After several rejections, my first published piece of opinion journalism was a 1996 satire on the bureaucracy associated with statewide transportation development, published by Journal Inquirer in Manchester, CT. Since then, and separate from my 15 years as a regular columnist for the Hartford Courant, I contributed a variety of opinions and essays to a variety of newspapers, including the New York Times, the Boston Globe, The Providence Journal, the New London Day.
Wall Street Journal
Most recently, I’ve been writing book reviews for the Wall Street Journal.
“Mineral Wisdom; The Whispers of Rock Review,” of Anjana Khatwa’s The Whispers of Rock, January 16, 2026.
“’Is a River Alive?’ : How to Go with the Flow” Review of Robert McFarlane’s Is a River Alive. Online July 3, 2025. Paper July 4, 2025,
“Better Focus, the ‘Walden’ Way,” Review of Thoreau’s Axe by Caleb Smith, April 14, 2023.
“Evolution of a Theory” (print) and “Two Books on the Young Charles Darwin” (online). Oct 14, 2022.
“The Cauldrons Beneath Us” Review of Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal about Earth and the Worlds Beyond by Robin George Andrews, March 5, 2022.
“Roots of Fire.” Review of How the Mountains Grew: A New Geological History of North America by John Dvorak. August 13, 2021, p. C12.
”We are Stardust.” Review of Meteorite, by Timothy Gregory, August 2021.
“On the Gaps of Deep Time” Review of The Book of Unconformities by Hugh Raffles. Aug 28, 2020.
“The Earth and Us.” Review of Origins: How Earth’s History Shaped Human History by Lewis Dartnell, May 9, 2019.
“Thinking in Eons,” Review of Timefulness by Marcia Bjornerud, Dec 30, 2018.
Freelanced
Complete list from November 18, 1996 to September 2, 2011. All are solo-authored unless indicated otherwise.
Geology Professor Takes on Settler’s Rock (on the origin of Settler’s Rock, Block Island). Block Island Times, August 24, 2011, p. 13.
A State By Geological Consent (on the origin of Connecticut). Hartford Courant, March 22, 2009, p, C5.
Holding Nature in Trust (On the necessity of land trusts) Hartford Courant, May 6, 2007, p. C4.
Selfish Dog Owner Ruins a Rhode Island Beach (on unleashed dogs and public use of nature).The Providence Journal, January 13, 2007.
Strip Mining History (on mining and thievery of abandoned stone walls), New York Times, October, 8, 2006.
Legacy of Stone (on conserving stone walls). Boston Globe, Wednesday, January 1, 2003, p. A15.
Warming up the Northwest Passage (on global climate change). The Providence Journal, Monday, December 30, 2002, p. A8.
Tragedy of the Commons: Selling off New England’s stone walls (on conserving stone walls). The Providence Journal, Wednesday, November 27, 2002, p. 4
Something there is that loves a wall (Comment on excerpts on the release of my book, Stone By Stone). Willimantic Chronicle, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2002.
The Perfect Flood?(On the public sense of threat). National Public Radio News (WNPR) News Highlight, electronically published/archived at http://news.wnpr.org/xpr/feature.jhtml. p 1-4. May, 2001.
Maple Trees may flee to avoid warming. The Providence Journal, March 12, 2001, p. A10.
Hold the Fort! (on the failed Fort Trumbull development).The New London Day, Sunday, December 31, 2000, p. C1.
Forty Years on Plato’s Highway (satire on the failed Route 6 expressway from Windham to Boulton). Manchester Journal Inquirer, November 18, 1996, p. 19-20.
UConn Advance
Print Newspaper was predecessor to the online UConn Today.
Slabs in Babbidge Library recall ancient waves on sands of time, February 5, 2001.
Fallen foliage of long ago holds clues to history of Horsebarn Hill, October 16, 2000.
The ups and downs of Avery Point, September 25, 2000.
From mud to bricks: Firing Produces Colorful Transformation, September 4, 2000.
Beneath Babbidge Library lies rare remnant of pre-glacial era, January 24, 2000.
Health Center stands on rock-solid ground, February 21, 2000.
UConn’s water tanks fed by Fenton River, UConn Advance, April 24, 2000.
Everlasting roses: quartz gravestone will withstand test of time, UConn Advance, October 23, 2000.
Essays published by the Hartford Courant are listed elsewhere.
Photo: Walden Pond in September.