I recently came across some insightful statistics on reading. They vary somewhat by state, but here’s an overview. Women read more than men. Most Americans don’t read fiction. Between 1982 and 2012 fiction reading declined from 56% to 46% Men mostly read nonfiction. Women mostly read fiction. Executives far outpace the general population in the […]
Patterns are pervasive. Visually, through repetition, they set up a rhythm that suggests order. We see them in the most fundamental energy fields within the atom, in the immensity of the cosmos, and the way we function, behave and spend our time. Machines, computers, and time itself reveal patterns in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, […]
As December 21st approaches, I reflect on the significance that the winter solstice held for indigenous peoples and mark it in my own life as a way to attune, as they did, to the order and rhythms of nature and the cosmos. Having studied Mesoamerican cultures, particularly the ancient Maya, for forty-five years, I […]
When I was in high school, the authors of biology and chemistry textbooks considered independent motion as the defining characteristic of life. If it moved on its own accord, it was alive—organic. Viewed under a microscope, cells and bacteria move. Minerals do not. Water moves, but it was not considered to be “alive,” except […]
For me, one of the best things about summer in Ohio is corn! Considering my affinity toward Central America, I prefer the term “maize,” an Indian word meaning “sacred mother,” or “giver of life.” The ancient Maya creation story features the maize god—referred to as “First Father.” When the waters that covered the earth receded, the […]
The persistent seed It’s not unusual to see vegetation sprouting through cracks in the pavement, but this little plant was growing in mud alongside a railroad track that had been thoroughly covered with oil. That it’s growing at all speaks to me of the resilience and continuity of life. However the seed got there and […]
I’m happy to announce the re-publication of the first novel in the trilogy, The Path of the Jaguar. The revised edition of Jaguar Rising has far less Maya vocabulary and I use the contemporary rather than ancient names of their cities. In the course of editing the book it turned out to be shorter—and I […]
Announcing the publication of Jaguar Sun — my third novel in the series, The Path Of The Jaguar In 1967, the year we were married, Linda took me to San Ignacio, Cayo in Belize where she had taught English for over a year. It had been a profound experience for her. And it was for me. We arrived […]
Night is an ideal time to photograph in black and white because darkness hides all but the upper register of whites on the tonal scale. In any given scene, with only the strongest highlights creating lines and shaded areas, geometries become apparent that are barely noticed in the light of day. This image of a […]
Layering is how many things grow organically—from the inside out. Metaphorically, when we want to understand an object, system or process we “peel away” the layers so we can see what’s inside or what’s happening. It’s the basis for analysis, taking things apart to look “under the surface” in order to discover the “underlying […]
Contemplative Photography 