I have finished reading ‘Far Out!’. There were several names that I remembered from times past. For example, Dirk van Loon, publisher and writer of Rural Delivery. There were also some missing.
I recall in 1975, visiting Allen van Newkirk in Heatherton, outside of Antigonish. At the time, I was teaching Biogeography and Quantitative Methods at Memorial University (MUN) in St Johns. Heather and I did not move to Clarence in the Annapolis Valley until 1980.
Looking through the books in our basement, I discovered my first publication ‘Applied Research in Biogeography’ The Great Blafigria Is. volume 2 and 3, page123-132. Coming up to fifty years ago. This was inspired by my interaction with Allen.
This weekend, at Mare Gold, I discovered Les Wilson’ s book on Orwell’s Island. It is subtitled George, Jura and 1984. This takes me back further in time.
It covers Orwell’s life, born Eric Blair 1903, died 1949 ( forty six years old). He had recently finished the classic Nineteen Eighty- Four.
Part of the attraction, besides the description of life on Jura, was that I had taken the combination of Ernest Buckler and Eric Blair to devise an experimental blog: Ernest Blair Experiment.
This weekend, Heather and I walked two Middleton trails. The Scotney Pathway was rather short and unattractive, surrounded by ATV tracks. The second walk was a repeat from the Riverside Park to the Rails to Trails down to the Feed Shop on highway #1 and home. Longer, and more satisfying in its geography (see my post Middleton Walks).
This week has started on a ‘high note’ with an energy assessment of our new home by sustainablehousing.ca. We can expect a full report after the Christmas break.
Acknowledgements
Heather has shared both the reading and the living, over the last fifty years. Edward is en route to Florida, hence the graphics may be slim.
References
Christopher Murphy, 2024, Far Out! The untold story of the sixties inspired by the back to the land migration that changed Nova Scotia, Friesen Press.
Les Wilson, 2024, Orwell’s Island: George, Jura and 1984, Saraband Press
The Great Blafigria Is., 1975, Robert Maher p.123-132. Vol 2 and 3.
POSTSCRIPT
In the New Year, I will go to Integrity Printing and publish Volume 9 2024 of the Ernest Blair Experiment blog.
For more on Allen van Newkirk, search on Safari.
OpenAI ChatGPT writes
Allen Van Newkirk is an American activist, poet, and writer known for his work in the countercultural and ecological movements of the 1960s and 1970s. He founded the Detroit Artists’ Workshop and the Resurgence Youth Movement, advocating for radical social change through art, poetry, and activism. Van Newkirk later shifted his focus toward environmental concerns, promoting biocentric values and deep ecology. His writings explore themes of anarchism, spirituality, and the interconnectedness of life, blending political critique with a profound respect for nature.
ChatGPT Summary of the Ernest Blair Experiment for 2024
In 2024, “The Ernest Blair Experiment” blog featured a variety of posts reflecting on personal experiences, technological insights, and artistic journeys.
In May, the author shared a commentary by George Argus titled “Technological Barriers,” expressing skepticism about relying solely on technology to address environmental challenges. Argus emphasized the necessity of ground truthing in remote sensing and critiqued society’s focus on consumerism and economic metrics.
The same month, the author discussed a meeting of the Ernest Buckler Literary Event Society (EBLES), highlighting their commitment to celebrating local writing under the motto “Reading where we live.”
Additionally, the author discovered old newspaper clippings from the Annapolis County Spectator, including articles on place-based economic development and cultural mapping. These articles underscored the significance of geography and history in understanding local development.
In April, the author recounted visits to various cultural sites in Nova Scotia. A trip to the ArtCan Kitchen & Studios café in Canning included encounters with works by geographer Dick Groot and ecologist Soren Bondrup-Nielsen. Another visit to Block Shop Books in Lunenburg led to the acquisition of Rebecca Solnit’s “A Paradise Built in Hell” and Annie Proulx’s “Fen, Bog and Swamp.”
The author also described a serene experience walking the Peter Point trail in Kejimkujik National Park, noting the tranquility of the closed park and minimal human presence.
In December, guest contributor Edward Wedler detailed a 5,000 km plein air painting journey across Newfoundland and Labrador titled “Footsteps Farther East.” Wedler emphasized the immersive nature of plein air art and hinted at future adventures in rural France and Ireland.
Throughout 2024, “The Ernest Blair Experiment” provided readers with reflections on the interplay between technology and environmentalism, the importance of local literature and history, and the enriching experiences of art and nature exploration.
Ernest Blair Experiment 