Living In Place
The End of August
The End of August I love the messy abundance at the end of August – all those tomatoes hanging heavy, the squash vines sprawling, and the sunflowers smiling above it all. But...
The Foundations of a Local Economy
Just to be clear: I didn’t fly to Bozeman to buy bras. My grandchildren live there. But there is no place to buy underwear in the market town closest to where I live.
Every Day Outdoors
Despite living in rural Vermont—a place of great natural beauty and seasonal changes—I had slipped into a workaholic life that was keeping me indoors, except when I took Leo, my dog, for a walk.
I Call Myself a Huntress
Artemis was a huntress. I come from a family of bargain hunters, not deer hunters. I didn’t become a deer hunter until I turned 60. I’m a sustenance hunter, not a trophy hunter....
Moving By Muscle
The brain is a muscle. As soon as I started pedaling my bicycle, I heard my inner voice rise, as if moving by muscle had loosened new ideas for the novel I’d shoved aside...
Telling Stories
How Long Does It Take to Write a Book? When my dad was ninety-one, he asked me, “How long does it take to write a book?” I told him, “Your whole life.” I wasn’t wrong, but the...