Hello all, As always, it's been a while since I posted! I wanted to write a (very short) piece to commemorate the recent publication of our study on Fuego. The lead author is Dr. Beth Bartel, an exceptional researcher and friend whose path intersected with mine while living in Guatemala in 2021 - 22. Our … Continue reading Children First: perspectives from Fuego
Sight Unseen: responses and interactions
Is there a tension between being at once an artist and researcher? In this blog post, I share some initial reflections on the beginnings and outcomes of my arts council seed funded research project.
El otro mundo: Volcán Atitlán
A casi todos los viajeros que visitan Guatemala, suena familiar el nombre "Atitlán". El famoso Lago Atitlán es la joya en la corona de bellezas naturales de país, y ha sido conocido así por décadas. El escritor Aldous Huxley lo describió así: "(Lago de) Como, con el embellecimiento adicional de algunos volcanes inmensos. Seguramente es … Continue reading El otro mundo: Volcán Atitlán
El Principito y sus estímulos improbables
“Todas las personas grandes han sidos niños antés. (Pero pocas lo recuerdan.)”Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Uno de mis libros favoritos es El Principito. También es el primer libro que leí en español. Yo me acuerdo claramente el día en que conseguí una copia. Era 2015, acababa de llegar en Quito, y me había asignado la tarea … Continue reading El Principito y sus estímulos improbables
The Little Prince and its unlikely inspirations
“When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”C. S. Lewis One of my favourite books is The Little Prince. It's also the first book that I read in Spanish. I remember quite clearly how I came across it. I had … Continue reading The Little Prince and its unlikely inspirations
A tale of two aldeas
After a week doing fieldwork in the villages south of Fuego, my friend Beth and I discussed the importance of reflecting on our work. Beth suggested that as well as evaluating our research approaches, it would be important to write about what it feels like to be there. I thought this was a splendid idea. … Continue reading A tale of two aldeas
Guatemala Vuelta
"Geology is too important to be left to geologists." - Patrick Corbett Guatemala. Although by name the land of many trees, I encourage you to consider it fauna not flora. You will find it alive and bristling, breathing its hot breath. From its sinuous green skin spring spines of sheer earth, steep and sharp. The … Continue reading Guatemala Vuelta
PhDone
It's finally done! I began a PhD thinking one finished with a "big bang" of the viva voce, with its teeming discussion with your examiners and, afterwards, continuing the debate over drinks. It turns out you leave a PhD by a series of bangs and whimpers, from the original submission, through the viva, corrections, exam … Continue reading PhDone
Just look at that volcano
At dawn the ants riseMarch to probe the dragon's backIt exhales fire, piqued We made the cover of VOLCANICA! Find the current issue, brimming with astonishing science, here (Vol. 3, No. 2). Our article, Fireside Tales, tells tales of past eruptions and evacuations at Fuego through interviews with local people. The cover photo was taken … Continue reading Just look at that volcano
Volcabulary
What's in a name? More specifically, what's in the name of a volcanic hazard? Different names carry different meanings, conveying an emotion or communicating a threat. Volcanic vocabulary ranges from the descriptive ("the fire like a Christmas tree"), through the technical ("pyroclastic flow"), to the sensory ("roaring"). Language is fundamental to knowledge of volcanic hazards. … Continue reading Volcabulary