Erica Berry challenges the negative symbolism of wolves in western culture and explores their tender and hunted nature. She discusses the threats to their existence and highlights the resemblance of evil qualities to humans. The podcast also delves into the origins of the author's book idea and the symbolism of wolves in different cultures. It questions the 'too much' narrative for women and reflects on societal fear and mistrust. The host shares reflections on running a nonfiction book club and expresses excitement for the upcoming season.
Wolves have often been misunderstood and portrayed as evil, but Erica Berry suggests we see them as tender and guardians of the landscape.
The perception of wolves in different cultures has shaped their symbolic and metaphorical roles, impacting their conservation and the interactions between humans and wolves.
Wolves play a crucial ecological role by influencing the behavior of their prey, maintaining balance in ecosystems, and even contributing to reducing car accidents involving deer.
Deep dives
The Power of Writing and Honoring Creativity
The podcast episode explores the author's personal journey in reconnecting with writing as a central aspect of her life. She discusses the challenges of prioritizing creativity in a world filled with distractions and the realization that she had to fight to make writing the center of her work. The author emphasizes the importance of honoring and believing in one's own creative pursuits, even when societal expectations and traditional notions of work may not align.
The Fascination and Cultural Significance of Wolves
The podcast delves into the fascination and cultural significance of wolves. It explores the intertwining relationship between humans and wolves, touching on the perception of wolves as both predators and prey in different cultures. The episode discusses the symbolic and metaphorical roles of wolves, including their representation in folklore, literature, and popular culture. The podcast also highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the repopulation of wolves in certain regions and the potential ecological benefits of reintroducing them into the environment.
Exploring Fear, Vulnerability, and Power Dynamics
The episode delves into the concepts of fear, vulnerability, and power dynamics, drawing parallels between human experiences and the behavior of wolves. It examines the complexities of fear and how it can both limit and empower individuals. The podcast also explores the interplay between vulnerability and strength, emphasizing that vulnerability does not necessarily equate to weakness. It raises questions about the societal constructs and narratives that shape our understanding of fear, power, and the roles we play in relationships and communities.
The Importance of Wolves in Maintaining Ecological Balance
Wolves play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance by influencing the behavior of their prey. In landscapes where wolves are present, elk become more skittish, resulting in reduced browsing of saplings. This, in turn, benefits birds and other animals that rely on those saplings for habitat. Additionally, the reintroduction of wolves has had unexpected positive consequences, such as reducing car accidents involving deer in Wisconsin. Wolves have the ability to target and prey on sick members of deer herds, potentially addressing issues like chronic wasting disease. Overall, research on the various ways predators like wolves contribute to maintaining balance in ecosystems has highlighted the need to better understand and appreciate the connections between all living creatures.
The Cultural and Historical Complexities Surrounding Wolves
The treatment of wolves throughout history reveals deep-seated cultural and colonial biases. The policy of exterminating wolves was often intertwined with discriminatory legislation against marginalized communities. The demonization of wolves mirrors the fear and control exerted over indigenous populations. By examining our attitudes towards wolves, we can also reflect on societal attitudes towards cruelty, death, and suffering. The discomfort with predators like wolves stems from our need for dominance and control, contrasting with their independence and indifference towards humans. Understanding the stories and codes we have inherited helps us question and redefine relationships with animals and with each other.
The wolf carries an almost unbearable amount of symbolism in western culture, encapsulating the predatory, the carnal, the supernatural and the ravenous. But in her book Wolfish, Erica Berry suggests that it’s time to understand wolves differently: as tender, as hunted, as guardians of the landscape.
What’s more, those evil qualities may be better attributed to ourselves than to wolves. Berry weaves memoir with natural history, cultural critique, folklore and conservation to show that wolves have too often been a cypher for all our fears, and that this has left them under threat of extinction.
In this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, recorded as part of Katherine’s True Stories Book Club, Erica discusses her experiences with wolves real and imagined.
Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is available now: US/CAN and UK
