Author Archives: Jerry Johnson

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About Jerry Johnson

Retired journalist and college public relations director. Former teacher, coach, mentor. Novelist and short story writer.

Solastalgia

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Jerry Johnson

Solastalgia: the emotional and mental distress of a person living in a deteriorating natural environment, an existential anxiety about and grief for a vanishing landscape and its biota; a neologism coined by Glenn Albrecht (b. 1953), philosopher and retired professor … Continue reading →

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Not for human consumption

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Jerry Johnson

Not for human consumption An oft-told bird hunter’s joke, but worth retelling. Old bird hunter Bill comes home from a long day afield and finds his wife is out for the evening. He opens the refrigerator and discovers she has … Continue reading →

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All-in

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Jerry Johnson

We all live on death row in cells of our own devising. – from The Ancient Minstrel by Jim Harrison (1937-2016), American writer of poetry, novels, novellas, essays and screenplays The good artist believes that nobody is good enough to … Continue reading →

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Domestic maintenance tips

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Jerry Johnson

…but what of those times your wife abandons you for an extended period – three, five, seven days, perhaps longer? Most of us can feed and clean ourselves in a crude fashion, but a week of living alone in a … Continue reading →

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Turning a blind eye

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Jerry Johnson

“Hell, you’re already deaf, and if you go blind, too, you’ll be useless in hunting camp.” Turning a blind eye The buck came out of the woods downwind and behind me, the kind of unexpected appearance I should be prepared … Continue reading →

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Super bole weekend

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Jerry Johnson

During the decline of the Roman Empire sage writers coined a phrase for this deceptive subterfuge: Panem et Circenses. The literal translation from Latin is “Bread and Circuses,” but its allegorical meaning is the appeasement of a population of dissatisfied … Continue reading →

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Neanderthal

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Jerry Johnson

When we think of the Ice Age, we think of desolate, glacier filled landscapes. But geologists consider even the present day to be part of this Ice Age, which is characterized by long eras of cold climate (glacials), in which … Continue reading →

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Tracks of the fox

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Jerry Johnson

Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it’s the answer to everything. … It’s the streaming reason for living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be astonished at nothing, to cherish the oddities, … Continue reading →

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Beastly weather, beautiful walk

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Jerry Johnson

Beastly weather, beautiful walk First came a shower of sleet, then an inch of freezing rain, followed by two inches of wet snow, topped off by a half inch of “wintry mix” precipitation — falling on a day with temperatures … Continue reading →

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Skraalung

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Jerry Johnson

Just when I was ready to do the unthinkable – go south for a couple months to ease the agony of bruma morbus malum (translation from Latin: winter morbidity syndrome) – I discovered skraalung, a low-impact exercise regimen that provides relief … Continue reading →

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