Not-yet-published pieces, stories, essays, rants, and random strangenesses

Yesterday was my grand-niece Jillian’s first birthday. Six weeks after she was born, Mom got a visit from the whole tribe: my brother...

I have always been fascinated by maps. Not handsome, historical maps, but ones I might actually use. These days I spend an absurd amount...

An impoverished surfer has drawn up a new theory of the universe, seen by some as the Holy Grail of physics, which has received rave...

My friend Kate lived for several years in Yuma, Arizona, and worked as an environmental lawyer on an Army base. She and her fiancé Ken...

Ever since Alfred Watkins announced his discovery of a network of ancient alignments criss-crossing the British countryside, the history...

The woman who ran the campground was a coal miner. She and her husband both were. There are a lot of coal miners around Gillette....

The Butterfield Café had a terrific breakfast special: 2 eggs, 2 cakes, 2 sausage, 2 bacon, $2.75. The bacon was extraordinary. The...