I hear you, Nicholas. Running a Substack page isn't easy. There is pressure to get pieces up and a pressure to keep word counts down and then there is the technological interface of screens and devices. You're probably right that a Substack page is not a good place to try and write a book. They are two different kinds of writing.
I like your notion of posting what wanders by. You are a very good writer with a rare honesty. Letting things wander in and out allows for discovery as well.
As for relationship with nature, I agree with you. Yes, of course there is no "nature" out there separate from us to have a relationship with. But if that position is to be held, then the same holds true for human to human relationships. People forget that all language is symbol and abstraction. It will never perfectly correspond to reality and the best we can do is find the best words we can. Nature is one of our better words, old and of good source, from the Latin nasci, "to be born." And the problem is fundamentally one of relationship. You write as someone bereaved, grieving loss. Which shows the depth of your relationship.
I was a bit worried about you because of your long absence even though I don't know you.
Good to see your words again.
I'm sorry I'm unable to subscribe financially and put some more pressure on you to write more often haha
I am really happy to watch this space and see what wanders past!
I hear you, Nicholas. Running a Substack page isn't easy. There is pressure to get pieces up and a pressure to keep word counts down and then there is the technological interface of screens and devices. You're probably right that a Substack page is not a good place to try and write a book. They are two different kinds of writing.
I like your notion of posting what wanders by. You are a very good writer with a rare honesty. Letting things wander in and out allows for discovery as well.
As for relationship with nature, I agree with you. Yes, of course there is no "nature" out there separate from us to have a relationship with. But if that position is to be held, then the same holds true for human to human relationships. People forget that all language is symbol and abstraction. It will never perfectly correspond to reality and the best we can do is find the best words we can. Nature is one of our better words, old and of good source, from the Latin nasci, "to be born." And the problem is fundamentally one of relationship. You write as someone bereaved, grieving loss. Which shows the depth of your relationship.
Rob
Thanks Rob. Yes 'the same holds true for human-human relationships' is always the testing ground.