Welcome to Wild Prose

My first book was a cautionary tale about a community of crickets who overslept one lazy summer afternoon, precipitating panic among the local townspeople—who noticed that something in their world had gone terribly wrong. 

Because the crickets weren’t chirping lullabies outside their windows, the children couldn’t fall asleep, which meant the parents couldn’t fall asleep, which meant the entire town missed appointments the following day. Fortunately, the crickets got back on schedule the next evening, and so then did the humans, who had newfound appreciation for their six-legged neighbors. 

I wrote The Day the Crickets Overslept for Mrs. Zelnick’s class in the fourth grade. That was a long time ago, but I guess my mission as a writer took shape early on.

Over the years, my writing life has matured to include stories about life in its many forms, from whales and wolverines to the field biologists who study them, including my husband and me. As sweethearts in science, Robert and I spend several weeks each summer roaming the wilderness together so that we can better understand wild carnivores—and, frankly, ourselves.

Believe me, you learn a lot about yourself when you’re grunting your way up a mountainside carrying a pack full of stinky gear, and it’s not always pretty. But each painful mile helps quiet the noise until, at long last, you can tune into the crickets and hear your own wild voice. That’s when the real journey begins.

I envision this blog as a home for wild musings. I hope to leave my perfectionism at the trailhead and post occasional ramblings about life on the trail, inspiring books, natural history, my current writing endeavors, and whatever else moves me along the way. I’ll also feature photographs and field notes, and perhaps even the occasional guest writer. Please lace up your boots and join me!