Beyond the Book

The Natural History & Antiquities of Selborne was first published in 1789 and has gone through many editions since, remaining a favorite amongst nature lovers.  As for Timothy himself, he lived with White from 1780 until White died in 1793.  Timothy died sometime the following year but his shell has been preserved and can be found somewhere in the Natural History Museum in London (a gloriously cavernous Victorian building which is a "must see" for anyone visiting London, not least because entry is free!  

Verlyn Klikenborg works full time for the New York Times, but from a farmhouse far removed from the city.  He came to be in this enviable position when the editor of the Times editorial page heard about him through "fishing buddies" and asked if he would be interested in reviving the tradition of nature writing on the editorial page.  Starting as a freelancer, he was invited to join the editorial board in 1997 with a full-time job.

He is also the author of A Rural Life.

This article was originally published in March 2006, and has been updated for the January 2007 paperback release. Click here to go to this issue.

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