Stopping Long Enough to See
Blue Ridge Outdoors — July/August 2026
A personal essay about photography, attention, and the practice of seeing. Beginning with a chance encounter with a rain-soaked wildflower and continuing through a photography workshop at the Asheville Botanical Garden, the essay explores how slowing down changes what we notice—and how learning to truly see can deepen our relationship with the natural world. Ultimately, it argues that photography is less about making pictures than cultivating the attention that leads to stewardship.
Read Article

Participation Matters Most When the World Feels Uncertain
Asheville Citizen-Times — May 2026
An essay exploring how participation and local engagement help sustain communities during periods of uncertainty.
Read at Citizen-Times
Read PDF

The Appalachian Way
Smoky Mountain Living — Spring 2025
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Appalachian Trail communities, volunteers, and trail organizations came together to restore damaged trails and support local economies. Through interviews with business owners, trail leaders, and volunteers, this feature explores resilience, stewardship, and the enduring culture of the Southern Appalachians.
Read Article

How Western North Carolina Can Turn Helene Disaster Into Opportunity
Asheville Citizen-Times — November 2024

Written less than two months after Hurricane Helene, this essay looks to Japan’s recovery from the 2011 tsunami as a model for rebuilding Western North Carolina. It argues that recovery can be more than restoration—an opportunity to rethink where and how we build, strengthen local communities, and create a more resilient region through collaboration and shared responsibility.
Read at Citizen-Times
Read PDF

Broader Diagnosis—What North Carolina Needs from Its Physicians Now
North Carolina Medical Journal — 2025
A personal reflection on the author's father, an Asheville pediatrician whose approach to medicine extended beyond diagnosis to advocacy and public leadership. Through one memorable encounter with a North Carolina governor, the letter explores listening, trust, and the responsibility to use one's influence in service of the larger community.
Read Letter