Apologia
a formal written defense of one's opinions or conduct
aerie
a large nest of a bird of prey, especially an eagle, typically built high in a tree or on a cliffpostmodern
an intellectual movement of the late 20th century characterized by skepticism, subjectivism (the belief that there is no objective truth), and relativism (the belief that moral and intellectual truths are determined by the cultural, social, political, and economic context in which they appear).
reminiscences
the enjoyable recollection of past events
dappled
marked with spots, usually regarding a horse
(to) bunker
to take shelter somewhere or to lodge into something
melancholy
gloominess or wistfulness
