Quantum physics recognizes that electrons behave differently when under observation—to be, or not to be a wave or a particle, depending on whether it’s being observed. And nature writing presents a similar situation because nature... Read More

For all the legitimate criticism of men in general—from misogyny to housework-shirking, sexual harassment to racism-driven populist rage—the twenty-first century sure seems to be a perplexing time for the males of our species.... Read More

Throughout the ages, humans have always found ingenious ways to kill each other, but a bloodletting milestone was surely reached when the great powers of the classical world—the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, et... Read More

Addiction is a disease. Let’s never categorize addictive behavior—abusing alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, pornography—as anything other than heartbreaking. Furthermore, with discipline and self-sufficiency so celebrated in the US,... Read More

In 1902, at twenty-six, Rainer Maria Rilke visited Paris for the first time, drawn by his perception—he was not alone—of France as the consummate home of the artist. He sought out Auguste Rodin and, over the course of many years, the... Read More

Upset at the cost of prenatal care, hospital deliveries, unpaid leave, and years of childcare? Imagine if all the eighteen- to forty-year-old women in the US simply refused to have babies. Do you think Washington and corporate America... Read More

The noble Pacific salmon—born in freshwater, coming of age in the ocean, back to streams and rivers to spawn and die—is so integral to the Alaskan psyche as to be family. In the broad expanses of our forty-ninth state, the return of... Read More

In the middle of the last century, before Vietnam, Iraq, immigration woes, global warming denial, and other spoilers damaged the brand, the United States enjoyed rock star status for leading the Allies to victory in WWII, defending the... Read More