Hello, and thank you for reading this formerly weekly, now sporadic, newsletter. As of writing, my family and I have now gone on an aspen leaf hike, devoured an entire bag of roasted green chiles, and logged the first headlamp run of the season. It’s officially fall in New Mexico.
What I’m reading
Out There, Nobody Can Hear You Scream: Two years ago, Latria Graham wrote an essay about the challenges of being Black in the outdoors. Countless readers reached out to her, asking for advice on how to stay safe in places where nonwhite people aren’t always welcome. She didn't write back, because she had no idea what to say. In the aftermath of a revolutionary spring and summer, she responds. [Latria Graham for Outside]
What My Sled Dogs Taught Me About Planning for the Unknown: Working with them in the wilderness means negotiating countless shifting variables. Sounds a lot like the world we’re living in. [Blair Braverman for The New York Times]
The Best Books Featuring Black Children in the Outdoors: Researchers have identified an alarming lack of books about Black children in nature. Diversifying your bookshelf can help kids find themselves in literature—and the outdoors. [Allison Braden for Outside]
Behind the Scenes of a New Kind of Feminist Relay Race: The long-distance, virtual Womxn Run the Vote relay isn't just about covering the miles. It's also creating a new vision for feminism that is inclusive. [Christine Yu for Outside]
Listen: Latria Graham on Longform Podcast: “My goal as a person—not just as a writer—is to be the adult that I needed when I was younger. That’s why I go and talk to college classes. That’s why I write some of these vulnerable things, to let people that are struggling know that they’re not on their own.” [on Longform]
How Outdoor Companies Can Back Up Their DEI Pledges: Professional climber Kai Lightner maps out how the outdoor community can build successful diversity and inclusion initiatives. [Kai Lightner for Outside]
We Are All the Fat Bear Now: “Life is short, the bears know, and if you're not food, family, or sleep, you are my nemesis.” [Mary Elizabeth Williams for Salon]
For Your Bookshelf: In Search of the Woman Who Sailed the World: When the first woman to circumnavigate the world completed her journey in 1775, she returned home without any fanfare at all. [by Danielle Clode]
