Española, NM - Nested in northern New Mexico’s Rio Grande Valley, between the Jemez Mountains and Truchas Peaks, is a ramshackle town, just north of Santa Fe, called Española. Founded in 1598 by Spanish conquistadors, the city is one of North America’s oldest.
But to call Española impressive stretches credulity. Big box stores with expansive parking lots, chain restaurants, and gas stations, call out from the roadside as lives unwind behind coyote fences, many bearing little rectangular signs warning visitors to “KEEP OUT.”
In my head I sing the verses of Neil Young’s Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, as I… Continue Reading Category Archives: Dispatches
Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
Española, NM - Nested in northern New Mexico’s Rio Grande Valley, between the Jemez Mountains and Truchas Peaks, is a ramshackle town, just north of Santa Fe, called Española. Founded in 1598 by Spanish conquistadors, the city is one of North America’s oldest.
But to call Española impressive stretches credulity. Big box stores with expansive parking lots, chain restaurants, and gas stations, call out from the roadside as lives unwind behind coyote fences, many bearing little rectangular signs warning visitors to “KEEP OUT.”
In my head I sing the verses of Neil Young’s Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, as I… Continue Reading With Help from the Scribe, a Lost Dog Tag Makes it Home
A dog tag found on a farm in England
A World War II-era dog tag found in Britain is making its way back to the states, concluding a decade-long search for the American soldier to whom it once belonged.
The tag, found nearly 10 years ago in a field by treasure hunter David Bailey, sat for several years in a drawer where Bailey had tossed it after previous efforts to locate the soldier were unsuccessful. But rummaging through the drawer two weeks ago, Bailey re-discovered the tag and gave the search another shot – this time with different results.
The… Continue Reading Guest Post: Laurel Discovers the Fruits of Change
Phuket, Thailand – Last year, I decided to change what I ate, which unexpectedly led to even bigger life changes. I began a raw fruit and vegetable diet, avoiding as much processed and packaged foods as I could. Through this diet, along with undertaking hot yoga, I hoped to find the clarity to pursue the kind of life I sought for years.
And so my adventure began.
Shortly after, my boyfriend and I decided to seek a fresh start in Hawaii, where fresh fruit is abundant and the beaches are perfect for yoga. Unfortunately, we couldn’t afford to… Continue Reading Anxieties of a Drug Trafficker
Madison, WI – One recent afternoon at the Brass Ring – a billiards bar on Madison’s east side – “Buddy,” a Wisconsin-based marijuana trafficker, talked the pros and cons of his business. He suggested that a rash of heroin-related high jinks across Dane County over the last year has stifled its growth as authorities step-up their interdiction efforts.
“Anytime you get into a period like this – and I’ve noticed waves of it happening in the past – people become a little more insular about who they work with,” he said, nursing a Bloody Mary. “There’s no new faces… Continue Reading McKenna and Droogs Torment Private Citizen
Madison, WI – Every so often I’m blown away by an outstanding work of journalism. I love a well developed and thought provoking piece that enriches my understanding of the world I inhabit. I stumbled upon such journalism earlier this week, a work by Brian Sikma, an ambitious writer who pins down provocative issues with probing questions and unflinching fortitude.
On Dec. 4, The Green Bay Press Gazette posted a story on its Facebook page about Wisconsin’s Department of Justice plan to slash funding for its Sexual Assault Victim Services program by 42.5 percent. The program, established in 1995,… Continue Reading Recall Fever Sweeps Wisconsin
Madison, WI – Recall fever has struck Wisconsin, where a monumental effort is underway to oust Gov. Scott Walker less than a year after the radical conservative took office. After months of planning, the campaign began in earnest early last week when thousands of volunteers hit the streets to gather the 540,000 signatures necessary to force a recall election.
Remarkably, in less than a week, more than 105,000 people have signed the petitions. That’s more than one-fifth of the total signatures needed, with more than 50 days to go before the statutory petition deadline.
Though Walker is the main course,… Continue Reading Dude, Quit Pissin’ on My Van
Commerce City, CO – On our first day on the lot at Dick’s Sporting Good’s Park, a tall dready I’d met prior to the lot opening pulls me aside to ask if I want to do a bunch of coke. “Not really,” I reply. He seems a little surprised, a little disappointed. “Mind if I duck inside your van for a minute?” he asks, like he really needs a bump. “Ah,” I say, “I’d rather you didn’t.” No luck here, he darts off to find someone else with a van who wants to snort coke. Me? Well, I had beer… Continue Reading The Benefits of Using a Uniquely Human Trait: Foresight
Commerce City, CO – When hashing out the logistics of big projects I can always count on one thing: forgetting something important. Halfway to Denver I realized I’d forgotten several important things. First was a jar full of silver change that I save to pay meters, tolls and other small expenses. Next it occurred to me that I’d forgotten the folding table, which necessitated us having to purchase one in Colorado. I also left behind our drink cups and shot glasses as well as our extra cooler. In all, my forgetfulness set us back $100.
D’oh!
These were small… Continue Reading Down and Out in Denver
Denver, CO – One of my favorite state crossings is from Nebraska into Colorado. The landscape changes almost instantly from endless acres of corn-covered farmland to a craggy-soiled moonscape dotted with tufts of sage and desert brush. Barbed-wire fences meander into the horizon, disappearing into a wide open sky.
I love Denver, t00. As far as cities go it is clean, easy to navigate and the people are notably polite and helpful. I was called ‘hon’ more times here than in Hon Town, Baltimore and the bums say ‘thank you’ whether you give them change or not. No one in… Continue Reading 
The Good Friday Pilgrimage