Little Soldiers and Hybrid Tigers

With my most recent manuscript out my hands and in the hands of my publisher, I have gone in a new direction with my morning writing. I’ve moved from recalling my experiences in the natural world to reflecting on my daughter Clare’s bilingual and bicultural upbringing...

Intro to Rec

I am currently working on a series of essays about the differences between the American style of education and the  Chinese/Taiwanese style. One of the subtopics is students’ willingness to disagree with their teachers. The following story came to mind… When I...

Bike on the Back Patio

Today I took my bicycle off the device that makes it a stationary bike. I added air to the tires, oiled the chain, and took my first real bike ride of 2022. My legs are not in summer biking form, but it was fantastic. Snow was sparse, the pavement was mostly dry, and...

Sauna in the UP

Jack needed to drive from his home in western Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to pick up the barrel-shaped, wood-fired sauna he’d ordered. Clint had the heavy-duty trailer to haul it on.  I was the one with access to a cabin where we could stay during a...
Steven Simpson