To what natural wisdom do we turn when the world feels like it's falling apart?
Author: Hilary Vidalakis
Rekindling
What if we had known then/ we could bloom a flame like this? -Jared Stanley, "Civilian" Where to begin when remembering, rekindling a world? I could start with the clothes, the shabbiest of uniforms: briar-shredded fire-splashed Nomex, faded yellow and green; helmets; black leather boots. Goggles, leather gloves, bulging pockets. Team sweatshirts with knowing slogans: "Eco-Burners." "Tough …
Solstice
On December 21, 2016, at 5:44 AM EST, the sun reached its southernmost extent in our sky, yielding the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. “Solstice” derives from the Latin “sol,” meaning sun, and “sistere,” meaning “to make stand.” A deceptively simple phenomenon, it belies a glorious contradiction: a …
Examining the Strenuous Life
My husband is an ocean guy. I'm more for the mountains, for the pain and glory of the pursuit. I used to think this signified laziness on his part and hardiness on my own. I don't think that anymore. Six months of daily walks beside the marshes of Jamaica Bay has convinced me of two things: one, that the …
Breathe
I swear to God, on Nov. 9th the sun never rose; New York City skies were thick, gloomy, gray in the morning and black by afternoon. I recalled words that a friend of mine, artist Alisha Anderson, had written for a different occasion: I believe in a God who weeps. There were quivering lips and darkened eyes on …
Writing the Wild 