Jvail

One of the perks of working at the Ask Desk is how over time one gets to know a good chunk of Lawrence's library-going population. From artists and mechanics, to struggling folks proud to tell you about their new job, to kids and retirees new to town, it's a living version of the Pictures at…

Aaand there went another Groundhog Day. You know what that means: we're more than halfway through winter. Time to think about the birds and the bees. Literally. I think about the birds much of the time, but late last year I found myself suddenly intrigued by the bees and other bugs (thank you Ed Yong…

Flying to Florida, looking out from a cramped window seat as we descended over the Gulf of Mexico, I did a double-take. Were it not for my seat belt I would have jumped up and down, for I clearly saw a sperm whale at the surface. I've wondered if my eyes were playing tricks ever…

Mycology is mushrooming! So reads one of my favorite bumperstickers, and it certainly is, now more than ever. As if to prove it, even as I wrote this I discovered oyster mushrooms growing nearby, and cooked them for dinner. I've been exploring the wonderland of tiny interconnected subterranean tubes (this is not related to mushroom…

That got your attention, didn't it? It crawled out of a new book that's so great it derailed my previous plan, which was to review some books about plants and fungi. Maybe next time. Like you, fellow average human, I'm visually oriented, despite being nearsighted for most of my life. I am slowly getting better…

Origin 20 Questions and 20,000 Years, part two: Not long ago there was an "Indian Burial Pit" tourist trap outside of Salina. Times are slowly changing. Origin pleasantly surprised me by starting with ethics, its respectful attention to Native Americans. Could you talk about how that came about for you? Did you face any pushback…

In his last essay, writer Barry Lopez asked, “How can we embrace fearlessly the burning world?” If anyone knows, it may well be Terry Tempest Williams. Terry will be in Lawrence on Wednesday, April 13, though virtually via the Hall Center for Humanities, and again on the 14th for virtual coffee. She'll be talking about one…

Once upon a time, a couple of my friends followed some hawks all the way to Argentina, just to figure out what they do during our winter. Back then, no one even knew where migratory Swainson's hawks went(!). But a Forest Service guy named Brian had wrangled some first-generation transmitters that beamed location information -- once a…

All together now: How often at night when the heavens are bright, With the light from the glittering stars, Have I stood there amazed and asked as I gazed, If their glory exceeds that of ours. Wait, what? That's a seldom-sung stanza of our State Song, penned, as you surely know, by Brewster Higley in…