CONSILIENCE

A Companion Blog to The Ash Girl

Consilience is a scientific method of validating a hypothesis across multiple disciplines. The biologist E.O. Wilson reclaimed the root of the word, which means “a jumping together” in his book of the same name. In it he posed the radical notion that the arts and social sciences might be invited to that auspicious table. This blog, and The Ash Girl, is a bit of an homage to E.O. Wilson’s proposal. Each post offers a deeper look into the story, the symbolism, the science and the themes from the author’s point of view (by chapter) and welcomes you to add yours.

In this way we might come to some expanded understanding and shared awe of our half-known worlds.

9insights 6/24/20 9insights 6/24/20

Amelia Disappears

Amelia Earhart’s disappearance in 1937 triggered thousands of articles, books, and theories about what happened to her and her co-pilot and the avid interest of entire nations that still has echoes today. As happened with much of this book, Amelia’s part in the events in The Ash Girl revealed itself in what felt like serendipity.

9insights 6/19/20 9insights 6/19/20

Magic Number 3

The Ash Girl is structured as multiple sets of Borromean Rings, where lost parts are reclaimed and the pathway to wholeness paved, when the ‘properly chosen third’ shows up.

3 is the universal number of wholeness so let’s keep that in mind as we unpack CHAPTER 3!

9insights 6/15/20 9insights 6/15/20

Becoming

Becoming human, becoming goddess . . . becoming one.

In Chapter 4 of The Ash Girl, the act of becoming (or in traditional story craft - the transformation of the character from - to) is in full swing! Or perhaps full flight is a more apt analogy!