Thanks to the Jackdaw Review/Jackdaw Press for publishing my new poem, "Death in the Family." See Page 31. The long, cold winter in Virginia gave me abundant time to ponder my aunt's death and reflect on her virtues. When someone special passes, it takes multiple tries to find the right words. https://online.fliphtml5.com/nnzao/oijk/#p=8

My new poem, "Winter Hunger," is published on Page 33 of Cathexis Northwest Press's current issue. It's about struggling through a hard winter. Emotionally, it's a reaction to my aunt's death. I hope she is somewhere safe, somewhere with beautiful beaches. https://www.cathexisnorthwestpress.com/mar-apl-2026

Presenting my retrospective essay on the undervalued, extraordinary film Thunderheart (Michael Apted, 1992). This film has stirred my soul over the years, and it's wonderful to give something back. Also gratifying to write a tribute to the late actor Graham Greene, a phenomenal talent. Thanks also to screenwriter John Fusco and Offscreen magazine. 🙏 Loved every moment of writing this. https://offscreen.com/view/the-enduring-soul-of-thunderheart

Call for Papers for the next John Dos Passos Society Conference! The Society is proud to announce its 2026 biennial conference in Ponta do Sol, Madeira Island, Portugal. The conference will be held at the John Dos Passos Cultural Center in the municipality of Ponta do Sol, the home of the author's Portuguese ancestors. When the JDP Conference comes to town, it's a great intellectual and social event. I always cherish it all. See the link for details: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2025/11/04/5th-biennial-john-dos-passos-society-conference-ponta-do-sol-madeira-portugal-may-20

Thanks to the Fancy Comma podcast for interviewing me for her hashtag#FiredFed series. We covered so many issues: the Trump Administration's assault on federal workers and finding community among dislocated workers, John Dos Passos, the U.S.A. trilogy, E.E. Cummings, the Lost Generation, and the Spanish Civil War. I hope folks enjoy it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CCrmIPqYMY

Today, Paloma Press released a print edition of The Nature of Our Times: Poems on America’s Lands, Waters, Wildlife, and Other Natural Wonders. This anthology features 210 voices from the arts, ecology, academia, and Indigenous communities nationwide expressing how nature shapes our lives. One of my poems, "Photograph of Two Men On Buffalo Skull Hill, 1892," appears in print in this collection. Congratulations to all the artists! https://palomapress.org/the-nature-of-our-times/

Please see my new editorial defending NOAA's budget. In this short space, I've focused on precipitation research, but there are legions more topics in weather and climate where NOAA provides life-saving, economy-strengthening information. Call Congress and ask them to fully fund NOAA! https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/5431238-the-floods-in-texas-show-why-we-need-to-fully-fund-noaa-labs/

"A major US government website supporting public education on climate science looks likely to be shuttered after almost all of its staff were fired, the Guardian has learned. Climate.gov, the gateway website for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa)’s Climate Program Office, will imminently no longer publish new content, according to multiple former staff responsible for the site’s content whose contracts were recently terminated." https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/11/climate-website-shut-down-noaa

Congratulations to Communications Specialist and Meteorologist Amber Liggett, MSEM for penning a mighty piece of climate storytelling for Climate.gov! Travel from India to California as she explores NOAA's progress in researching the chemistry of wildfire smoke. https://www.climate.gov/news-features/features/unmasking-complicated-chemistry-wildfire-smoke-how-far-have-scientists-come

"President Trump’s federal government shake-up is taking a toll on the U.S. capital’s economy. Economists believe government layoffs and looming budget cuts will push the Washington, D.C., metro area into a recession, challenging its reputation for economic resilience. Cracks are already forming as federal workers pull back on spending, hotels and restaurants struggle and parents cancel plans for their kids’ summer camps." https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/washington-dc-economy-trump-job-cuts-359c8645