“The center of the field resembled carbonized oatmeal. The lava near the path reached out with giant panther paws that seemed to demand petting. I encountered a few people here, crouching and cautiously touching the lava.” The always-excellent Heidi Julavits in The New Yorker: Chasing the Lava Flow in Iceland.

+ While we’re in the neighborhood. Jelisa Castrodale: I Went to Iceland to Learn What’s Up With Their Elves.