Hi!

I’m Sammie Downing. I’m a writer and reader.

Here Be Lions began as a blog that I created when I quit my job 6 years ago and moved to New Zealand. When ancient Roman and medieval mapmakers came to the limits of what they knew they demonstrated the demarcation line with the classical phrase HIC SVNT LEONES– “here are lions.” This site has evolved so many times it could be the subject of a fairy tale—beast to human and beast again—but at its core, Here Be Lions is a space for community and expression and where I share the limits of what I know.

Here Be Lions is now a monthly newsletter where I discuss whatever I’m attempting to understand at any given moment—previous topics have included romantic love and lesbian films.

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energizing chaos into what we hold

People

Sammie Downing, is the author of The Family That Carried Their House on Their Backs. See more of her work here: www.sammiedowning.com