News
My next book will be published soon, in Dutch again: Gluren naar boeren en mensen - 'de student', het veen en de klei (Peeking at farmers and humans - 'the student', the moorlands and the clay soils).
In spring 1969 I stayed more than two months at an isolated site to peek at the behaviour of a spectacular bird, the ruff. After that I didnot feel comfortable in my student room in town any more, and decided to move to a dilapidated tiny house in a hamlet of four houses and three farms. I got aquainted with my neighbours, listened to their stories, and could not resist to peek at their social behaviour, as I did with the birds. A friend told me that one had farmers and humans in that area, the eastern part of the province of Groningen, with considerable social barriers between them. I became curious to what extent this happened to be true around my hamlet.
On the 9th of May 2026 the 100th anniversary of death of my grand-grandfather Hendrik Willem Heuvel (teacher and writer) was commemorated in Borculo with the publication of a book. I was one of the contributors and was happy to receive the first copy.
On the 12th of March 2026, Marc van Houten presented his new book 'De kemphaan' (The ruff, my favorite bird, as you should have understood) in the Atlas-Contact birdseries. Marc and I discussed his provional texts, but Marc deserves all credits for creating a very special masterpiece on this species (text in Dutch)! I was glad to write the foreword, and surprised to receive the 'first copy'.
I thought to take a rest, but became fascinated by the internet, especially the (really disturbing) disadvantages. In 2025 I wrote (in Dutch) an essay 'Internet opdoeken?' (Shut the internet down?) and I am thinking to proceed with a more detailed analysis.
Sijmen Hendriks' photobook 'Over leven & uitsterven. Vier vogels, vier verhalen' was published in October 2024. It focusses on survival and extinction, exemplified by impressive and beautifull pictures of four species of birds, among which my favorite, the ruff (text in Dutch).
My book 'Het Milieu en de Macht - waarom we niet voor morgen zorgen' (the Environment and Political Power - why we do not care for tomorrow) has been published on 24 February by Boekscout in Soest (written in Dutch).