How to Love and Be Loved During a Pandemic

May 22, 2020.Reading time 5 minutes.

“Generosity is a sign of intelligence, and givers are the rising tide that lifts all boats.” — Adam Bent These months are hard — and by many accounts, they’re getting harder. The initial energy bursts we experienced weeks ago are gradually depleted as the shelter-in-place continues, the economic fall-out widens, and the physical and psychological […]

Humanity: free download

March 22, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

In this season of pandemic, while we humans – hundreds of millions (billions?) of us – adapt to sheltering-in-place, self-isolation and quarantines, we have a unique opportunity to share the best of ourselves. Without lengthy commutes or events outside the home as part of our daily schedules, we have much more time at our disposal: […]

A Two-Legged’s Regret

February 20, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

Ever heard of a “news desert”? It’s what happens when a county loses all of its newspapers – a reality for 200 American counties (12% of the USA). In less than twenty years, we’ve lost a quarter of our local newspapers. When we lose our local news, civic engagement decreases precipitously, and we collectively forget […]

A bedtime story for adventurous types

February 1, 2020.Reading time 4 minutes.

Just when you thought it was safe to go birdwatching…guess again. Early morning walks in nature preserves home to feline (and other) predators can take sudden turns – and unwary hikers may find themselves in rather precarious situations. Such was the case when I went on a birding tour in the Nepali Western Terai. The […]

Pushcart Prize Nominations Celebrate My Range

November 28, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

Question: What do an airplane crash, a Nez Perce mound, a Nepali leopard, an insectivorous bat, and terrestrial ecological food webs have in common? Answer: each one forms the basis of a story that different sets of literary editors chose to represent their best published works (for a given year) by nominating the essay for […]