Author Megan Mayhew-Bergman on Honoring Complexity in Your Work

Megan Mayhew-Bergman's first book, Birds of a Lesser Paradise, is "pretty squarely environmental," but the author says she didn't realize how much she wanted to focus her writing on the natural world until someone wrote her a piece of hate mail.

"And this piece of hate mail said was from a group of human exceptionalists, and they were like, 'You're an anti-human exceptionalist.' I'd never heard the term, and I was like, 'You know what? You're absolutely right.' This idea, human exceptionalism, is the idea that humans have transcended their animal nature.

That we are somehow entitled to the Earth's resources.

And I definitely believe in interconnectedness and a sort of feeling that we've underestimated animal intelligence and rights."

Mayhew-Bergman, who is from a "blue collar southern" background, says she made an "enormous pivot in the tone of her work" when she realized that writing doesn't always feel like an active role in the climate crisis.

"There's something I feel a lot in the grand scheme of the climate crisis: writing doesn't always feel like an active role.

It can sometimes feel like

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Spokane Businesses Owned by People of Color Awarded New State Grant Funds

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Nbta Survey to Shed Light on Parties' Stance on Education Ahead of Election

The New Brunswick Teachers Association is asking teachers and voters in the Canadian province to take a survey ahead of the next provincial election in September, the CBC reports. "We've seen a...more

Climate Action in the Performing Arts

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Issues of the Environment: City of Ann Arbor Working to Protect Trees from Damaging Natural Gas Leaks

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Of Note: Puryear Law Group Changes Name

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Natural Ventures Closes Inaugural Fund Targeting Ag Innovation

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Prime Role for Ai in Impact Decisions

"There are few people as informed about the latest state of AI developments and its level of adoption in financial services, who have also sat shoes in the shoes of investment managers and asset...more

Blusmart Raises Inr 200 Crore from Ms Dhoni Family Office, Renew'S Sumant Sinha

One of the world's most popular electric-vehicle ride-hailing services is getting a big boost from one of India's most famous sons. Mahendra Singh Singh Jaggi, former captain of the Indian...more

Trill Impact Closes Venture Fund after Raising ‚¬90M

Sweden's Trill Impact has made its first venture fund a success with the final close of its $90 million fund. The fund, the first of its kind in Europe, was backed by institutional investors...more


Washington, D.C. based incubator for social entrepreneurs, Halcyon Incubator, has selected seven ventures to move into the newly renovated Halcyon House in September for its inaugural class of fellows.



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