De Natura Picae?

"On the nature of the magpie"

I should start with a confession: I am not actually a magpie. Though I did once live on Magpie Lane.

In reality I'm a wayward medievalist and English enthusiast residing where three countries meet. My dream is to have my fiction works join the published ranks of my academic ones. You can read about one of those here, by the way. For now, I am still learning to echo, like the creatures Pliny the Elder endearingly described thus:

"There is a certain kind of magpie that can learn words; they become fond of some words, and not only repeat them but can be seen to ponder them... When they forget a word they cheer up greatly when they hear it spoken."

De Natura Picae, a fangirlish tribute to De natura rerum, is where I get serious about writing fiction after decades of day-dreaming. Here's hoping that the fun is in the journey.