On Presence

This is a delightful short collection of essays on the orchard, the nest, silence and the role of art in a time of catastrophe. The writing on the living presence of the world is simple and evocative, reflecting that 'I am part of the Orchard, and the orchard is part of me. The world is made up not of separate things but of beings in relationship' - a perspective that needs to become mainstream. The accompanying drawings are detailed in composition after a Japanese style. Waiting can be a time to be present in complete simplicity. In the case of both writer and artist, they shift from the habitual self axis into a wider identity and zone of empathy and contentment.