Welcome!

Welcome to my corner of the dark forest.

I'm Ryan, an independent researcher and writer. Otherwise is my workshop for experimenting with old ideas, practices, and media forms. I'm interested in the relationship between nature and culture and in finding new ways to connect with both (and with other people).

Although this has been a personal project, I daydream about forming a sort of digital research library, like the Warburg Institute or Boston Athenaeum, with program areas and collaborating fellows--but a bit more homespun and DIY.

Current projects in the space include:

• Lectio Terra - a weekly newsletter of species studies, collecting readings and art about a single plant, animal, landform, or natural phenomena. For example: Week 21: Common Lilac, Amy Lowell, Ronald Firbank and Week 20: Cambridge Argillite, Ludwig Wittgenstein, The Dana Brothers!
• The Earthly Book of Hours - a contemplative archive of images, readings, and natural phenomena that changes throughout the day (and night).
• An Almanac of Impressions - a collaborative repository of observations meant to document the poetry of the seasons; inspired by the saijiki tradition of seasonal keywords. An open chat, with one weekly reminder for the group: details here.
• The Timeshed Project: Field Notes - an invitation to reflect on how time flows through your life; inspired by the ecology of watersheds. An open blog, to share posts of any length, format, or media: details here.
• Introduction: Laurentia Kitchen [ON HIATUS] - my digital scrapbook/zine related to cooking, eating, and bioregional placefinding.

Fig. 1. “Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) with an associated moth and its anatomical segments.” Etching with watercolor. London: J. Curtis, 1831. From the Wellcome Collection.