Les Fernandez, called “Coach” (by just about everyone) became my mentor when I was 18. Strolling around White Plains NY during my first year in college, I saw a sign “The Cage Teen Center.” It pointed to steep steps leading to a basement under a Woolworths store. I saw a canteen, ping pong tables, hang … read more

Democracy is something we live from the inside out. The Aha! is that when we live it this way, a personal, inner democracy can be politically transformational as well. Usually, people jump into a discussion about democracy with reactions to what they hear in the news, dismay, fear of perceived threats, feelings and opinions, fiery … read more

Prairie path leads to the sky path; the paths are one. Continents are two; and you must make your journey from the prairies to the sky.  — William Quayle   A drum vibrates. It ripples from a little white chapel across the tall grass prairie in Chase County, Kansas. The beat is African, it’s somehow familiar. … read more

The BNSF railroad clatters by in clear view from Mindy’s kitchen window. Its rumble feels comforting, familiar. Like the rustling spring-leafed  trees in the front yard, it reassures me that I am here. It’s my eighth year visiting Matfield Green, heart of Chase County, Kansas, the heart of the tall grass prairie. If you fold a map … read more