One fine autumn day, a few months after my father passed away, my mother and I sat at the old cherrywood dining table and waxed nostalgic over old photographs. Like always, I soaked up every word and story, relishing even the stories I’ve heard over and over – about soContinue Reading
. . . Climate change, by the very nature of the problem, is global in scale. Global change is the most complex issue facing humanity as a species – not as a system of government, not as a national debate, but as a threat to the future of organized humanContinue Reading
The loss of wild spaces happens slowly. An acre here, a hectare of deforestation there, is hardly noticeable day by day. As decades roll on, however, the loss of wilderness is vivid. Further, the global implications of this loss, as evident from the climate irregularities of this 21st century, areContinue Reading
James Agee’s “Knoxville: Summer 1915” may arguably be the most beautiful prose poem in English. A prose poem is a hybrid sharing characteristics of both prose and poetry. A striking example would be the Old Testament book of Psalms found in the King James translation of the Bible. “Knoxville: SummerContinue Reading
A global pandemic. A political world divided. Forest fires ablaze. Mental health at a rapid decline. And I want to talk about happiness? It seems impossible and complicated and always out of reach lately. To that, I ask: What do we have left? Half of “happiness” or mood is dependentContinue Reading
**Please consult your physician before consuming ginseng or any other plant. Wild American ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius) is found in the eastern portion (mostly mountainous region) of the United States and Canada. Other nicknames for the plant are Five Finger (for its five leaflets), Red Berry, Man’s Health, and Man Root.Continue Reading
I have found the outdoors to be the savior of my sanity, and not solely because I am an “outdoorsy” person. The truth is that science confirms the health and mental benefits of getting outside, yet many people in a modern, technologically advanced world seem to be missing out. ResearchContinue Reading
While meandering through the Museum of Appalachia’s treasure trove in Norris, Tennessee, I came across an exhibit encased in glass, and was intrigued by the words: She has been called: The Cherokee Chieftainess. The Pocahontas of the West, One of the Great Women in American History. In another section, I readContinue Reading
The Suffrage Coalition of Knoxville, Tennessee, has organized several parades to honor the history of women’s right to vote. The organization is headed by Wanda Sobieski, and is keeping that history alive. The parades are mainly held in downtown Knoxville. Women in white dresses with sashes wear hats and holdContinue Reading
Autumn is the season of dying and death – but life, as in our own experience, carries on. Winter, to me, is the first season of life. In temperate zones, perennial plants, most notably trees, are asleep in winter. Thing is, a lot of infant vegetative color appears throughout theContinue Reading