Author Archives: admin

Reading List March 2022

Posted on March 31, 2022 by admin

Twelve books finished this month, including my target three in German and seven of the twelve by women/POC. Birds in London — W. H. Hudson Kaltenburg — Marcel Beyer Selbs Mord — Bernhard Schlink Cottbus: Geschichten und Anekdoten — Helmut … Continue reading →

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Reading List February 2022

Posted on February 28, 2022 by admin

Another eight books finished this month, five by Women/POC. Alte Sorten — Ewald Arenz The Books of Jacob — Olga Tokarczuk Sieben leere Häuser — Samanta Schweblin Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? — Lev Parikian In Morningstar’s Shadow — Aliette … Continue reading →

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Reading List January 2022

Posted on January 31, 2022 by admin

I finished eight books this month, five by women/POC and three in German, so just about on schedule. Most reading time has actually gone into the staggeringly brilliant Books of Jacob, but finishing that’s for another month. Streulicht — Deniz … Continue reading →

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Gutenberging: Aspects of Nature

Posted on January 17, 2022 by admin

My latest completed book (or rather volume one of two) for pgdp is Aspects of Nature, by Alexander von Humboldt. This is a rather odd one, consisting of three papers by Humboldt, together with his own supplemental notes to each, … Continue reading →

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Reading List 16

Posted on December 31, 2021 by admin

I finished a round 60 books in the second half of 2021, exactly half by non-white-males. The other measure I’m starting to keep track of is the number in German — 14 this time. Short stories Subtly Worded and Other … Continue reading →

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Catalogue d’oiseaux

Posted on December 26, 2021 by admin

The ebird bird-listing site has a different challenge each month, and December’s was to make 50 documents — recordings or pictures — of birds. I decided to challenge myself a little more and try for 50 species. We usually see … Continue reading →

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Gutenberging: Modern Greek Folklore and Ancient Greek Religion

Posted on August 24, 2021 by admin

Recently I’ve been working rather slowly on some big projects — first London Labour and the London Poor, and now Modern Greek Folklore and Ancient Greek Religion, by John Cuthbert Lawson. This project took five year from its beginning on … Continue reading →

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Reading List 15

Posted on July 1, 2021 by admin

I finished an industrious 54 books in this six months — more than my rough target of two a week. Also pleasingly, exactly half were by non-white-males. So woke. There were also a few big books, notably Doris Lessing’s and … Continue reading →

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Cottbusian Corvids

Posted on April 23, 2021 by admin

An unexpected pleasure of life in Cottbus is the number of corvids we share the city with. Most characteristic is perhaps the Hooded Crow, which has weirdly divided the European continent with the Carrion Crow roughly along the lines of … Continue reading →

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Proper Winter

Posted on January 9, 2021 by admin

Our first proper winter for several years is upon us. The safest view is from inside: Outside it’s pretty stark: Rooks keep an eye on things: While blackbirds nibble: The larger animals are on the move, looking for food: Or … Continue reading →

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