Ahoy everybody, In my other career as a merchant mariner, I'm glad I've never had to call upon the Coast Guard for assistance (and I intend to keep it that way). But it's always nice knowing that they're out there, always ready, in case I ever do. When the USCGC Diligence announced it was shifting … Continue reading Profile of a Coast Guard Cutter in PineStraw Magazine
north carolina
A Birds-eye View of CAFOs
Last month I went flying with Cape Fear River Watch to get a birds-eye view of the factory farming operations in our state. I've written about this subject before, but this aerial perspective gave me an even better idea of what was going on in our river basin -- and it's not good. The Cape … Continue reading A Birds-eye View of CAFOs
The Implications of Redefining “Waters of the United States” – New Essay in Encore Magazine
Water -- and I can't believe I have to keep saying this -- is important. Fifty years ago, we passed legislation to protect our most precious natural resource: the Clean Water Act. However, recent action by the EPA under the Trump administration threatens to undo many of the protections the CWA currently affords. By the … Continue reading The Implications of Redefining “Waters of the United States” – New Essay in Encore Magazine
Profile of artist Nathan Verwey in Salt Magazine
Happy New Year, all. I've got a brand new essay out in this month's Salt magazine, a profile of local street artist and sculptor Nathan Verwey. I've been a fan of Verwey's work for a while now, and it was great to sit down with him and talk about how it comes into being. Pick … Continue reading Profile of artist Nathan Verwey in Salt Magazine
Cover Story in Salt Magazine: Paddling the Black River
So this is exciting. This month, an essay I wrote about paddling the Black River in North Carolina with local environmental group Cape Fear River Watch was selected by the editors of Salt for our cover story (my first in that particular publication). I am beyond thrilled and honored to grace the front of a … Continue reading Cover Story in Salt Magazine: Paddling the Black River
Offshore Drilling in North Carolina: Rally to Raleigh, and Brunswick County’s Inaction
This blog post actually contains three articles: two which cover the Rally to Raleigh which I reported on earlier this month, and the newest one from this week, written in response to inaction by the Brunswick County Commissioners. I have written about offshore drilling in my home state in the past (like in this essay, … Continue reading Offshore Drilling in North Carolina: Rally to Raleigh, and Brunswick County’s Inaction
Transfixed by the Moment: New Feature Essay in Salt Magazine
Happy Friday, dear readers! For your weekend reading pleasure, please enjoy my latest essay in Salt: a feature profile on James Jarvis, a local jazz pianist and composer in Wilmington. James does some really cool stuff that no one else around here is doing. He plays only his compositions, and has developed his voice on … Continue reading Transfixed by the Moment: New Feature Essay in Salt Magazine
New Essay in Encore: Oyster Feud Behind Masonboro Island
Hi all, Some of you may remember that I wrote a story for Salt Magazine towards the end of last year about local oyster farmer Tom Cannon, who had just started an oyster farm in the pristine waters of Masonboro Sound (if you haven't read it yet, you can do so here). Unfortunately, Tom's farm … Continue reading New Essay in Encore: Oyster Feud Behind Masonboro Island
Guest Appearance on a Local Talk Show
Hey everyone, So I got to do something pretty fun a few weeks ago: appear as a guest on the last episode of Late Fear with Wills Maxwell, Wilmington's late night local talk show. I appeared with a menagerie of other talented folks: poet Khalisa Rae, comedian Allie Coleman, actor Phil Antonino, and musician Griffin … Continue reading Guest Appearance on a Local Talk Show
New Essay in Encore Magazine: Local Effects of Trump’s Solar Panel Tariff
Hi all, Last week the President announced a new tariff on imported solar panels, and, as someone living in America's second-most solar powered state and as someone who cares about the future of the planet's environment, I decided to look into how this would affect my community. I've got a new essay out in which … Continue reading New Essay in Encore Magazine: Local Effects of Trump’s Solar Panel Tariff