Re-reading ‘The Catcher in the Rye’
On empathy, reading between the lines, and a remarkable teacher.
Amusing Ourselves to Death – Neil Postman
Human history is littered with intellectual grumblings about media: Socrates objected to the written word, Thoreau shrugged at the telegraph, and Neil Postman railed against television.
Sep 2014
‘Shoeless Joe’ and ‘Field of Dreams’
I’ll be honest: I fell in love with Field of Dreams long before I’d ever heard of Shoeless Joe. My appreciation for the film colored my reading of the book—a bias that usually works the other way around.
Feb 2014
Thoughts on ‘A Sand County Almanac’
The landmark essay collection turns 65 this year and is still worth reading.
Exploring the Magic of Summer Camp
I’ve come to believe that although good camps come in many different stripes, there’s a shared experience at the core, the result of common elements that are often deliberately, painstakingly cultivated.
Ask Someone to the Dance
We were daring them to do something unusual, which spoke to one of GMRC’s great underground rules: “It’s only awkward if you make it.”
Epilogue
[ Day 447 — Sept 3, 2013 ] I wrote for many reasons—some admirable, some not. I wanted to better understand the trip, both in the moment and in the decades to come. I also wanted to share my story in hopes that it might resonate with others. The adventures of teachers, friends, and family inspired adventures […]
Homecoming
[ Day 30 — July 12, 2012 ] Erin and I got off to a late start that morning, aware that it would be our last together and in no particular rush to say goodbye. My trip was near its end, and there were things I would miss, but on the whole I felt satisfied—and […]
More than OK
[ Day 29 — July 11, 2012 ] Erin and I spent the night at Bodega Dunes, just outside the Bay Area’s northern boundary. We continued south the next morning, following Highway 1 past Tomales Bay and turning onto Sir Francis Drake Boulevard at Olema. For me, this marked the transition from territory that simply felt […]
At the World’s Edge
[ Day 28 — July 10, 2012 ] Mendocino gave way to Sonoma, and with it came our last day along the North Coast. With only three days left on the road, I tried to savor the experience. Each mile brought me further into familiar territory, but I wanted to retain the traveler’s mindset with […]
The Right Moment
[ Day 27 — July 9, 2012 ] After a big push down the Mendocino Coast, I met up with Erin just before dinner. Though I had enjoyed touring the Lost Coast, I’d grown accustomed to her company and was glad to reconnect with her. The two days apart had done little to dampen our […]
Eighty Percent Attitude
[ Day 26 — July 8, 2012 ] I awoke to find the clear overnight skies replaced by a dense mantle of fog. My neighbors were now disembodied voices; crows carried on measured conversation somewhere to the north. The sun was nothing more than a diffused glow, but that wouldn’t be the case where I […]
The Lost Coast
[ Day 25 — July 7, 2012 ] Inside the KOA breakfast tent, sausage links sizzled, pancakes rose to golden perfection, and the aroma of coffee filled the air. A cheery, middle-aged woman named Barbara presided over the tabletop griddle and hot plate, welcoming sleepy-eyed campers as they wandered in, lured by the promise of familiar, […]
Among the Giants
[ Day 24 — July 6, 2012 ] It was a cold, damp morning at the Mill Creek Campground, and it took some grit to abandon the comforts of tent and sleeping bag. I woke before Erin and Charlie, trying to get a head start on the many tasks that stood between up and out. […]
The Redwood Highway
[ Day 23 — July 5, 2012 ] Erin and I had lunch in Brookings, at a cozy little restaurant with generous portions and friendly service. This was our last town before the California border and also a point of temporary divergence: Erin’s knee had been bothering her, so she decided to catch a bus […]
Independence Day
[ Day 22 — July 4, 2012 ] Erin and I continued riding south, following the 101 as it edged back to the coastline. We rode alone at times, but mostly stayed together, following quiet, tree-lined roads across rolling terrain. The quiet belied our proximity to the ocean; we were just far enough away to […]