Life Out Loud

Book Tour, Commentary, Life Out Loud, The Adventure Gap / 11.03.2015

[caption id="attachment_2062934" align="aligncenter" width="603"] On the trail with a crew of young men led by Big City Mountaineers ~ 2003[/caption]   March 11, 2015 Next stop Burlington, Vermont. Now that I'm finishing up the last leg of The Adventure Gap college book tour a few of the students I've had the opportunity to connect with are reaching out with letters and comments. It's very exciting to know that the work I am doing has begun to resonate with young people around the country and I am very eager to engage in...

Adventure Activism, Destinations, Diversity, Environmental Protection, Expedition Denali, Fly Fishing, Life Out Loud, Outdoor Recreation, Slideshow, The Adventure Gap / 21.10.2014

Often the guidance we need to create a brighter future can be seen through the fading images of the not-so-distant past. And by coming to a better understanding of where we have been we can set a path toward where we most want to go. Less than an hour’s drive from Downtown Denver, Colorado I discovered a carefully preserved memory of yesterday that has now become a dream of tomorrow. Founded in 1922 Lincoln Hills is an outdoor recreation facility under the care and administration of African-American entrepreneurs. Originally...

Adventure Activism, Adventure Media Review, Climbing, Expedition Denali, Fiction, Life Out Loud / 15.09.2014

Jamal's senses snapped into focus with a sudden burst of light. The darkness that enveloped him had lasted only an instant as his mind recovered from the shock of having fallen. In those first few moments he wasn't entirely sure where he was. His mama's kitchen was the safest place he could imagine. But as the smell of cooking filled his nostrils, in his mouth there was the distinct taste of his own blood. "Why is it so cold?" he thought to himself. Then suddenly all at once he...

Adventure Media Review, Banff, Commentary, Environmental Journalism, Life Out Loud / 01.08.2014

  Earlier this week I formally submitted the confirmation for my acceptance into the Banff Mountain and Wilderness Writing Program. This has been a professional goal of mine for such a long time now that I'm astonished to have finally made it this point in my career. But that begs the question that must plague the mind of every professional writer as much as it does mine, what happens next? At the age of 47 it could be said that I am in the middle of my career as a writer. Having finished by...

Adventure Activism, Climbing, Diversity, Expedition Denali, Life Out Loud / 02.07.2014

On this date 50 years ago the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law. In a White House ceremony in the presence of Martin Luther King Jr and other dignitaries President Lyndon Johnson administered the passage of legislation that ended legal discrimination in the United States once and for all. Though the struggle for racial equality in this nation would continue for decades later this newly enacted law would set in motion the dreams and aspirations of African-American men and women to reach new heights of achievement. It’s...

Adventure Activism, Adventure Media Review, Breaking News, Diversity, Expedition Denali, Film preview, Life Out Loud / 25.06.2014

Back from the mountain for almost a year most of the members of Expedition Denali gathered as a group for the world premiere of the new film that documents their climb of the highest peak in North America. An American Ascent details the journey of the first team of black climbers to attempt to reach the summit of Mount McKinley, also know as Denali, in June of 2013. Before an excited audience of viewers in the Jefferson Auditorium at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington DC members of the team...