Letter to the editor

Thank you for the issue on Speculative Journalism (8/19/19). The smart and creative writing, illustrations, layout and editing express the reality of climate disruption in a more powerful, embodied way than any literal account possibly could. You have demonstrated the power of art. The various imaginings of the year 2068 bring home the real human […]

I fully support the author of “The queer Mormon policy reversal is not enough” (HCN, 5/27/19), especially in her remarks about some seeking death as an escape from the “sin” of being “queer.” Everyone needs a center; for me, it is my Episcopal Church community, which — at least in its West Coast manifestation — […]

“Dreaming of Thoreau, but dealing with landlords” (HCN, 8/5/19) was irritating. The author conflated landscaping for a better environment with the issue of dealing with a landlord. The reluctance to have a broad mind when it comes to landscaping is a general one and likely has nothing to do with whether the homeowner lives on […]

Thank you so much for the thoughtful piece, “Five reasons to keep geotagging” (HCN, 6/10/19). I’m subscribing thanks to pieces like this. Our public lands are for everyone, and everyone should feel welcomed just as they are, and as different from each other as they are. Anita Sarah JacksonSan Ramon, California This article appeared in […]

I fought fire alongside Arizona inmates for 15 years with the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service (“From Prison to Fireline,” HCN, 8/5/19). I am glad HCN took the time to highlight Arizona’s inmate fire program. The personal discussions with the inmates and their opinions of the program carry value for your readers. The […]

I shed no tears for the looming demise of Wyoming’s coal industry (“With coal in free fall, Wyoming faces an uncertain future,” HCN, 8/5/19). Despite the Trump administration’s regulatory rollbacks and vocal cheerleading, coal is a dying industry — good news to environmentalists everywhere. Mining is a dirty, dangerous business for the miners themselves, and […]

I hope we haven’t forgotten Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed, published in 2001 by Metropolitan Books (“Life below the poverty line,” HCN, 6/10/19). In Chapter 2, “Scrubbing in Maine,” Ehrenreich works in a place that, like Montana, could be known for its whiteness. On the basis of that one piece of camouflage, we watch her […]

The article on the vigilante parade was excellent (“Montana’s vigilante obsession,” HCN, 6/24/19). I would have missed it but for an out-of-state friend who shared the link. Author Gabriel Furshong put into words what has always been disturbing about the parade. His short history lesson is one that most of us conveniently fail to recall […]

Selfies are narcissistic and obnoxious (“Five reasons to keep geotagging,” HCN, 6/10/19). Social media is a time-wasting, jealousy-producing machine that most of us should abstain from as much as possible. Electronic addiction is a serious problem. Don’t underestimate the damage it’s currently doing to society. Geotagging is unnecessary at best, irresponsible at worst and a symptom of […]

I grew up in Spokane and northern Idaho, and I remember the toxic streams feeding into Lake Coeur d’Alene when the mines were still working when I was a kid (“Losing Lake Coeur d’Alene,” HCN, 6/24/19). I learned to swim in the lake and worked on small farms and ranches in the area, as well […]

For 12 years my husband and I lived in Moab, Utah, and we volunteered and worked at the Kane Gulch Ranger Station, which is overseen by the Bureau of Land Management’s office in Monticello, Utah. In your most recent article regarding the Bears Ears National Monument, you are totally incorrect when you indicate there has […]