It’s ironic to be a writer concerned with climate change who uses, at least at the late stages when books may get published on paper, a product made from the pulp of our climate change salvor. If trees are at least one of our salvations, then cutting them down to make paper for books is hypocritical. It’s probably better to save a tree than to write a book. But, the amount of trees turned to paper for books pales in comparison to the number of trees used for toilet paper. Charmin and other super-soft brands pulp one redwood tree into 1500 rolls of toilet paper. Americans use about 100 rolls per year. One redwood tree supplies the paper for 15 people’s butts for one year. Americans on average read 12 books a year. I would give a lot for the toilet paper to be made from bamboo or hemp and for people to read 100 books per year. But if wishes were fishes, we’d swim in the sea.
At first, the news reported a man living in his truck committed arson in a part of the Coconino National Forest right next to Flagstaff. A white pick-up with Louisiana plates had been spotted in the forest where the fire began. I asked my good friend’s husband, who flies helicopters to fight fires, how they would be able to know if it was arson or not. He said, “Fire investigators do incredible work, figuring these things out.�
My former student went to see the Subhumans in Phoenix late last fall. I’ve loved this punk rock band since I was twelve-years-old. Their dark point of view satisfied me. Their song “The Cradl… Read moreImpossible individualism: Us fish must swim together
I didn’t mean to fall in love with Brine Shrimp. In 2017, for my birthday, my friend Angie gave me an ecosphere—an egg-shaped glass enclosure in which three brine shrimp swam among oxygenating… Read moreNicole's Impossibly Possible Ideas: Brine shrimp
I have a confession to make. I adopted two new kittens. After Zane the cat got lost last April, I couldn’t stop missing him. Zane, half Maine Coon, half koala bear, was my person. He slept bet… Read moreNicole's Impossibly Possible Ideas: Impossible Hospitals
On June 30th, I took a trip with my friend Beya and our youngest boys to Clear Creek Reservoir to paddleboard. The wind was strong. The water was murky. The sun was hot. We managed to make it … Read moreNicole's Impossibly Possible Ideas: Impossible College
I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. The nouns in that sentence define nearly all of my writing. My hometown, paradoxically named, shaped my aesthetic. I write from a first-person point of view… Read moreNicole's Impossibly Possible Ideas: One and done
Newly elected governor Katie Hobbs, in her inauguration speech, vowed to repeal the universal vouchers, officially known as Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) â€� double-speak for if you’re… Read moreNicole's Impossibly Possible Ideas: Boot Straps
It was precisely 97 minutes ago that we wrapped up Spring Semester 2022. By the time you’re reading this, it will be September 1 and Fall Semester 2022 will be well underway. They say there’s … Read moreNicole's Impossibly Possible Ideas: A wormhole summer
