Midge Raymond's Blog, page 7

Is long-term peace possible in Antarctica?

Among the most amazing things about Antarctica — and there are so many — is that it is a place of peace. And this refers not only to its quiet, unspoiled beauty but to its lack of human activity for any purposes other than good. No one owns or governs Antarctica. It is one of  … Read more

Post-reading cocktails with Admiral Byrd, part 2

Though the book tour began in June, Admiral Byrd and I are still busy with events (and post-event festivities). We had an especially fun book-launch party in Ashland… …at the lovely Liquid Assets Wine Bar. Then it was on to Southern California for a few more weeks of events… ..all over San Diego County. And  … Read more

Post-reading cocktails with Admiral Byrd, part 1

One of the best parts of this summer’s My Last Continent book tour was catching up with friends along the way. Admiral Byrd, of course, made an appearance at every event…and at every post-event cocktail gathering as well. Here we are in Boston… and in New York… and Portland, Oregon… and in Seattle. I’m fortunate  … Read more

The dangers of polar travel

As the ice melts in the Arctic, tour companies are taking advantage of the ability to bring tourists to the region like never before. As I noted in this article for The Daily Beast, “despite all our technological advances, a ship is only as safe as her captain—and the capricious nature of ice and polar  … Read more

Bookstore Geek: Shakespeare & Co.

It has been a long time since I’ve been in New York, and I loved making the new discovery of Shakespeare & Co. on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. I had a reading and signing for My Last Continent here, with a little time to browse the store before the event. There is a lovely cafe  … Read more

Crime & punishment among the penguins

This New York Times article outlines one of the most interesting aspects of life in Antarctica: It’s a continent owned by no one, which means that there is no rule of law for a land nearly twice the size of Australia. Everyone working in Antarctica is subject to the rules of their home country, which  … Read more

Cat Editors: J. Bowers and Bama & Roland

Author J. Bowers, whose story “Shooting a Mule” appears in the new Among Animals anthology from Ashland Creek Press, writes with two cat editors. The first is “my” cat, Bama, a gregarious half-Siamese who was named by my husband after a character in Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series, though people who don’t know me  … Read more

Cat Editors: Anne Elliott and Angus, Ava & Antonio

Author Anne Elliott, whose story “Strays” appears in the new Among Animals anthology from Ashland Creek Press, writes with three cats — six if you include the inspiration she has received from ferals in a colony in her Brooklyn neighborhood. Angus is perhaps her best known cat; he has appeared on icanhas.cheezburger.com and has published  … Read more

Book tour Australia

I was absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to go to Australia to promote My Last Continent … it was a whirlwind trip of work and play, with plenty of both. (And with Admiral Byrd along, I’m thinking he needs his own credit card to earn some airline miles.) We began in Adelaide, where I  … Read more

On naming animals

I’m delighted to have a short essay appearing in the brand-new issue of Zoomorphic, a beautiful online magazine dedicated to writing that deepens our connection with wildlife and the more-than-human world. A brief preview: the story involves penguins. Check out the new issue here, and you can also explore previous issues for more essays, poetry,  … Read more