies by now. Living in coastal San Diego, we see lots of Redtail Hawks.
Not really a bird person but I did love that Hawk book a *lot,* which kind of surprised me. I was living in UAE at the time, where people are very serious about falcons, so my imagination was toggling between the desert & the English countryside. I feel similarly about Shirley Hazzard, after I read Transit of Venus and had my mind blown by what that woman could do with a sentence -- people were like "duh, where've you *beeeeeen*" ... That's the delight of libraries and bookstores, which algorithims simply cannot match: the treasures waiting to be found.