Introducing my guardian, The Lung

The only god worth trusting

The Lung is a series of weekly postcards about loving nature and its crazy ways by me, Neko Case. I want to know everyone on Earth. Since that’s not really possible, sending you digital postcards is a (hopefully) far-reaching, non-aggressive way to at least attempt it. 

I’m going to tell you about nature and why it is my favorite comfort and companion. I’m going at it from an admirer's standpoint rather than an expert’s, and it’s going to get weird. Side topics and tangents will abound! 

I’ve always been in love with nature. I have felt “outside” of it for a long time though, which is wrong to me as I’m “in it” more than a lot of people. I live in northeastern Vermont, a part known as “The Northeast Kingdom.” It’s a leftover name from some tourist campaign (more about that later), but it sounds majestic, which this place really is! In my own personal world, I refer to the forest I live in as “The Lung.” That name came quietly out of my feelings for the place, and it has no scientific basis whatsoever. It is affectionate shorthand. The Lung makes air, it cleans, it heals, it feeds. It is the place where incredible scenes happen -- not for me, but for nature's own reasons and pleasure. The Lung resets my mind and sharpens my senses. I am the least important component of this forest which is very freeing indeed.

I’m going to get weird about it with other excellent people; some who are actually experts and some who just love nature too, like my amazing neighbors here. I want to talk about our goodness, our badness, our hilariousness. I want to talk about art and nature feeding each other. I want to go backward and forward, move laterally, time travel and imagine things, and you are invited. Once a week you will receive a “postcard” of writing, drawing, photos, interviews and who knows what! I’m gonna wring it out! ALL FOR FREE! Come on over! Just sign up and Entering The Lung will find your inbox. Just like that. I want to figure out how we can have our best possible relationship WITH nature WITH YOU. We are going far beyond pressing leaves.

If you become a paid subscriber you join the ranks of Entering The Lung's community of the dangerously curious, where you will receive an extra post every week that will link you to discussions, recipes, secret music, dangerous video interviews with snapping turtles, woodcocks and other residents of rivers, ponds, woods and fields near my house. There will be mystery surprises with juicy fillings. We swear here! It’s a magic, deadly world! Come on in!