Category Archives: Climate Change

On Kent Haruf's "Benediction," Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov" and the Colorado Fires, Again

Posted on June 14, 2013 by williamjcobb

So this post should be a candidate for some kind of parlor game like “Try to pinpoint the logical connection (though there may not be one)”: I finished Kent Haruf’s Benediction, which includes a scare at the end (I won’t … Continue reading →

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On What We Learn from Birds, as "The Bird Saviors" Appears in Paperback Next Month

Posted on April 21, 2013 by williamjcobb

So in yesterday’s New York Times there’s a good piece about what birds can tell us about climate, here. I’m definitely a birder, though I prefer the term “birdist,” and have my own style in BirdWorld: I don’t join herds … Continue reading →

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"The Bird Saviors" as an Example of "Cli-Fi": The Hot, New Literary Subgenre—Climate Fiction

Posted on April 20, 2013 by williamjcobb

So I’m amused to see this piece on NPR books, which defines a new literary subgenre called Cli-Fi, for Climate Fiction, via a good friend (Thanks, Elizabeth!), here. I’ve noticed a number of novels that have elements of Climate Change … Continue reading →

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Brace Yourself for Weird Weather: On Reading "The Year Without Summer" in the Year Without a Spring

Posted on April 6, 2013 by williamjcobb

So one of the reasons books like William and Nicholas Klingaman’s The Year Without Summer: 1816 have much resonance at the moment is that scientists are warning we’re at the cusp of a period of chaotic and unpredictable weather, due … Continue reading →

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"The Year Without Summer: 1816 and the Volcano That Darkened the World and Changed History" by William K. Klingaman and Nicholas P. Klingaman

Posted on March 27, 2013 by williamjcobb

So I’m reading William K. Klingaman and Nicholas P. Klingaman’s The Year Without Summer: 1816 and the Volcano That Darkened the World and Changed History (published just last month), which is billed as similar to Simon Winchester’s outstanding Krakatoa: The Day … Continue reading →

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Snow Drought in Colorado & the I-Told-You-So Problem With Climate Change

Posted on March 3, 2013 by williamjcobb

So this year’s snowpack is pathetic in Colorado and other points West, which is a harbinger of a further summer drought, as detailed in the New York Times, here. Count me as one of those West lovers who are in … Continue reading →

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Good Review of "The Bird Saviors" in the San Francisco Book Review, and Eerie Similarities to Alex Prud'homme's "The Ripple Effect" in Recent L.A. Tourist's Death Case

Posted on February 23, 2013 by williamjcobb

So I’ve been too busy reading/teaching to blog lately, juggling about four books at a time and finishing all of them (more on that later), but had a nice surprise to be told about a good review of The Bird … Continue reading →

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Life Imitating Art, But Softly: Russian Meteor a Mini-Version of the Fireball That Ends Civilization in Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"

Posted on February 16, 2013 by williamjcobb

So I’ve been teaching Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian (1985) for the last two weeks, although the more I know about the novel, the more I’m struck that it needs an entire semester to cover thoroughly—though if I did that, I … Continue reading →

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"The Bird Saviors" on a List of Best Books of 2012, Plus Is It Getting Hot, or What?

Posted on January 9, 2013 by williamjcobb

So I was glad to learn today (belatedly, but better late than never) that my novel The Bird Saviors was listed as one of the Best Books of 2012 by the San Antonio Express-News, to which I say, “Wow, man. … Continue reading →

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Three Ideas for "Real" Change: Support States' Rights on Marijuana, Mandate Solar Panels of New Home Roofs, Ban All Assault Weapons

Posted on December 16, 2012 by williamjcobb

So the Obama administration has one chance for real change right now, with a couple more that are much needed. I live in Colorado, which has legalized marijuana, but the Obama administration has yet to respond on exactly what they’ll … Continue reading →

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