The World Out There

Hamilton Arts and Letters just released a lovely new issue called The World Out There including, as described by the guest editors, Alec Follet and Matt Zantingh, an “eclectic grouping of written and visual texts” that address how “art can help us see our world for what it is or even imagine better alternatives.” I’m honoured that my piece, “Carrying Capacity,” is included (click on the link above to see the Table of Contents with hyperlinks for each piece). Initially written just after our stalwart dog, Shasta, passed away, “Carrying Capacity” considers how what we carry–the companionship of a dog, art supplies–might change how we care for the world.  As I have struggled to make sense of life in the midst of a global pandemic where so much I took for granted has been upended, I’ve been returning again and again to the question of how best to cultivate care. It is no small comfort to see the works of others who have also been closely considering the complicated relationship we have with each other and with the more-than-human world.

Carrying Capacity • by Lyn Baldwin