Author Sy Montgomery reveals her soul as well as octopuses'

Not only do octopuses have souls, author Sy Montgomery told her Maple Hall audience of 120 October 8, but humanity’s successful future lies in realizing “how great the world is and how lucky we are to be alive on this planet.” The mid-career author ended her talk on the note of a minister rather than the slight librarian she appears to be.

She was a natural historian and philosopher throughout, challenging the group to consider that only in science fiction or outer space would we find “someone as different from us as an octopus.” Her interest was in consciousness: “What is it? Are we the only...