The Sixth Extinction has been staring me in the face for a long time. The book by that title also.
Finally, driving to Whidbey Island to reconnect with writer friends (xo Ana Maria Spagna, Janet Buttenweiser, Deborah Nedelman, Scott Driscoll, Carla Sameth, Roz Ray, Nancy Rawles, Tess Gallagher, Carmen Bernier-Grand, Ryan Van Meter, and many many more), I popped in the audiobook of Elizabeth Kolbert’s THE SIXTH EXTINCTION as I headed up Stevens Pass. And was transfixed for the rest of the drive.
Finally, driving to Whidbey Island to reconnect with writer friends (xo Ana Maria Spagna, Janet Buttenweiser, Deborah Nedelman, Scott Driscoll, Carla Sameth, Roz Ray, Nancy Rawles, Tess Gallagher, Carmen Bernier-Grand, Ryan Van Meter, and many many more), I popped in the audiobook of Elizabeth Kolbert’s THE SIXTH EXTINCTION as I headed up Stevens Pass. And was transfixed for the rest of the drive.
| Who knew there was so much to say about extinction? Like what’s the story behind the story with amphibians, our ribbety little buddies who’ve been hanging out here since some hundred million years before there were dinosaurs? Amphibian means “Double life”—too bad they didn’t get nine lives cuz they’re in the ICU now. Except a handful of species like bullfrogs, which you’ll appreciate if you’ve ever watched a bullfrog chomp a fluffy duckling. |  |
Another big surprise: it took humans a long, long time to arrive at the concept of extinction, to imagine that any of God’s creatures could cease forever to exist. The USA is older than the first tentative suggestion of extinction by French naturalist Cuvier.
 | And that’s just disk one! I can’t wait to drive home. So don’t be frightened. I was scared, thinking yikes, big downer. But it turns out there is nothing to fear but fascination and enlightenment. Check out this Daily Show segment to hear what Jon Stewart thinks of THE SIXTH EXTINCTION by ELIZABETH KOLBERT: |
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