Raven

Telluride Daily Planet, Sunday, June 14, 2015 We are standing at the trailhead with daypacks and raincoats, scanning the sky, semi-dark and changeable. There is not a soul in sight on this middle-of-nowhere hike in south central Utah, on a mini-expedition we’ve selected from the lodge’s friendly little handout. Canyon country. The weather’s not great, but at…… Continue reading Raven

The Bear, the Man, and Blueberry Manna (a fable)

Telluride Daily Planet, Sunday, May 31, 2015 Part 2 (In part one, Alonzo, an unconscious and mean-spirited bear loses his already failing sight and finds himself an object of derision from the very woodland creatures he had relentlessly tortured. He is about to give up hope when a stranger, Florentine, appears, offering the starving bear kindness… and…… Continue reading The Bear, the Man, and Blueberry Manna (a fable)

Advanced problem solving

Telluride Daily Planet, Sunday, May 3, 2015 On a recent drive home from Carbondale, I find myself thinking about Mr. Feeny, the principal of John Muir Elementary School in 1969. He is standing on the lunchroom stage before a group of us, 10 or so sixth-graders chosen to participate in a problem-solving class billed as “Advanced…… Continue reading Advanced problem solving