I Would Argue That It Might Be

The Old Orchid Hunter Lay Back On His Pillow, His Body Limp... 'you'll Curse The Insects,' He Said At Least, 'and You'll Curse The Natives... The Sun Will Burn You By Day And The Cold Will Shrivel You By Night. You'll Be Racked By Fever And Tormented By A Hundred Discomforts, But You'll Go On. For When A Man Falls In Love With Orchids, He'll Do Anything To Possess The One He Wants. It's Like Chasing A Green-eyed Woman Or Taking Cocaine... It's A Sort Of Madness.

Writing About Unknown People Means I Spend A Lot Of Time Arguing To The Reader About Why It's Worth Knowing About Them. That's Challenging, But Then The Piece Is Pure Discovery.

There Will Always Be Vain, Obsessive People Who Want To Own Rare And Extraordinary Things Whatever The Cost; There Will Always Be People For Whom Owning Beautiful, Dangerous Animals Brings A Sense Of Power And Magic.

I Love Convincing A Reader That An Unusual Or Seemingly Ordinary Subject Is Worth His Or Her Time - It's Part Of The Fun For Me As A Writer.

Human Relationships Used To Be Easy: You Had Friends, Boy- Or Girlfriends, Parents, Children, And Landlords. Now, Thanks To Social Media, It's All Gone Sideways.