Why did North America develop in such a different fashion from South America following the arrival of Europeans in the hemisphere? As part of their examination of the United States in this semiquincentennial year, the British publication Engelsberg Ideas asked me to write about the divergent paths of the two continents. You can find my article here: https://engelsbergideas.com/essays/why-the-two-americas-diverged/

Great ideas from one tough school

On writing, reporting, creating, and grafting apple trees. Some hints and suggestions for the writing life.

The story of a school that refused to die, in a city that almost did.

Recently, I was interviewed by Daniel Ford for The Writer’s Bone podcast, a place for conversations about books, writing and the love of words. We talked about why, and how, I wrote “On This Ground.” Take a listen. Go to writersbone.com and look for the March 13, 2026 episode.