I encountered this poem last week and keep returning to it. (It was referenced in a NASA story I was reading about the aurora australis, the Southern Hemisphere counterpart to the northern lights.) It’s quite long, written by Robert W. Service, a British-Canadian poet who trekked to the Yukon in 1909 and wrote about the harsh conditions that closed in on prospectors looking for gold. A few lines in particular have stuck with me. The language is vivid, acrobatic, and surprising, and the images are awesome—fear-inducing, humbling, and alluring, all at once. I’ve been reading this portion to myself most nights before I fall asleep, because it conjures wonderful memories of seeing the faint-green glow in Iceland several years ago and reminds me that the world is big and wondrous.
For the postcard, I layered in wind, a crackling fire, and crunching snow. (You might hear the odd siren, too, which is a frustrating product of our present moment and my echo-y new apartment.) I hope you can picture yourself bundled up in wool, warming up around an orange blaze.
To further steep in you in Canadian culture, here is how Tom Thomson, a member of the iconic Group of Seven landscape painters, depicted the northern lights around the same time. This documentary gives a great overview of the Yukon Gold Rush—and also a history of silent film.
I would be so curious to read anything that’s resonating with you right now. We could all use a cord to tether us to optimism, I think. Please do share whatever is soothing you.
Sending you affection, admiration, and a dash of angst from Brooklyn.
Yours,
Jess
P.S. In the this-and-that spirit of Sam Sifton’s fun NYT cooking newsletter, here is a little hodgepodge of other things that might add a bit of levity to your day. Maybe you’ll get a kick out of this NYT Daily episode about sea monkeys (h/t Jess Glazer) or these vibrant prints of LA’s Cinerama dome (h/t Steph Strauss), my favorite place to watch mid-century creature features on the big screen. I have this wistful cover of Kanye West’s “Runaway” on repeat today (h/t Chris Naka)—it’s perfect for moving your creaky body a little in your living room. This artist is animating a 19th-century biologist's oceanic anatomy illustrations with clay, and the result is pretty mesmerizing. (Haeckel, the biologist, was also a eugenicist, though—make time for Sabrina Imbler's great 2018 essay on his legacy.) (Hi, Sabrina!) If you want a creative challenge of your own, the magnificent Laura Bliss of Bloomberg’s CityLab is asking folks to draw maps of their neighborhoods as they experience them during quarantine. You can send them here. (Hi, Laura!) Speaking of Sam Sifton, he recommends these caramelized Rice Krispie treats this weekend, and I’m pretty persuaded. If you were smart enough to stockpile marshmallows, please report back. Good luck out there!