Language is one of our greatest art forms. Language is not only a tool of communication and persuasion but it is also a cognitive tool – saying things or writing about them helps us understand. This collection of essays uses language to its full force to examine issues related to our environment. Many of the [...]
Archive of posts filed under the Literature category.
Umberto Eco and the Gnomes of Gnú
“No doubt your civilization has some very interesting features: but if you bring it here we’ll loose our meadows, our trees, our rivers and we’ll be worse off. Would you mind not discovering us?” So said the chief gnome in Umberto Eco’s The Gnomes of Gnú, a children’s book beautifully illustrated by Eugenio Carmi. Author [...]
Video: Ian McEwan talks about Solar
In previous posts I have reviewed Ian McEwan’s newest book “Solar“. Now, in this video, listen to the author himself talk about his book, its portrait of human failings and how it was reflected in the farce that was the Copenhagen summit.
Does Activism Work – “Freedom” – a Novel by Jonathan Frantzen
It is encouraging to note that mainstream literature that has an environmental component is on the rise. ‘Freedom’ by Jonathan Frantzen has received widespread acclaim. ‘Freedom’ is not a novel about the environment. However, Frantzen does nave an interest in birds and conservation and his main character is a committed environmental activist who works for [...]
Worth A Read – Ian McEwan’s “Solar”
In a previous post I mentioned that I was excited by the upcoming publication of a novel by Ian McEwan that was inspired by the issues of climate change. Well, the book has arrived. I have just finished reading it on my new-ish Kindle (no paper to waste, no shipping charges, lower prices for the [...]
Long Live This Wounded Planet
Poetry as a literary art form is once again gaining popularity. There is no shortage of poems addressing nature and Man’s interaction with it. I find this piece by Adrian Mitchell inspiring: William Blake says: Everything that Lives is Holy Long live the Child Long live the Mother and Father Long live the People Long [...]
Good Advice For Environmentalists
Ian McEwan tackles climate change – and provides insights that environmentalists should take to heart.
