Beyond hyperbole,’ The Lost Words’ is a book that demands attention. It is a classic in it’s infancy – an about to be great. A spell book that weaves it’s magic with immediacy , like shivelight and shadowtackle – Gerard Manley Hopkin’s term not mine, it reminds me of those feelings when I am immersed in nature. Fleeting moments of lightness, beingness, the commonplace miracle.
“We must look a long time before we can see….’ Thoreau told us, exhorting the value of feeling ‘the marrow of nature. As a close observer he wanted to bridge the apparent gap between science and art, valuing the poetic in the endeavours of the scientific classification of plants and animals prevalent in his age. “Facts fall from the poetic observer as ripe seeds.”
This is genuinely a gift of a book from a joint venture between wordsmith Robert MacFarlane and the stunning illustrations by Jackie Morris. To share this book with anyone is to share in the joy of being alive
If you are near you may want to try this – The Lost Words Exhibition at Compton Verney
From <http://www.comptonverney.org.uk/thing-to-do/lost-words/2017-10-21/>
Alternatively , to get more of a close look at this joint endeavour and to find out about the author and artist , this link is a fabulous introduction, I hope it inspires you to find the book out. Penguin books Q and A
moving in time 