At the beginning of April, I started a weekly gig as a volunteer at a local wildlife refuge. Every Saturday morning I spend four hours in the animal hospital, covering a variety of assignments. Sometimes they’re super not-glamorous: folding laundry, doing the dishes, hosing duck poop off of bath mats. But sometimes the assignments are…

reaction: the interestings (or, in which i consider what it’s like being a grown up)

Just last week, I finished Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings. Donna suggested it and told me it was her favorite of Wolitzer's work - she's pretty good now at helping me find books that will be compelling but fairly light and entertaining, and after starting the year with some heavy reading (Chimimanda was excellent and also…

it’s hard to rely on my good intentions

I know that it's really just committing to failure to set resolutions at the start of a new year - so I'm not going to do it. This is not a post in which  I claim to be recommitted to blogging. But I might occasionally post a poem or a reaction to a book I've…

you will need: curiosity, kindness, stamina, a willingness to look stupid

(title taken from Austin Kleon) I spent the month of April guest-editing the Poets Resist feature at Glass: A Journal of Poetry. Let's be clear: I haven't written consistently in several years. I haven't published anything in several years. I have felt disconnected, unmotivated, and demoralized. This has had very little to do with actual…

spring in new jersey begins with a snowstorm

Resurrection is a slow process. But I'm trying. Big changes in the air right now. Big shifts in the universe. Coming up: I'll be guest-editing the Poets Resist feature over at Glass: A Journal of Poetry during the month of April. I'm looking forward to some seriously awesome poems of resistance, friends. I have a…

hiking log, 5/27/17

(there was definitely a 6 mile hike on 5/21 that I can't be bothered to log. It was a good hike though.) Location: Batsto, Blue & White Trails (Wharton State Forest) Time: 7:40 – 9:40 a.m. Distance: 5.42 mi Pack Weight: 20 lbs Time on Trail: 2:03:02 Splits:  Mile 1: 19:57 Mile 2: 19:27 Mile 3: 19:47 Mile 4: 30:32 Mile 5: 21:15 Weather: 59° mostly…

hiking log, 5/7/17

Location: Franklin Parker Preserve, Yellow Trail Time: 10 am – 1 pm Distance: 6.00 mi Pack Weight: 20 lbs Time on Trail: 2:40:40 Splits:  Mile 1: 21:56 Mile 2: 25:55 Mile 3: 34:50 Mile 4: 27:04 Mile 5: 27:02 Mile 6: 26:04 Weather: 54° mix of clouds and sun, slight drizzle around mile 3 Hiking with: Andy & Adria Notes: The trail is marked on…

hiking log, 4/30/17

A week late this time. Location: Batona Trail, Ong's Hat (Wharton State Forest) Time: 10:45 am – 12:30 pm Distance: 3.02 mi Pack Weight: 20 lbs Time on Trail: 1:18:04 Splits:  Mile 1: 23:47 Mile 2: 30:45 Mile 3: 23:07 Weather: 59° Hiking with: Andy & Kay the greyhound Notes: Cool and windy. Brough Kay the greyhound along; she was interested in everything! I stepped…

hiking log 4/23/17

A few days late, but... Location: Batsto Village, White Loop (Wharton State Forest) Time: 11 am – 1 pm Distance: 4.50 mi Pack Weight: 20 lbs Time on Trail: 1:40:00 Splits:  Mile 1: 21:14 Mile 2: 26:44 Mile 3: 20:01 Mile 4: 21:31 Weather: 58° rising to 62°, sunny, low humidity Hiking with: Donna, Andy & Adria Notes: Beautiful…

hiking log 4/9/17

After a long (long long) hiatus from blogging, I'm going to try again. I started a hiking log by hand and filled that up pretty quickly; I figure it's actually a bit easier to try to do this digitally now. Location: Batsto Village, White Loop (Wharton State Forest) Time: 10 am - 12 pm Distance: 4.39 mi…