The Nicholberry Dispatch

Smell as storytelling (otter poo?), and east coast dates!

BOOK NEWS

Oh my word. We had so much FUN at Zibby's (Instagram recap here). This was the first time where we had an afterparty and though I experienced a new level of exhaustion the next morning (Whoop gave me all sorts of warnings), it was oh so worth it. Kristin Koval ( Penitence) is a fabulous conversation partner and I look forward to our September events on the east coast. We will discuss our books, our dogs, our lawyering, and our second acts. Join us!

East Coast

September 13^th Rockport MA 5pm - 7pm

September 14^th Exeter Books 3pm

September 15^th Hummingbird Books 7pm

September 18^th Bedford Books 6:30pm

Email me for ticket information: nicholberrygoldens@gmail.com (and if you have a connection to a bookstore in Manhattan, let me know).

SOMETHING TO LEARN

Study Finds Links Between a Dog’s Smell and Vision

A study using MRI and specialized imaging in dogs has revealed strong connections between the nose and the occipital lobe (sight). These connections, formed by enhanced white matter tracts, suggest that a dog's sense of smell is more integrated with their vision than previously understood. The study also found connections between the olfactory bulb (smell) and other areas like the limbic system, which is associated with emotions and memory. The findings suggest that dogs might integrate olfactory information into their perception of the visual world, potentially explaining how they can navigate and play fetch effectively even with impaired vision. Fascinating. We are in such an exciting time of discovery and I can’t wait to see how we build upon studies like this!

SOMETHING TO SMELL

Why Smells Transport Us in Time

Museum curators are incorporating smells that transport visitors to a different time. “Should you wish to know what the cesspit of a Norman fortress smelled like, Tasha Marks has ventured there. Go to Rochester Castle, descend the dank steps and put your nose to the smell chamber. What rich delights await? It’s not just the stink of human excrement and urine. ‘We know that there was food waste in there,’ says Marks. And animal waste … Where a perfumer blends alluring scents for the body, Marks creates custom-made odours for spaces – usually museums, galleries and historic buildings.” It is storytelling through scent (imagine what our dogs would think!).

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

To live in this world

you must be able

to do three things:

to love what is mortal;

to hold it

against your bones knowing

your own life depends on it;

and, when the time comes to let it

go,

to let it go.

-Mary Oliver

SOMETHING TO LOVE