Environmental Reading Group

Manny Theocharopoulos

As the new Environmental Reading Group will soon be holding its first meeting, we've put together a list of five books and are inviting SPS students to vote for which one they think the group should read.  You can cast your vote here or via the poll at the end of this post. 

The Sixth Extinction
In prose that is at once frank, entertaining, and deeply informed, The New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert tells us why and how human beings have altered life on the planet in a way no species has before.

Interweaving research in half a dozen disciplines, descriptions of the fascinating species that have already been lost, and the history of extinction as a concept, Kolbert provides a moving and comprehensive account of the disappearances occurring before our very eyes. She shows that the sixth extinction is likely to be mankind's most lasting legacy, compelling us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

Interview: Kate Tempest

Teddy Ackery

I decided for my extended project to write about the poet/writer/rapper Kate Tempest, whose work I have been deeply interested in for the past couple of years. I e-mailed her management with several questions for Kate, and to my amazement she actually replied. I felt these answers should be shared as they are thought-provoking, and provide a deeper insight into her work. I highly recommend checking out any of her music or poetry if you are interested by this subject matter.

Why do you feel ancient mythology needs to be re-explored, such as in your work Brand New Ancients? 

For me, the old stories are helpful because they encourage us to situate ourselves more fully in the present. They remind us of the timelessness of the human experience. I find great comfort in remembering that we all stand on a line that goes way back to the beginning.

But I don't think they need to be re-explored. They don't need anything. To be honest with you, I just loved to read the old stories as a child and as a teenager, and when I started writing my own, they were there in the background. My internal landscape was populated with people I knew and loved from where I grew up and also the characters from the old stories that I used to read all the time. And that's why my earlier work especially is populated with so many references to mythology and South East London.

Book of the Week

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Recommended by Matthew Ainsby

Normal People, by Sally Rooney, explores the story, particularly the relationship, of two Irish teenagers named Connell and Marianne, as they grow up and explores their experiences of life in a world distinct and separate to that of their peers, from their point of view. 

The journey the characters embark on commences with their final year of secondary school and continues for three more years, during which time the teenagers are given an insight into the world of university life and the stark contrast Rooney presents from their home town of Carricklea. Rooney’s novel can be described as a readable page-turner, with relatable characters living and experiencing realistic events in Dublin, linking to the title Normal People, leaving the reader intrigued through its depiction of class, and portrayal of Connell and Marianne’s unexpected and ever-changing relationship.