FB FRIEND Ann Iijima sends me my own words this morning. Which is a clever and ingenious thing to do. She says she finds ‘great comfort’ in them. The words in question are from my book, ‘Deep Woods, Wild Waters,’ a passage in which I describe my favorite Northwoods wildflower, the Pale Pink Corydalis. I wrote: “Here, on the exposed
WHEN I DID a literary tour of China several years ago, my kind and generous hosts (King-in Publishing) gave me a lovely gift—well, more than one—as mementos of that special time. The other day I was puttering absentmindedly through my Winnie-the-Pooh books. And as I puttered, I found this beautiful silk scarf, which Mr. Ao and Lucia had presented to
THEY COME unexpectedly, unbidden. At night, perhaps. The doubts, the fears, the anxieties and sadness that are a part of living. But they are not all of it, not by a long shot. We are still called to enjoy the present moment. A sunset. A sunrise. The sound of beautiful music. The smell of a rose. The laughter of a
I’M SO VERY PLEASED to share the news that my memoir, ‘A Wild Path,’ has been honored as a ‘notable book’ by the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Awards. As you may know, Sig Olson was my author-hero as a young man, a true mentor, and to be included on this very short list of fine books—and those of past
OF ALL THE TEACHERS I have known, I have found none greater than trees. So many teachers and teachings have enriched my life that I wrote a book about them, accompanied by drawings of favorite scenes. A few of the things trees can teach us: Reach for the light. Grow from the bottom up, and from the inside out. Be
WHEN I WAS A BOY, every summer had a 2 week slice of heaven built into it. That was the time our entire family gathered in a cabin on the shores of a beautiful northern Minnesota lake called Kabetogama. Time away from important jobs and studies and school and stuff that I hated, and close to lakes and loons and
TODAY I SPENT the day at the Twin Cities Young Authors Conference (YAC) on the beautiful campus of Bethel University. About 500 middle school students especially interested in writing are bused from all over the metro area to spend time with professional authors, get tips on the writing process, and simply get inspired. I’ve been invited many times and it’s
“MAN IS WHOLE when he is in tune with the winds, the stars, and the hills… Being in tune with the universe is the entire secret.” Justice William O. Douglas As I look around me, I see the sapphire blue of sky and a sparkling lake, the green shades of trees, the swooping arcs of gulls, and the clean hardness
THE LETTER THAT CHANGED MY LIFE, and the next step… Today I am feeling grateful. Tidying up a storage area in the cabin, sorting through materials from my 12 years as president of the Listening Point Foundation, I was powerfully reminded of the profound effect that beloved North Country author Sigurd Olson had on my life. That connection began with
HI EVERYONE: I am growing more and more excited about the upcoming release of my new book, ‘A Wild Path.’ One of the most gratifying things is to see the very generous words of praise it continues to receive. Last week I shared the thoughts of esteemed author Parker J. Palmer. Below are a few more. Meanwhile, so many of