I'm writing a book!

And I would love your help!!

Photo by Sue Thomas on Unsplash

The following is the first draft of the introduction to the book I am currently writing about the world of small creatures (insects, arachnids, gastropods etc.) (working title: “For the Small”).

I have spent many hours over the past few months getting to know my tiny backyard neighbours, and I've come away with more questions than I started with (they are infinitely fascinating and I could spend days observing them and never satisfy my curiosity.)

---

Introduction

It’s easy to love big, charismatic animals such as whales, polar bears and pandas. Their fluffy cuteness and playful antics melt our hearts and make us want to protect them.

But I often think, ‘what about the small ones? » The ones who wear their skeletons on their outsides, who can perform astonishingly extraordinary feats such as metamorphosis and without whom the world would be drowning in detritus. The animals (yes, like us they are animals) that scurry beneath our feet and enter unwelcome into our homes, the ones we humans tend to hate, fear or ignore?

Sure there are a few beloved species - honeybees, butterflies, ladybugs - but most are reviled. We call someone who is being an annoying pest a « bug » and a computer bug certainly is not a good thing to have.

We adults have a tendency to bury our imaginations deep inside, afraid to let out even a glimmer of fantasy for fear of appearing childish to uneducated. What if we let go of the « shoulds » and « musts « and indulge in the world of «anything is possible »?

In this realm of possibility all animals, from the very large to the minuscule, have agency and sentience. They interact with their world and contribute to their environments. They have purpose and importance. And they have every right to live out their lives in their own ways - having interesting adventures and working hard to stay alive - just as we do.

Now, keeping this frame of mind, step outside and look around. The beetle that was once creepy becomes a hardworking soil custodian. The hornet you once feared morphs into an important ally to flowering plants. By focusing on these smallest of creatures, the life beneath our feet and swirling in the air around us, without judgement or preconceived notions, we gain a very interesting - dare I say, exciting - new perspective.

---

I would be incredibly grateful for your thoughts on this topic (human/insect relations). For example, I want to explore these questions:

How do you feel about insects etc.?

What do you do when you see an insect (etc.) inside your house? When you see one outside?

What curiosities do you have about insects (etc.)?

100g of insects has as much protein as 100g of beef. Would you ever eat insects? Why or why not?

Thank you for reading my work today! I am looking forward to reading your comments (or send me an email or let's schedule a Zoom chat for a longer conversation).

Katherine 🐝💚