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Richard Carter

writer & photographer

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Writing tagged: ‘Robert Macfarlane’

Book review: ‘Mountains of the Mind’ by Robert Macfarlane

‘Mountains of the Mind’ by Robert Macfarlane

A history of a fascination.

Published 27-Oct-2020
Filed under: Writing Genres: History, Nature & Place Tags: Charles Darwin, Charles Lyell, John Tyndall, reviews, Robert Macfarlane

Newsletter No. 20: Giving it the David Attenboroughs

Barn owl

In which I gatecrash a podcast, and share cool stuff by the likes of: Melissa Harrison · Luke Turner · Werner Herzog · Merlin Sheldrake · Robert Macfarlane · Gaby Wood · Caught by the River · Philip Hoare · and a host of talented extras.

Published 20-Jul-2020
Filed under: Writing Tags: archaeology, birds, Caught by the River, Clive James, Darwin book, Donald Hall, Gaby Wood, Gilbert White, Luke Turner, Melissa Harrison, Merlin Sheldrake, Philip Hoare, Philip Larkin, podcasts, Robert Macfarlane, Werner Herzog

Book review: ‘Ness’ by Robert Macfarlane & Stanley Donwood

‘Ness’ by Robert Macfarlane & Stanley Donwood

A haunting prose-poem (I think).

Published 08-Dec-2019
Filed under: Writing Genres: Fiction, Nature & Place, Poetry Tags: reviews, Robert Macfarlane

Newsletter No. 17: Scoffing all the berries

Fieldfare on our hawthorn

Island Review · Julian Hoffman · John Green · Dorothea Lange · Jonathan Meades · Rebecca Solnit · Willowherb Review · Robert Macfarlane · Dave Winer · Horatio Clare · Mark Cocker · Steve Rutt

Published 06-Dec-2019
Filed under: Writing Tags: Horatio Clare, island review, Julian Hoffman, Mark Cocker, on writing, Robert Macfarlane, Stephen Rutt, Willowherb Review

Book review: ‘Underland’ by Robert Macfarlane

‘Underland’ by Robert Macfarlane

A deep time journey.

Published 15-Jul-2019
Filed under: Writing Genres: Nature & Place Tags: reviews, Robert Macfarlane

23 June 2019

Jay’s feather

A topaz treasure, and suppressed claustrophobic memories.

Published 23-Jun-2019
Filed under: Writing Tags: birds, Calder valley, dogs, Hebden Bridge, reminiscences, Robert Macfarlane, Shetland, Yorkshire Dales

Newsletter No. 16: Snippets of nature writing

Bluebells, Hardcastle Crags
Bluebells, Hardcastle Crags

sidelines · Robert Macfarlane · Julian Hoffman · Amy Liptrot · Little Toller · Sir Thomas Browne · Tim Dee · Adam Nicolson · Julia Blackburn

Published 07-Jun-2019
Filed under: Writing Tags: Adam Nicolson, Amy Liptrot, Julia Blackburn, Julian Hoffman, Little Toller, Robert Macfarlane, Thomas Browne, Tim Dee

Newsletter No. 5: Incongruous owl

Sunny bunny
Sunny bunny.

dawn chorus · Simon Armitage · the invention of the telescope · huge, sprawling collaborations · Withnail & I · book smells · re-assembling Darwin’s research notes · converting walks into words · Daniel Dennett · writing letters · humanist politics · dentistry with stone tools · analysing penguin poo · Melissa Harrison · Robert Macfarlane · swallows

Published 25-Apr-2017
Filed under: Writing Tags: Ben Myers, birds, Charles Darwin, history of science, humanism, Melissa Harrison, Robert Macfarlane, swallows

Newsletter No. 4: Paint to pufferfish

Sistine Chapel

Robert Macfarlane · Hilary Mantel · Martha Sprackland · Viking wool · Charles Darwin's reading habits · human evolution · praying to Elrond · drawing · making ink · Rebecca Solnit · insectivorous plants · do pufferfish hold their breath?

Published 24-Mar-2017
Filed under: Writing Tags: Charles Darwin, Dee marshes, evolution, GrrlScientist, Martha Sprackland, Rebecca Solnit, Robert Macfarlane

RSS Recent Newsletters

  • Newsletter No. 20: Giving it the David Attenboroughs
    In which I gatecrash a podcast, and share cool stuff by the likes of: Melissa Harrison · Luke Turner · Werner Herzog · Merlin Sheldrake · Robert Macfarlane · Gaby Wood · Caught by the River · Philip Hoare · and a host of talented extras.
  • Newsletter No. 19: Comfort Reading
    Melissa Harrison · Tim Dee · Horatio Clare · John Mitchinson · Ronald Blythe · Mary Beard · Benjamin Myers · Zack Arias · Eric Newby · greenland sharks · Maunsell forts · England rugby · Charles Darwin (obviously)

RSS Recent Sidelines

  • New-year snow
    There’s been snow on the ground since before Christmas, and throughout the first week of the year.
  • Chilling sound
    A vixen screams.
  • Comfort books
    A conversation with a friend about the books that have brought us comfort over the years.
  • 27 December 2020
    The offcumden squirrels have been making nuisances of themselves again.
  • End of a streak
    My 32-year streak climbing the same hill in North Wales on Christmas Eve has come to an end. 😕

RSS Recent Articles

  • Giving fiascos a bad name
    How not to make a simple three-minute podcast piece.
  • Gilbert White’s influence on Charles Darwin
    To mark the 300th anniversary of his birth, a brief account of Rev. Gilbert White’s influence on Charles Darwin.

RSS News

  • 2020: a year in photos
    My tenth annual video slideshow.
  • Bats podcast piece
    I make a guest appearance in episode 16 of Melissa Harrison’s podcast ‘The Stubborn Light of Things’. Here’s an extended version.
  • 2019: a year in photos
    My ninth annual video slideshow.

Recent Reading

Recent Photos

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Richard Carter

The whole is greater than some of its parts