The archdeacon is one of the colourful local characters who live here. Irascible and combative, he is nevertheless an important part of the social life of this small portion of the watery world. He’s a feral domestic duck with a chequered past and a strong sense of his own importance. A rather restless, listless day resulted in me drinking a lot of tea and reflecting on him and the work of Donna Haraway.
Journal entry:
16th April, Saturday
"I like it up here. It's not miles away from anywhere, but it certainly feels like it. The broad sky. The rise of hill. The tawny dried stems of last year's grass that rustle in the breeze that surfs over the hill's crest.
I could walk to the top and look down on the world beyond but I won't, because then I'd know I am not on a fellside in Teasdale, buttoned with gentians and quartz, with the smell of tent canvas and crushed grass and the brassy shine of a primus stove.
And I'd know that the world is waiting for me, even now, seeping across the borders of my mind."
Episode Information:
In this episode I read the first verse of John Betjeman’s poem ‘Upper Lambourne’. You can read the full poem here: Upper Lambourne. You can also hear John Betjeman read it on this video: John Betjeman reads ‘Upper Lambourne’.
I also refer to the work of Donna Haraway. She has written a lot on this subject, but arguably she is best known for her essay 'A Cyborg Manifesto'. There are also numerous short (and long) videos on YouTube in which she presents her ideas in an accessible way.
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Contact
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For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.
