The Blue Jay's Dance

This book was fine. I preferred the parts that dealt with the concrete experiences - animals crossing the lawn, writing while nursing a baby - rather than the philosophical parts. The section that dealt with birthing a baby, especially those moments right after giving birth where there is now a new person in the room, those were interesting and powerful. I thought of the women I know who have birthed babies and who are soon to birth babies and I let the awe of it flow over me. I thought about her point that we have epics describing famous battles, difficult battles, but no stories describing epic and difficult births; and this lack seems as true a proof of society's hatred of women as any around.

I'm not the biggest fan of nature writing, and I did skim some parts that got really into the weeds (har har) talking about plants. I did enjoy her talking about trying to find a self while being so absorbed in the newborn stage. This wasn't quite a series of short stories, nor quite a stream of consciousness; more like a series of vignettes, as if she had a few minutes per day to write, and took them where she could. It was fine.