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The good reads of late October [23-31/10/17].



Because I love Sussex Uni and its minds, let's start with ME TOO ANTHROPOLOGY, by MA student Elizabeth Beckmann on Culture and Capitalism (the blog created by the Department of Social Anthropology at Sussex - a great initiative to look up every now and then). Balancing between silence and exposure, Elizabeth is discussing the time needed to move from one state to another and what can be Anthropology's and anthropologists'contribution to that, both in the field and in person.

Turning to climate change, a topic that started occupying me daily ever since my own field was deluged a month ago, I much appreciated Waiting for the tide to turn: Kiribati's fight for survival, Guardian's picture essay by Mike Bowers. Higher sea levels, floods, deserted villages, damaged crops, political priorities and an ominous horizon: climate refuge

Further, discussing the immediate aftermath of a very recent - deadly - example of climate change, Professor John Sweeney writes Hurricane Ophelia: the shape of things to come? Climate change is undeniable and Ireland must tackle greenhouse gas emission  on The Irish Times (two weeks old, but worth a read even just now!).  

To bring a much needed bright side to our environmental concerns though, have a look at Phil Coomes' It's four in the morning, a little surprise by BBC, to get an idea of the various activities that keep happening at the silent hours of the day (well... night). Personal favourite picks: the urban photographer, the yoga instructor and the astronomer (+ a cool photograph of the Orion Nebula)! 

Turning to politics, read Jonathan Freedland's Conspiracy theories such as JFK distract from the real threats we face, on the Guardian, for an insight into the political exploitation of popular conspiracy theories and post-truth movements. 

Now, since: 
i) this is first and foremost a poetry blog, 
ii) I know some of you are writing yourselves and
iii) that several will be teaching some time in the future - if not already;
here's Teaching & Poetry: A Dialogue With Jennifer Firestone, a special interview held by Jill Magi and published on the Poetry Foundation. The techniques mentioned can be applied to teaching other topics to poetry as well and, while you may not find them all so inventive, the discussion definitely stimulates thought, a.k.a. what to do with my students/readers??

And finally, here's the fairy touch of the week - click to be spellbound! 


Photograph above: mum and twins, Chóra, Samothraki, 24 October 2017. 

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