A Is for Anecdotes, Amateurs, and Anomalies: Vinciane Despret’s Case for Exceptional Interspecies Relations

In Vinciane Despret’s book, What Would Animals Say If We Asked the Right Questions?, she tells stories about animals that surprise us, challenge our assumptions capabilities of animals, and illustrate how we might best come to know them. Despret engages with history animal science scientific methodology, while also turning her attention less conventional sources knowledge, such as Youtube videos, domestic breeders, caregivers. For Despret, knowing more requires them, expanding knowledge practices beyond models often emphasize distanced observation, generalization, laboratory research. highlights relational function through care curiosity, understanding collaborators, interests valuable input. By drawing anecdotes, amateurs, anomalies, challenges conventions dismiss all three, illuminates fascinating what show us if “ask right questions”.