A Visit to the Center(s) of the Nation
Tuesday, September 26 2023
Clay files a video report from the geographic center of the USA on the wind-swept plains outside of Belle Fourche, South Dakota.
- Published in Dispatches from the Road
Clay’s Reading List: The Buffalo and American West
Monday, September 18 2023
With Ken Burns’ new film The American Buffalo airing October 16 on PBS, Clay recommends a few books on the bison, Great Plains and American West.
- Published in Books
Slings and Arrows of Teaching Shakespeare
Thursday, September 07 2023
One Florida school system will only allow classroom study of excerpts from some Shakespeare plays in its high school curriculum because it is afraid they will violate the new state laws forbidding the inclusion of taboo issues in the curriculum.
- Published in Features
Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne
Friday, September 01 2023
Katherine Rundell’s new book on the great English writer and cleric, John Donne is, among other things, a work of evangelism. Rundell says one of her goals is to get everyone to read some of Donne’s poetry. I could not agree more.
- Published in Books
A Detour to the Home of American Writer Hamlin Garland
Tuesday, August 01 2023
As I continued my drive and not far into South Dakota, I visited the homestead of the Pulitzer Prize winning author Hamlin Garland.
- Published in Dispatches from the Road
I Was First in Line To See the New Oppenheimer Film
Monday, July 24 2023
I sat in the theater Friday for three hours and was mesmerized. The film is historically accurate. Oppenheimer is one of the best movies I have ever seen.
- Published in Dispatches from the Road
The Kindness of Strangers: Penniless Across America
Sunday, July 09 2023
In 1994 San Francisco journalist Mike McIntyre got it into his head to try to cross the county with no money. No money whatsoever. With a borrowed 50-70 pound backpack, he traveled literally penniless for 4,223 miles from San Francisco to Cape Fear, North Carolina. That's fourteen states, 82 rides, five laundry loads, and one golf round.
- Published in Books
With the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation
Tuesday, July 04 2023
As the editor of the Lewis and Clark quarterly journal, We Proceeded On, I attended the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation annual meeting in Missoula at the end of June.
- Published in Dispatches from the Road
Farewell to Our Intrepid Guide and a Water in the West Reading List
Friday, June 23 2023
Days 10 and 11, Sunday/Monday: U.S. 89 to Utah 20; Utah 20 to I-15; I-15 to Salt Lake City.
A sad farewell as Frank, our scout and chief raconteur for the last 10 days, heads home to Escalante, Utah, and Clay and Dennis continue north to visit the Great Salt Lake.…
- Published in Dispatches from the Road
Lands of Lost Borders
Sunday, June 04 2023
Because I am gearing up for years of travel across America, especially the West, I am reading books of adventure travel. I have reread Travels with Charley of course, and the published journal of John Wesley Powell’s 1869 descent of the Green and Colorado Rivers.
- Published in Books