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Wolfish
Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear | Erica Berry
2 posts | 1 read | 9 to read
An original and probing debut work of nonfiction by a brilliant new writer, rooted in her years-long quest to study the cultural legacy of the wolf In this enthralling, kaleidoscopic exploration of wolves both real and symbolic, Erica Berry weaves historic and scientific findings alongside criticism, journalism, and memoir to illuminate the strands of our cultural constructions of predator and prey, and what it means to navigate a world in which we can be both. From 17th-century Europeans referring to mysterious bodily sores as wolves, to contemporary xenophobia about wolves crossing national borders, wolves have long been made to carry our most entrenched sociopolitical, environmental, and bodily fears. Intimate and thought-provoking, Wolfish is a lyrical inquiry into the relationship between humans and wolves, anchored in the dual stories of one legendary tagged wolf, OR-7, and the author. Charting OR-7s long-distance solo journey after he leaves his pack in northeastern Oregon beside the authors own roaming trajectory away from her Oregon home, Wolfish wrestles with inherited narratives around fear, danger, and the body. From her grandfathers sheep farm to a wolf sanctuary on an aristocratic English estate, Erica Berry untangles binaries of predator and prey, self and other, and wild and domestic, finding new expressions for how to be a brave woman, human, and animal in our warming world. Perfect for readers of cultural criticism, environmental writing, Rebecca Solnit, H is for Hawk, or anybody trying to navigate a world that is often scary. A timely and necessary book for current and future generations.
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review
Chelsea.Poole
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Mehso-so

Berry uses the stories of wolves released and tracked in Oregon, along with fairy tales, and other wolf lore to compare with her own lived experiences with fear, community, family, belonging, and much more. She also may be trying to make a broader point about human nature and wolves but I think it got lost in these anecdotes. I love wolves but many of the stories weren‘t new to me and the book was too long and meandering without making a point.

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RowReads1
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New. “For the fans of Mary Roach” often gets me. I was a pretty big fan of “ The adventures of Natty Gann” growing up”. I want a dire wolf. 🐺

JacqMac I love Mary Roach. I‘ll have to look for this. 13mo
RowReads1 @JacqMac I‘m pretty sure Ed Yong liked it. She‘s a new writer. I read a review or two that said it read like a thesis 🤷‍♀️. 13mo
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