Wild Prose Newsletter, June 2021
(The following Wild Prose Newsletter went out to my subscribers today. If you’d like to receive my occasional newsletters, please subscribe at the bottom of my blog page.)
Dear Friends,
I’ve been thinking about connections a lot lately. How much we need them. How we maintain them. How to restore them, one link at a time.
For me, the pandemic has been a paradox. I’ve appreciated the respite at times—less traffic, fewer places to go, our complicated emotions hidden behind masks. Some of my connections were strengthened by self-quarantine. I saw more of my twin sister when our worlds contracted, and my brother-in-law is a dog-walking buddy surpassed by none. I discovered new offerings from my marriage, relished long phone calls with distant confidantes, laughed with my neighbors, savored the kinship of trees, and thanked the birds and squirrels at my feeder for distracting me from my screen.
But I missed seeing people’s faces, and diverse places, and even the buzz of humanity on the move. Now it’s time to reconnect. Like a diver emerging from the depths, I’m trying to surface slowly and with intention. I hope I can hold on to the wisdom of isolation.
Recently, I blogged about the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project, which is all about restoring a broken landscape. As I scroll down through this and other posts below, I realize that, more than anything, I write about connections. Please enjoy the companionship of my work.
Writing-wise, I’m currently crafting an article about the I-90 Project for Wild Hope and a book review (Full Ecology) for Earth Island Journal. I’ve just finished a piece about our wolverine research for the summer issue of The Wildlife Professional (stay tuned), and I’m honored to be included in a forthcoming anthology published by Empty Bowl—A Green Bough: Voices from the Heart of Cascadia. Please order your copy here, and look for a soon-to-be-scheduled reading event on my website.
Reading, of course, is another portal to connecting. The stack by my bedside is piled high, and these days I seem to be surfing from one title to another. Patience.
What I’ve enjoyed lately: The Cold Millions, by Jess Walter
What I’m enjoying now: Full Ecology, by Mary M. Clare and Gary Ferguson; The Way of Imagination, by Scott Russell Sanders; The Kindness of Strangers, A Wising Up Anthology
I wish you a joyful summer of reconnections, whatever that means to you.
Happy Solstice,
Paula
P.S. I hope you enjoy these occasional updates, but you can unsubscribe any time by clicking “Unsubscribe” at the bottom of my message. You’re also welcome to subscribe under a different email address by visiting Wild Prose and clicking on the “Subscribe” button. Rest assured that this is my private mailing list and will NOT be shared with others.