Arthur C. Clarke once wrote, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Before I go any further, let me ask you a question. How many thumbs would I need to have for you to think I was magic? One? No, that’s just a band saw accident. Two? (checks notes) Nope, that’s the regular amount…. Read More →
Baby birds fly when they must; so do our children
September 7, 2024 by 2 Comments
We built our house the summer after our oldest son was born. Since then, generations of eastern phoebes raised their hatchlings in a nest constructed under our deck by one of their ancestors. You might know these fly-catching birds for their dark heads, fidgety tail pumps and their “fee-bee” call, which is how they got… Read More →
Who’s driving the bus?
September 3, 2024 by Leave a Comment
It’s back to school season! For me, this has always been a special time of year. I loved school as a kid. College, too. I covered education as a reporter and editor. Then I became a college instructor. As a parent, school meant something different: freedom, maybe, but also the growth and development of those… Read More →
Clock ticking for Hibbing city hall restoration
August 31, 2024 by 1 Comment
One plot point in the 1985 movie classic “Back to the Future” involves the town’s clock tower. With the clock broken, preservationists raise funds to restore the timepiece and keep the building from being torn down. The situation in the Iron Range town of Hibbing bears some similarity. I mean, no, Hibbing’s city hall clock… Read More →
Yellowstone amazes with fire and brimstone, bison and bears
August 24, 2024 by Leave a Comment
If you want to spice up your family vacation, why not go to a place that could kill you, and that might one day kill us all. Last week, our family traveled to Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming. This place is a trip. Literally, in that it was a two day car ride for… Read More →
First Strib Voices column begins in an Iron Range underground mine
August 18, 2024 by Leave a Comment
If you missed the news, I’m joining the newly rebranded Minnesota Star Tribune as a contributing columnist. My first column publishes today at StarTribune.com and Monday, Aug. 19 in the print edition. Today’s column: “Old family photo reveals how much has changed on the Iron Range.” This first piece was inspired by an old photograph… Read More →
Counting on sheep to reduce carbon hoof print
August 17, 2024 by 1 Comment
The dog days of August might seem a strange time to think about sweaters and stew, but I’ve been reading about sheep lately. Sheep seem like greatly underrated livestock. They give us wool and mutton (sweaters and stew). You can even turn a sheep’s hide into traditional southern Italian bagpipe called a zampogna. I’m not… Read More →
Brown named contributing columnist for Minnesota Star Tribune
August 15, 2024 by 6 Comments
Today, I bring news for longtime readers of MinnesotaBrown.com. Starting next week, I join the Star Tribune as a contributing columnist. My columns will appear twice a month on the opinion page and StarTribune.com. This is a lifelong career goal I’ve been trying to manifest for at least 10 years. The Star Tribune is the… Read More →
Monster trucks mash hapless wrecks
August 6, 2024 by 1 Comment
French philosopher and novelist Victor Hugo once said “Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters.” This might help us understand why only America, possibly the most prosperous nation in world history, could make monster trucks. Picture this. Someone knocks on your door and says, “excuse me ma’am” or “hello, sir,” before explaining they’re about to… Read More →
As flames rise, true progress beckons
August 5, 2024 by Leave a Comment
My latest essay for the Minnesota Reformer, “As flames rise, true progress beckons,” is out today. This column continues last week’s exploration of the natural world in an industrial landscape. Go back far enough and you realize that words don’t always mean what we think they do. Call someone a “nimrod” today and they’re likely… Read More →
