CULTURE EDITION
December Book Club This month, Charlotte Griffiths suggests some thoughtful books for the festive season
MARY JO HOFFMAN STILL: THE ART OF NOTICING “Wondering if anyone in this group knows Mary Jo Hoffman?” the post began. I didn’t, but the flurry of comments and emotional reactions made me curious. “She and her family are safe,” the poster continued, “but her house and studio were completely destroyed in a fire: her camera kit and years of nature collections are gone, forever.” In the comments, amid widespread relief at Mary Jo’s safety and expressions of sorrow, another photographer had put a link to Mary Jo’s books, encouraging people to support her by buying a copy. I read the description of Still: The Art of Noticing and thought it would make a beautiful present – but when I started leafing through the essays and artwork, I realised I’d need a second copy if it was to be a gift. There was no way I’d let this unexpected treasure out of my hands. Still is an absolutely stunning book; the eponymous project arose from Mary Jo’s self-assigned challenge to take a photograph of found nature every day, and the book is a record of that work. It’s not only an exhibition of her exquisite nature photographs, but also a polemic on what it means to be creative in an age of infinite distraction. The studio fire and associated losses have paused the project, but her website says she’ll be starting again in January 2025, so this is the perfect time to get acquainted. A beautiful gift for an artist, nature-lover or anyone who simply needs a little inspiration for the new year ahead.
EERIE EAST ANGLIA: FEARFUL TALES OF FIELD AND FEN EDITED BY EDWARD PARNELL
family? You’ll need material for this – and Eerie East Anglia is just the thing. Part of the British Library’s Tales of the Weird series, this excellent anthology is packed full of local stories to make your spine shiver. Set in Norfolk, Essex, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire and including a classic by MR James himself, most of these 17 tried-and-tested terrors are from the early 1900s, barring a few modern entrants. So recruit a dramatic friend to do the reading, get cushions ready to hide behind and commence the frightfully fun Fenland festivities.
Cambridge and ghost stories are inextricably linked. At the start of the 20th century, MR James – arguably the father of the modern ghost genre – would host Christmas Eve ‘entertainments’ within his rooms at King’s College. Designed to strike fear into the hearts of invited guests, these were post-chapel service, candlelit readings of his own terrifying tales. As 2024 draws to a close, several events around our city will be continuing this spooky tradition – so why not join in and host your own Christmas ghost story reading for friends and
30 DECEMBER 2024 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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