Field Notes

Traveling to the center of Quito from the valley below feels like being a river in reverse, winding through ravines and along steep slopes to climb into the lofty capital.

(JULY) I remember a picture of my grandfather when I was a kid. He was sitting on his front porch, a tiny fawn at his side.

One of my most memorable early lessons in writing happened when I attended the wrong class.

(APRIL/MAY) When we moved from New York City to our New England street in the middle of summer, I thought it needed more color.

(APRIL) To get to Chan Chich Lodge from Belize City, you pass through miles of tropical savannah mixed with wetlands and then bounce along a winding dirt road.

(MARCH) There was once a carpet of satiny dark purple crocuses beneath the peeling copper-brown trunk of a paperbark maple tree in our front yard.

(FEBRUARY) February in Vermont is a collision of cold winter weather and fire-warmed interiors.

(FEBRUARY) In late winter, Dutch tulips are a welcome burst of color.

(JANUARY) Some days, there are a lot of birds around our yard. There is the cardinal that stands on the ...

(THE BEGINNING) My day-to-day work is largely virtual. This year, I am pursuing an antidote.