The idea of vanishment isn’t new for me. Ever since I was a kid, I both reveled in the social beauty of the world and yet knew that it drained my energy too often. I was the shy, quiet girl who liked to have an escape route. I sat in back of the class, and…
I am completely honored to be one of the authors of this beautiful book from Stormbird Press. Note that it appears Stormbird is no longer around, and I can’t find any other place selling this book. I told the story of our visit to the Atnarko River, which we paddled in late August 2015–it was…
In two days we celebrate the autumnal equinox. Almanac.com lists lists some traditions: At Machu Picchu in Peru, an ancient stone monument called Intihuatana—which means “Hitching Post of the Sun”—serves as a solar clock to mark the dates of the equinoxes and solstices. In Mexico, the Mayans built a giant pyramid called Chichen Itza. On the equinoxes, it looks as if…
This is a short story that never really went anywhere, so I figured I’d post it here for fun. It’s also just a draft. Sarah wanted to sleep often these days. Sleep was where she could find Charlie. The only other place he existed was in the far reaches of her memory. Before she closed…
I have been so extremely busy that I haven’t had time to really write at all lately. But I have been moved to explode my thoughts onto paper, or in this case, the computer. However, term start on campus leaves me little time to do much else than breathe when I have a chance. In…
I’ve been avidly watching Anthony Bordain’s Parts Unknown over the summer. It’s on Canada’s Netflix, at least the first eight seasons. I like the show because it really goes into the diverse cultures of places around the world, many of which I’ve never been. It ties together food, politics, culture, and natural environment. I think…
My first attempt at writing horror. The wind outside Cabin 4 kicked up from the north, blowing snow at a sharp angle so that it piled up sideways against the primitive wooden structure, growing a few inches each hour as it had been since noon. Inside, stubble-faced Charlie Emerson stared out the window at the…
Have you ever lived in a place in which it rains every day for months on end? Maybe not all day, but most of the day? Maybe not every single day, but it feels like it? It’s kind of like that where I live. But I cannot complain because without that rain, and with our…
Seems I was still lingering on the death of Gord Downie when news of the death of Ursula hit. She had died on January 22, but I did not find out until the next day when my husband messaged me at work, when the New York Times aired the news. I was just leaving work…
My winter solstice spirit only goes so far, for I am a summer person (and fall), and as soon as January 1 happens and goes away, I am ready for spring. I’ve composted the old cedar boughs from tabletops around the house and we’re done with the last of the holiday parties. The wreath is…
