Read my August 20 opinion piece in The Monterey Herald about why history doesn’t have to repeat itself as the Soberanes Fire burns towards Tassajara.
Photo by Mako Voelkel
Fire, wind, water, earth…
“We are a uniquely fire creature on a uniquely fire planet….Other animals knock over trees and dig holes; we do fire.” Fire is an “ecological signature” of who we are. “It forces us to act and to chose.”–Stephen J. Pyne
Tuesday night I had the honor of conversing with fire historian Pyne and our host Bill Deverell at the historic Los Angeles public library as part of the ALOUD program. This was the first in what promises to be an intriguing series on fire, wind, water, and earth. You can listen to the podcast here or on the player below.
Speaking of animals digging holes, one of my cats is in the hospital receiving continuous fluids, in critical condition. I held him in my lap today. He was earth, water, wind. Very little presence of fire, and yet, his illness is yet another kind of fire to meet, right there alongside the exhileration of my book tour.
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