We’re Back!

August 15, 2026. Ashland, Oregon

Hello, dear follower of Crows Calling and Bruce … I am Koro, happy to report that we’re back after several months’ haitus. The grass has not been growing under our feet, er, wings! It’s hot here in Oregon—hot and smoky. I hear it’s the same all over. But it’s been a good year for us Crows, plenty of insects who survived over a winter without the normal hard freeze!

Thanks, Koro! Bruce here … I admit, the heat is concerning, but a lot of work continues despite the denial. Here, the Ashland Climate Collaborative is building community at the neighborhood level, with special attention to being “Fire Wise,” given the beautiful forests all around us. That said, the world is in a time when immediate issues are driving attention away from the long term. Our democracy is in peril, and the geopolitical landscape is foreboding. Just one example: I was recently on a Stimson Center call with retired US and Russian generals—nothing but gloomy prospects for a Ukraine peace anytime soon.

The climate situation reminds me of the substance abuser whose health continues to deteriorate, but who refuses to link the addition to their decline. With climate, we’re hooked on carbon—“I’m trying to cut back … just one more hit, then I’ll quit.”

Writing News

We’re bringing out the softcover version of Crows Calling in October. The hardcover, eBook, and audiobook are selling … modestly. Meanwhile, I’ve started another novel! Set here in Southern Oregon between the 1850s and the present day, it follows a family whose men face moral-ethical tests in America's wars, struggling with a curse visited upon the patriarch. So far, no talking animals, but lots of interesting characters and intergenerational dynamics.

See you next month, and thanks in advance for staying tuned!