Hello friends, On an old garage somewhere in Southeast Portland, someone hand lettered a large message. The bulk of it reads “Matter would not have become us if it doubted our ability to change…” Now, on one hand it reads as the start of a philosophical discussion I would’ve engaged in during my teens or early twenties. On the other hand, though? Well, it made me pause and snap a photo, didn’t it? Photo: Garage wall message: “Matter would not have become us if it doubted our ability to...
10 days ago • 1 min read
Hello friends, While walking out of an ice cream shop yesterday, I saw a faded scrap of fabric stapled to a utility pole. People had stuck their old wood ice cream spoons into holes in the pole around the fabric, creating a mini art and sculpture installation. I recognized the fabric, of course, as being an old piece from local artist Shanalee Hampton. I have several of her embroidery pieces hanging in our home, having been introduced to her work by outdoor installations just like this one....
17 days ago • 1 min read
Hello friends, Years ago, writer Starhawk penned a novel in which city neighborhoods had fruit trees growing on the sidewalks, so anyone who was hungry could partake. It was a beautiful vision of a world we could live in, if we chose to. I now live in a city neighborhood with fruit trees growing on the sidewalk. Pear. Apple. Plum. Fig. Cherry. But, more often than not, the fruit falls and rots on the concrete in the sun. This happens unless the person who lives in the home near the tree...
24 days ago • 1 min read
“I’m always writing about the same thing, which is the human condition.” — Terry Brooks, fantasy author, WorldCon 2025 Hello friends, I’m writing this from WorldCon—the World Science Fiction and Fantasy convention—in Seattle Washington. I’ve listened to some interesting panels and talks so far: on Indigenous futures, on Afrofuturism, on the unsung heroes of the space program and magical systems in fantasy, plus some indie publishing business panels. I’ve talked with writers and readers both,...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hello friends, On a walk the other day, I encountered a big metal sign covered in layers of peeling stickers. One read “Don’t look back! You are not going that way!” I snapped a photo and headed forward. But, as intended, the old sticker got me thinking. First, it reminded me of an old card I kept in my office for years. A Mary Engelbreit print, it wasn’t my usual style, but the message was clear. It was a person at a crossroads and the street sign read “Your life,” in one direction and “No...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello friends, In a world that can feel harsh and unforgiving, it is important to ask what feels luscious. What have you planted that has ripened? Is it a relationship? A project? Community? Art? Family? Spiritual practice? Mutual Aid? A book? A song? A garden? Your own self worth? And what are you enjoying? In the northern hemisphere, this is a time of harvest. Too many hoard their harvests. It is up to us to share. The more we share, the more seeds are saved for next year. The more we...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello friends, What does it mean to survive? To build a life against grim odds? To grow beautiful, despite hardship? To band together with others like you, however distant? On a recent walk, I stopped, mid-conversation, to wonder at the beauty of a circle of succulents growing from a rock wall. Amazing, that such a beautiful thing could find a way to live in what would seem to me to be difficult conditions to thrive. Not only was there scant soil—between the cracks, somehow?—but the plant...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Note: this missive is one day late because I was so out of it yesterday from round two of a shingles vaccine, I completely forgot! Hello friends, The world lost two powerful, compassionate people this past week, Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson and Buddhist teacher Joanna Macy. Both of them found power in the world around us and in the human experience. “If the world is to be healed through human efforts, I am convinced it will be by ordinary people, people whose love for this life is even greater...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hello friends, Folklore tells us of magical cities and villages that appear out of nowhere, and disappear again. I like to think that these stories are rooted in real events and real communities. I myself, have found magic in such places, time and time again. Last week, I was off grid at a lovely camping event in a small valley surrounded by tree filled mountains. There was a creek, and on the forest paths, some community members had planted ceramic toadstools, squirrels embracing acorns, and...
2 months ago • 1 min read