The dark streak of the essay spoke to me. Being alive is a violence and you say look at all the lavishness of violence in nature, who are we to shun it. Loved it. Thank you for posting it.
For years I wanted to write an essay about spiders, did all the research. (I was really a lot of fun at parties, asking people if they wanted to know the real story behind "Miss Muffett.") The trick is always making it personal, giving all the info that twist at the end. Brilliant, Paul. Kudos.
The dark streak of the essay spoke to me. Being alive is a violence and you say look at all the lavishness of violence in nature, who are we to shun it. Loved it. Thank you for posting it.
Paul that is freaking amazing. And the killer turn. Genius!
Brilliant! Not sure I should have read this as a bedtime story though. Nightmare worthy!
For years I wanted to write an essay about spiders, did all the research. (I was really a lot of fun at parties, asking people if they wanted to know the real story behind "Miss Muffett.") The trick is always making it personal, giving all the info that twist at the end. Brilliant, Paul. Kudos.
Well now I need to know the real story behind Miss Muffett.
Paul,
I am stunned by the level of depth and research you invested for this piece, and I'm not at all surprised it won an award.
I'm seeing a theme in your work: nature as metaphor.
The point you make about the only species with more powerful war dynamics (humans) drives home this curiosity in me for a follow-up investigation.
Nature is violent, we are told, we know. You displayed plenty of examples here. But humans - why? Why are we violent? What's our excuse?
So many directions this could go: philosophical, moral, ethical, spirit, psychological, anthropological, to name some.
Sorry for my rambling. Just some first impressions.