KUCI 88.9fm’s Janeane Bernstein chats with Katherine May, author of Wintering

Katherine May is a gorgeous prose writer with several books out in the UK, and an astute observer of the natural world. In WINTERING, May addresses those times of life when unforeseen circumstances derail you (think: an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a job loss, or a global pandemic NBD). She calls these periods of dislocation wintering. What if, May asks herself, instead of feeling so much shame around “failing” during these times, instead of hustling so hard to keep up appearances, we gave ourselves permission to fall through the cracks and rest? Imagine it: a deep, full season of rest and retreat. Drawing lessons from literature, mythology, and the natural world, Katherine weaves the story of her own personal wintering with extraordinary science, cultural history, philosophy, and fable. You’ll meet hibernating dormice, learn about human sleep patterns before electric light existed, and encounter pagan rituals to mark time that still get practiced today.