#10 A Poem Digs Deep Into Plant Love
W.S. Merwin is one of my favorite poets because he’s intensely connected to the natural world. He digs deep into plant love through his words. Not only did he believe in the importance of preserving the environment, he lived for years in Hawaii, gradually restoring a palm forest on Maui.…
The Most Effective Way to Keep a Gratitude Journal
Now that I’ve started a gratitude journal, I’ve been worried that its effects may wear off after a while. If I repeat myself regularly, I may lose the quality of happiness I’ll feel when counting my blessings. I mean, how many times can you feel grateful for a spouse, child,…
Botanical Shakespeare: My Kind of Nerdy Fun
The book, Botanical Shakespeare, is a delightful compendium of every mention of plants across all of Shakespeare's works. Physically, it's a lovely book, an old style hardback with a silk ribbon and pretty color illustrations. Inside, it's even more engaging, as author Gerit Quealy alphabetically collects the bard's poetic lines…
On Being Astonished and Capturing the Sight in a Poem
Here's one insight poet Thomas A. Thomas shared during our chat the other day: "There is enough awfulness in the world, and I pay attention to that too. But I want to look at what makes the horrors worth fighting through, what makes the suffering bearable." Check out this interesting…
Ross Gay: Singing About Plants and People
September is a month of transition. The warm, bright freedom of long days wanes into the chilly introspection of rainy nights. It’s a warning about the coming of the great sleep that is winter. It’s in the morning dew on cars and yellow leaves that swirl before us as we…
100 Love Sonnets: The Only Book You Need for Valentine’s Day
My love for my husband isn’t about flowers and candy on a particular day of the year. It’s about the surging ache I feel when we’re apart and I think of him. It’s about a random image, the shine of his hair, his voice, how he walks. It’s an act…
