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Richard Carter

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Sidelines

Stuff I write when I ought to be writing other stuff.

Laptop desk
My improvised laptop reading and note-making desk. (And, yes, I totally pulled in my stomach for this photo.)

My makeshift desks

In which I unwittingly mimic my hero with the aid of an old chopping board.

Published 21-May-2023
Filed under: #AmWriting, Writing Tags: Charles Darwin, Darwin correspondence, note-making, on writing
Duchenne facial expressions image
Demonstration of the mechanics of facial expression. Duchenne and an assistant ‘faradise’ the mimetic muscles of ‘the Old Man’. (Source: Wikipedia)

LRB letter: ‘The reaction economy’

On Charles Darwin’s use of photography in his book about human and animal emotions.

Published 19-Mar-2023
Filed under: Articles, Published Pieces, Writing Tags: correspondence, history, history of science, LRB, photography, science
Manuscript page of ‘On the Origin of Species’
Manuscript page from the first edition of On the Origin of Species.

Charles Darwin’s book-writing process

Charles Darwin’s approach to book-writing went through four key stages…

Published 12-Feb-2023
Filed under: Featured Writing, Writing Tags: Charles Darwin, on writing
The Correspondence of Charles Darwin

Darwinian smut

On my new ‘Daily Darwin’ project.

Published 01-Jan-2023
Filed under: Writing Tags: Charles Darwin, Darwin correspondence, journal extracts
Gannet

2022: a year in photos

My twelfth annual video slideshow.

Published 01-Jan-2023
Filed under: News, Writing Tags: photography, slideshows, videos
‘Darwin in Conversation’ exhibition, Cambridge University Library

Cambridge Darwin pilgrimage

A trip to see a treasure-trove of Darwinalia.

Published 02-Dec-2022
Filed under: Writing Tags: Charles Darwin, correspondence, history of science, pilgrimages
Darwin’s study at Down House
Darwin’s study at Down House

Charles Darwin’s note-making system

An exploration of how Darwin kept track of his various notes, enabling him to produce a huge body of work.

Published 12-Oct-2022
Filed under: Writing Tags: Charles Darwin, Darwin book, note-making
Darwin book notes taxonomies

My notes ‘tagsonomy’

An overly nerdish description of the taxonomy I use to classify my various notes.

Published 02-Oct-2022
Filed under: #AmWriting, Writing Tags: note-making, Obsidian app, Zettelkasten
Grey seal

On the rocks

What I saw sitting on my favourite rock.

Published 25-Sep-2022
Filed under: Nature, Writing Tags: Anglesey, Anglesey 2022, birds, Brent geese, cormorants, curlews, gannets, grey seals, guillemots, gulls, little egrets, nature waiting, oystercatchers, razorbills, RNLI, rock pipits, Sandwich terns, swallows, wheatears
Risso’s dolphins

Grampus

A thrilling encounter on one of my favourite walks along the north Anglesey coast.

Published 18-Sep-2022
Filed under: Nature, Writing Tags: Anglesey, choughs, dolphins, gannets, ravens
Morning view from my favourite rock

Sitting on a rock with a brew, gazing out to sea

There are important elements of writing that feel like skiving.

Published 11-Sep-2022
Filed under: #AmWriting, Writing Tags: Anglesey, Anglesey 2022, nature waiting, on writing
Swallows

Winter emigrants—for the time being

Swallows aren’t summer migrants; they’re winter emigrants.

Published 02-Sep-2022
Filed under: Nature, Writing Tags: climate change, swallows

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RECENT SIDELINES

Laptop desk My makeshift desks In which I unwittingly mimic my hero with the aid of an old chopping board.
Duchenne facial expressions image LRB letter: ‘The reaction economy’ On Charles Darwin’s use of photography in his book about human and animal emotions.
Manuscript page of ‘On the Origin of Species’ Charles Darwin’s book-writing process Charles Darwin’s approach to book-writing went through four key stages…
The Correspondence of Charles Darwin Darwinian smut On my new ‘Daily Darwin’ project.

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Rich Text Newsletter No. 31: ‘When nice old ladies wave’ Crossing paths with the queen · medieval books · palimpsests · pelicans · prehistoric forests · runways · light pollution · Stendhal · spiders · Musk · and more…

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Richard Carter
The whole is greater than some of its parts.