john muir featured

Letter to a Friend

In 1868, JOHN MUIR, then a University of Wisconsin student, wrote to his 'spiritual mother' to tell her of his recent travels and his growing devotion to a joyous and reverent communion with Nature.
by David McGee
 

 
 
Jubilee Quartet featured

Fisk Jubilee Singers: From Whipping Post to Throne Room

The early struggles and ultimate triumph of the FISK JUBILEE SINGERS, as reported by JAMES M. TROTTER in his 1878 book profiling 'remarkable musicians of the colored race.' '
by David McGee
 

 

 
whens my birthday featured

Christian Robinson: A Child’s Eye-View of Birthdays

A pre-publication look at WHERE'S MY BIRTHDAY, by poet JULIE FOGLIANO with illustrations by CHRISTIAN ROBINSON. This picture bookcelebrates the thrill children get when anticipating a birthday and all that comes with it.
by David McGee
 

 
 
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‘I Always Thought SeaWorld Was a Happy Place’

An interview with documentary filmmaker GABRIELA COWPERTHWAITE on her eye opening documentary BLACKFISH about the mistreatment of Orcas in captivity.
by David McGee
 

 

 
Album Cover

When ‘Strictly for The Birds ‘ Is a Compliment

Veteran singer-songwriter STEPHANIE SEYMOUR is a bird brain--that is, the former Aquanettas member studies and loves birds. So much so that she's released an album of original bird-oriented songs.
by David McGee
 

 
 
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Sweet November (1968)

In DEEP ROOTS THEATER, ANTHONY NEWLEY and SANDY DENNIS star in one of 1968's great date movies, SWEET NOVEMBER, a bonafide multi-hanky romance with a tragic underpinning and a challenge to conventional notions of relationships....
by David McGee
 

 

 
honeybee

Sustainable Agriculture News

CHIPOTLE expands market for naturally raised meats; new insights into honeybee colony collapse; managing water in California; high-res global cropland maps
by David McGee
 

 
 
surf in verse spotlight 880x385

Surf in Verse

Five choice poems by surfers about the spiritual experience of riding the waves, being at one with nature. Surf music interludes by DICK DALE, JAN AND DEAN, THE FOUR SEASONS, TAKESHI TERAUCHI & THE BUNNYS.
by David McGee
 

 

 
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All in All, A Most Wonderful Time

A tasty selection of tracks from three of ANDY WILLIAMS's eight Yuletide albums, including several superb tracks with arranger-conductor-producer ROBERT MERSEY.
by David McGee
 

 
 
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The ‘Quiet Ecstasy’ of Harry Simeone’s ‘Little Drummer Boy’

The story behind THE HARRY SIMEONE CHORALE's classic 'THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY' begins in 1941 with KATHERINE KENNICOTT DAVIS'S 'CAROL OF THE DRUM' and includes a classic Christmas album featuring the oft-covered seasonal favorite.
by David McGee
 

 

 
our christmas best

The Deep Roots Yuletide Baedeker 2020

Welcome back our CHRISTMAS BAEDEKER, the all-inclusive guide to the best in holiday fare, from movies to cartoons to music to stories behind the songs to Christmas poetry to...well, you name it, we got it! Buon Natale!
by David McGee
 

 
 
Judith Durham Christmas cover

Somewhere There is Morningtown, Many Miles Away

Holiday albums by THE SEEKERS and JUDITH DURHAM praised and appraised. God bless us all, every one!
by David McGee