Carina Nebula.
Carina Nebula.
Photo by NASA Hubble Space Telescope. Click here to view source.
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Deer, Rowan. “How We Got Here.” Springs: The Rachel Carson Center Review, no. 9 (February 2026). https://doi.org/10.5282/rcc-springs-19628.
Perhaps all I’m good for, at my age, is telling stories. I’ve told many in my time, long and textured and short and cryptic, some that tuck themselves gently around you like a blanket, some that rip at your insides, some that meander like deep, old rivers, and some that get straight to the point, quick as a poison dart. I began telling stories before there was anyone to listen, and I will go on telling stories long after there’s no one left to hear. Some ask whether it makes me sad—to be bound to go on speaking into the endless dark. But there’s no sadness in the light of stars that shine unseen, no lament in the sound of a lonely tree’s fall. There is no melancholy on the dark side of the moon, no grief beyond the grave. Yet those old bones hold their stories—just in case. (From the article)
This article was originally published in Springs: The Rachel Carson Center Review. Springs is an online publication featuring peer-reviewed articles, creative nonfiction, and artistic contributions that showcase the work of the Rachel Carson Center and its community across the world.
2026 Rowan Deer
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