So, I'm in a book with Hunter S. Thompson

I used to read Hunter S. Thompson, Edward Abbey, and David Roberts books when I was just a climbing “dirtbag” living in my car, driving across the country from crag to crag, wasting time, and dreaming about being a professional writer. Never, ever, did I think my writing would be published in a book alongside the work of these literary legends and so many others: Sadie Stein, Royal Robbins, Amanda Monthei, Charlie Warzel, and—my former NYU classmate—Emily Leibert.

Mountain Gazette will turn 60 next year, and to celebrate, they are publishing a 300+ page hardcover anthology featuring some of the greatest voices in outdoor culture from the past to the present.

A few childhood heroes from my freeskiing days are contributors, too, like the pro skiers Henrik Harlaut and Ingrid Backstrom. Fourteen-year-old me would have absolutely lost it. It’s still very hard to believe. All I can say is that I’m honored to be included. My piece is the feature I wrote about mutton bustin’ at the National Western Stock Show for MG 199.

Print Ain’t Dead: A Mountain Gazette Anthology is now available for pre-order and will ship in January 2026.

Just a couple more things I wanted to share:

PRINT Magazine did a nice article about Mountain Gazette, and I’m grateful my most recent contribution was mentioned as an example of the kinds of stories that “explore unexpected facets of our broader relationship with our world.” That is, in essence, my goal as a journalist.

I also wanted to shout out my friend, Alexander Shalom Joseph, who just announced his latest novella, The Clearing (Middle Creek Publishing), about a caretaker on a secluded ranch who spends his days clearing a path through a dense forest at the behest of a wealthy landowner. “Strange and unsettling occurrences begin to erode his grip on reality, pulling him into an eerie confrontation with his past, his psyche, and the untamed wilderness surrounding him.” Available for pre-order here.

Finally, shout out to my students in “The Heart of the Matter,” a four-week class on ethics in nonfiction writing that I taught through Lighthouse Writers Workshop. Our last meeting was last night, and I would like to thank everyone for their many insightful questions and the great discussions that came from them. I hope to be able to offer this class again next year. In the meantime, I will be piloting a new four-week class, on a different topic, which I will be allowed to share publicly soon.