Courting the Wild Twin

‘Courting the Wild Twin beckons us to step through the doorway that stories create, and reveals a pathway to awakening our relationship with the world around–and with ourselves.’–Dee Dee Chainey, author of A Treasury of British Folklore ‘Martin Shaw turns words into stories and stories into unpredictable excursions in search of the Wild Twin within each and all. He reveals the importance of this often exiled, yet deeply necessary inner otherness, the very part that holds the secret sense of rapport and essential relatedness that entwines human nature with the heart of Mother Nature.’–Michael Meade, author of Awakening the Soul ‘This remarkable, powerful, provocative and timely book is about the same size as your smartphone. Carry it in your other pocket, and every time you reach for your phone, take this out instead. Give your imagination, your activism, your poetic/mythic self some soul food. That’s what I did, and it delighted me every time.’–Rob Hopkins, author of From What Is to What If ‘A book that comprehends the forests of the soul, written with fierce courage and audacious wildness.’–Jay Griffiths, author of Wild ‘Courting the Wild Twin revels in the fabulous–the alchemy of story, primaeval nouse and narrative. Shaw is proof of William Blake’s adage that “Truth can never be told so as to be understood and not believed.” A thrilling exploration of ancient ambiguity, this book digs deep into the miraculous mulch of myth.’–Dan Richards, author of Outpost ‘This magical book underlines the ability of storytelling to rewrite reality while functioning as a practical–and highly personal–guide to the rewilding of the self.’–David Keenan, author of For the Good Times ‘Terrifically strange and thrilling. One for all you storytellers.’–Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the Barley

Dr. Martin Shaw is a mythologist, storyteller, and teacher. He is the creator of the Oral Tradition and Living Myth courses at Stanford University and the director of the Westcountry School of Myth in the UK.

Shaw is the author of the award-winning Mythteller trilogy and The Night Wages, and coauthor of Courting the Dawn: Poems of Lorca. His conversation and essay with artist Ai Weiwei, Life Cycle, was recently released. David Abram described Shaw’s work as “piratical brilliance.”

For 20 years, Shaw has also worked as a wilderness rites of passage guide, assisting returning veterans, at-risk youth, and many others in forging a deep connection with nature through a four-day fast in the wild. His book Wolf Milk reflects on this ancient practice.

Central to Shaw’s writings is the four-year period he spent living in a tent, exploring the remaining pockets of English wilderness.

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