Ashley Shelby on Climate, Craft, and the Courage to Keep Writing
- Arun Batchu
- Apr 27
- 2 min read
A recap from her author conversation at The Thinking Spot
Some writers impress you with their ideas. Ashley Shelby does that—and more. She inspires with her presence, her persistence, and her precision.
During her conversation with Don Shelby at The Thinking Spot, Ashley spoke about her journey through journalism, climate grief, literary craft, and the quiet heroism of revision. What stood out was how generously she pulled back the curtain—not just on her work, but on the interior life of a writer.
Here are the takeaways that stayed with me:
1. From Journalist to Storyteller of a Warming World
Ashley began as a journalist. Her book Red River Rising uncovered a critical forecasting error in the 1997 Grand Forks flood—one that the National Weather Service had missed. Her discovery led to real institutional learning.
But the work took a toll. Journalism, especially for an introvert, demanded more than she could give.
“I realized I wasn’t going to survive doing this over and over. So I changed form, not focus.”
She turned to fiction—but brought her investigative rigor with her.
2. Writing Fiction With Facts That Hold
In South Pole Station and Honeymoon in Temporary Locations, Ashley didn’t abandon accuracy—she embedded it into imaginative forms:
Climate fables.
Found documents.
Craigslist ads from a post-impact world.
Her goal? To tell stories that are emotionally true and factually sound. She wanted scientists to read her work and stay inside the story, not be pulled out by a false note.
3. Solastalgia, Voice, and the Power of Weird Forms
Ashley introduced us to solastalgia—the grief we feel watching our environment change before we've left it. It’s a feeling many share, but few articulate.
“I couldn’t write a traditional novel about climate change and survive. So I wrote what I needed to feel less alone.”
That led her to short, sharp, surreal pieces: job ads, menus, support group flyers. Humor and heartbreak, woven together.
4. Craft Is Revision. Voice Is Persistence.
Ashley was open about her early writing being… not great. And that’s the point.
“I wasn’t a fantastic writer at 12. Or at 18. Or even at 24. I just didn’t stop.”
She encouraged young writers in the room to write even if they don't like their style, write often, and revise like it matters. Because it does.
Voice, she said, isn’t something you find. It’s something you build—over time, with courage, humility, and stubbornness.
5. Encouragement Can Change a Life
Ashley didn’t become an author because someone told her she was brilliant. She became one because someone told her to keep going.
“The only reason I’m here is that someone said, ‘Keep going. You’re not there yet. But keep going.’ That’s what writers need.”
Thank you, Ashley, for bringing both fire and grace. For showing us that climate stories can be honest, funny, and strange. And for reminding us that the work of writing is rarely glamorous—but always worth it.
Kommentare