This is an article I wrote while reflecting on the messages I read in science fiction and fantasy novels about what it means to be human and how we feed hope through our connection with nature.

Forests of the Soul, Episode 1: Owl Eyes, Deer Ears, Fox Feet

This is the first episode of the podcast — a companion to the writing, not a replacement for it.

A friend told me the essay felt richer read aloud than read silently, that the pauses landed differently out loud.

So here’s “Owl Eyes, Deer Ears, Fox Feet” — the story of a blindfolded walk across a clearing full of children pretending to be trees, redwood roots that survive by holding onto their neighbors, and a question I didn’t expect to answer out loud in the dark: How far is it, really, to the people who are waiting for you?

If you’ve already read it, this is a chance to sit with it differently. If you haven’t, maybe start here, with your eyes closed instead of open.

🎧 Listen above, or wherever you’re reading this from.

Wendy Peterman - Substack: https://wendybrd.substack.com