This two-part blog post series begins with my first visit to north Queensland in July 2022, and concludes with a second trip to the Gold Coast in March 2023. After the mid-2022 trip to North Queensland, I didn’t plan on returning anytime soon. There were many other places I wanted to explore, like New Zealand.... Continue Reading →
Drops in the Ocean: A Book Giveaway for Charity on World Water Day
We're in the midst of kitchen remodeling here at Chez JK, and a wee plumbing issue had us drinking bottled water for a few days (and to think my Laddie laughed at me when I bought an emergency reserve all those months ago). As I trekked down to the basement for a fresh gallon, grumbling, I... Continue Reading →
Sci-Fi Strikes Back: How Genre Fiction Can Combat Scientific Censorship
No longer content to misshelve his favorite fictions in the non-fiction section of our national discourse, our new Librarian in Chief now wants to ban the entire 500 class of the Dewey decimal system: science. Last week the Trump administration issued a so-called “gag order” banning federal science institutions—including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Agriculture, and Department of... Continue Reading →
Gotta Catch ‘Em All: Pokemon Go Showed Me The World Through My Protagonist’s Eyes
“Watch out!” I caught my Laddie’s arm before he stepped off the curb, uncomfortably close to an SUV speeding down our street. The neighbor scowled at us from behind the wheel, but my Laddie was too absorbed in his phone to notice. “Stupid zubat got away,” he muttered. “You need a bodyguard to play Pokemon... Continue Reading →
The Real-Life Engees: Alaskan Communities On The Edge
Blue Karma keeps coming true. Last week's an Alaskan company announced plans to ship water to California's drought zones; now this evening, I watched an NBC Nightly News feature about Alaskan communities poised to become America's first climate change refugees. Rising seas and shrinking coastlines mean flood and erosion, which may drive residents inland. Government estimates place the cost... Continue Reading →
“Dystopies climatiques”: some things just sound cooler in French
The cli-fi piece I wrote for The Atlantic has gone international! French publication Libération picked it up last weekend. My French language skills are currently limited to gist translation of old Edith Piaf songs, but I like the sound of "J.K. Ullrich est romancière." Romancière is a much more elegant term than "obscure-but-determined indie author", don't... Continue Reading →