Exploring the Future of Nature http://www.orionmagazine.org Orion has been described as "America's best environmental magazine". Orion is a bi-monthly print magazine that delves into the connections between politics, nature, ecology, society, values, and cultures. Podcasts are occasional, in mp3 format, and vary from a five-minute overview of a subject with an article's author to an author reading a poem or full article. en Orion Magazine swalker@orionsociety.org (Scott Walker) swalker@orionsociety.org (Scott Walker) ExpressionEngine Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:42:00 GMT 180 Orion is a bi-monthly print magazine that delves into the connections between politics, nature, ecology, society, values, and cultures. Podcasts are occasional, in mp3 format, and vary from a five-minute overview of a subject with an article's author to an author reading a poem or full article. environment, green, ecology, green living, nature, climate change, global warming, solnit, mckibben, wendell berry, nature writing Orion Magazine swalker@orionsociety.org Scott Walker clean Has environmentalism lost its way? What does sustainability really have to do with a healthy planet? During Orion's latest live web event, Paul Kingsnorth discussed his essay “Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist” in the January/February 2012 issue of the magazine. According to Kingsnorth, environmentalism has effectively died, its original deep connection to nature lost in the language of science and economics. Kingsnorth is joined by authors Lierre Keith and David Abram. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6687/ Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:42:04 -0600 1:04:13 Author Luis Urrea is Orion magazine's newest columnist. In this podcast, he reads from his first column, The Wastelander, (January/February 2012) about working the nightshift cleaning toilets at a skanky campsite in Southern California. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6623/ Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:53:49 -0600 11:20 Orion editors Chip Blake, Jennifer Sahn, and Jason Houston discuss the January/Feburary 2012 issue of Orion, including an exclusive interview between veteran environmental journalist/author Terry Tempest Williams and Tim DeChristopher on the eve of DeChristopher's lockup in a federal penitentiary; Luis Urrea's witty yet poignant new column The Wastelander; and an iconoclastic essay by Paul Kingsnorth titled "Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist" -- an essay that is sure to generate a lot of conversation on our website. Photo Editor Jason Houston also discusses this issue's dramatic photo essay about farmers in rural India committing suicide, as well as how Orion covers are selected. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6622/ Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:53:45 -0600 12:34 Author Pam Houston reads an excerpt from her story for Orion (January/February 2012) titled "Contents May Have Shifted." Please take your seat and fasten your seat belt. And also make sure your seat back and folding trays are in their full upright position. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6624/ Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:52:04 -0600 6:17 What is it about visual art that changes the viewer? What are the pitfalls and opportunities inherent to art that advocates? Hear renowned photographer and cultural activist Chris Jordan and Orion's picture editor Jason Houston discuss these topics and answer listener questions during Orion's most recent live web event. Jordan's series "Intolerable Beauty," which set a new standard for art that advocates, was featured in Orion in 2007 http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6654/ Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:06:36 -0600 1:00:49 What does an octopus think about? What might it feel like to be a bat? During Orion's latest live web event, authors Sy Montgomery, Marc Bekoff, and aquarist Scott Dowd discuss animal intelligence—the subject of Montgomery's feature "Deep Intellect" in the November/December 2011 issue of the magazine. Listen to Montgomery read an excerpt from her piece, and hear the panel share startling stories of animal consciousness and answer listener questions. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6594/ Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:20:46 -0600 57:17 Michael P. Branch Michael P. Branch reads his essay "Free Birds" (Orion November/December 2011) about the peculiar American tradition of presidential turkey pardons and other myths surrounding Thanksgiving. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6516/ Tue, 25 Oct 2011 01:54:03 -0500 23:50 Andrei Codrescu In a far-reaching interview with Orion Managing Editor Andrew Blechman, Andrei Codrescu discusses his unexpected move to the Ozarks; Ovid's exile to Romania, the importance of timing; his family's escape from the Nazis; meeting Allen Ginsberg in the 1960s; the power of poetry and monetizing creativity; how to become a poet; his start as a commentator for National Public Radio; his coverage of the Romania revolution; his latest book based on the Persian folk tales in One Thousand and One Nights; and the wonders of retirement. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6515/ Tue, 25 Oct 2011 01:51:17 -0500 40:49 Orion editors Chip Blake, Jennifer Sahn, and Andrew Blechman discuss the November/December 2011 issue. They reflect on Bill McKibben's column about the need for small and many versus big and brittle; the reign of the One Percenters and how income inequality is stunting cultural evolution; Andrei Codrescu's unexpected move to the Ozarks and what he's found there; Sy Montgomery's unusual ability to get cuddly with octopuses; and Michael Branch's ruminations on the presidential pardoning of turkeys. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6514/ Tue, 25 Oct 2011 01:49:28 -0500 6:25 Must the economy always grow? At what societal, personal, and planetary cost? Orion hosted a live discussion on the end of economics as we know it with Richard Heinberg, author of The End of Growth, and Helena Norberg-Hodge, whose film The Economics of Happiness explores the costs and alternatives to perpetual growth. During this hour-long dialogue ranging from Occupy Wall Street to climate change, our guests shared ideas, resources, and answered listener questions. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6539/ Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:44:30 -0500 01:03:57 Is our education system capable of producing young people who are ready to tackle today's social and environmental challenges? The outlook is grim, argues Erik Reece in his essay in the September/October 2011 issue of Orion, "The Schools We Need." Reece and noted education thinkers Deborah Meier and Dr. Leon Botstein reflected on these questions and more during a live web event hosted by Orion; the three discussed Reece's essay, the future of our school system, and answered listener questions. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6506/ Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:00:23 -0500 1:00:14 Orion editors Chip Blake, Jennifer Sahn, and Andrew Blechman discuss the September/October 2011 issue. In particular, they reflect on Erik Reece's article about addressing his freshman comp students' grievances and how education influences democracy; the wonderment one feels when contemplating an animal as strange and beautiful as the sturgeon; author Ginger Strand's visit to Speed Week in the Utah desert; Rachel Barrett's photo essay on how gender can imprint itself on the land; and Sandra Steingraber's frustration with how the public perceives environmental change. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6441/ Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:32:26 -0500 11:29 Orion managing editor Andrew Blechman interviews author Ginger Strand about Speed Week at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats and the mostly male obsession with acceleration. Strand discusses her time at Speed Week among the usual suspects of motorheads, as well as a new breed of speed geeks pursuing record-breaking acceleration fueled by alternative means such as battery and compressed air. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6440/ Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:25:44 -0500 18:24 As the climate warms, oil disappears, and the economy shakes and shifts, how will our urban places adapt? Will density and communal living be important tools for human resilience, or will city life become costly and unworkable—or even unlivable? Listen to Kunstler share his forecast for the American city, elaborate on his feature in the July/August 2011 issue of the magazine, and answer listener questions. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6393/ Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:57:52 -0500 57:41 Sharona Muir Sharona Muir reads her short story "Monumental City" (Orion July/August 2011, story not available online) about giant spiders taking over an important city (hint: it might be Washington, D.C....) http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6367/ Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:00:47 -0500 14:55 James Howard Kunstler Orion managing editor Andrew Blechman interviews author James Howard Kunstler about the future of cities in an age of peak oil and obligatory contraction. According to Kunstler, Phoenix and Las Vegas will be "toast," skyscrapers will become massive liabilities, suburbs will turn into salvage yards, and commerce will look very different. Kunstler is quite certain that civilization will remain intact, albeit retrofitted with slow trains, sailing ships, and other blasts from the past. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6366/ Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:00:19 -0500 42:36 The Editors Orion editors Chip Blake, Jennifer Sahn, and Andrew Blechman discuss the July/August 2011 issue: James Howard Kunstler's unique take on the future of the American city in an age of contraction; a photo essay about a peasant revolution in Haiti that addresses issues of food sovereignty as well as food security; and Scott Russell Sanders' piece about how material wealth has seemingly become more important than life itself. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6368/ Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:00:06 -0500 12:21 Many of us are more familiar with what's on TV than with what's crawling, growing, and flying just beyond our windows. In this conversation, we discuss "nature deficit disorder"—a phrase coined by author and panelist Richard Louv—and the ways we might reconnect ourselves and our kids with wonder and adventure in the natural world. This is a recording of a live web event (on June 16, 2011), in which Richard Louv, Camilla Rockwell, and David Sobel discuss Reimagining Nature Literacy. Orion hosts regular dialogues with writers, artists, activists, and thinkers on transforming ideas into action for people and planet. They are made possible by your donations, so please go to http://www.orionmagazine.org/donate to support Orion in bringing readers, writers, and activists together in this way. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6373/ Mon, 20 Jun 2011 08:28:30 -0500 1:11:42 Derrick Jensen joined Orion staff and readers for a live web event on May 17, 2011. Jensen read from his essay in the May/June 2011 issue of Orion, "To Live or Not to Live," and answered questions submitted by listeners on this and other essays he's written for his column "Upping The Stakes." Orion hosts regular dialogues with writers, artists, activists, and thinkers on transforming ideas into action for people and planet. They are made possible by your donations, so please go to http://www.orionmagazine.org/donate to support Orion in bringing readers, writers, and activists together in this way. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6330/ Wed, 18 May 2011 12:48:38 -0500 54:37 Orion managing editor Andrew Blechman interviews Hugh Raffles, author of Insectopedia and winner of the fifth annual Orion Book Award. Raffles discusses the importance of insects, why we fear them, and why he wrote a book dedicated to them. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6324/ Mon, 09 May 2011 07:33:46 -0500 10:26 Bestselling author Charles C. Mann (1491) discusses the voyage of Christopher Columbus and the birth of globalization in terms of world trade and ecological collision. (Interviewer: Orion editor Andrew Blechman) http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6296/ Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:00:20 -0500 21:40 Miroslav Penkov discusses his Bulgarian background and its impact on his writing. He also reads excerpts from his short story in this issue of Orion, "East of the West," about a fictional river and its impact on a budding romance. (Interviewer: Orion editor Andrew Blechman) http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6295/ Mon, 25 Apr 2011 11:55:31 -0500 11:51 We humans spend a lot of time mulling the vagaries of growing older, but we generally don’t give much thought to old age in the animal kingdom. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6294/ Mon, 25 Apr 2011 11:43:39 -0500 15:25 Author J.B. MacKinnon is interviewed by Orion editor Andrew Blechman about old age in the animal kingdom. Not only do a lucky few animals grow old in the wild, but their wisdom can play a pivotal role in their species' survival—something to consider the next time a hundred-year-old fish ends up on your dinner plate. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6293/ Mon, 25 Apr 2011 11:39:47 -0500 12:56 Orion editors Jennifer Sahn, Andrew Blechman, and Jason Houston discuss this issue: an excerpt from bestselling author Charles C. Mann’s upcoming book 1493, about Christopher Columbus and the birth of globalization; a photo essay by Diane Meyer about people who survive (and often even thrive) in Los Angeles without cars; an essay by J.B. MacKinnon; and the fiction of Bulgarian author Miroslav Penkov. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6292/ Mon, 25 Apr 2011 09:54:21 -0500 12:51 Wendell Berry, Tim DeChristopher, and Teri Blanton discussed principled activism during this live web event hosted by the Orion staff on April 12, 2011. Each of them were recently involved in effective and creative actions that challenged questionable mining practices in Kentucky and Utah. After sharing their perspectives on principled activism, they answered questions sent in by listeners. Orion magazine hosts regular dialogues like this with writers, artists, activists, and thinkers about transforming ideas into action for people and planet. They are made possible by your donations, so please go to http://www.orionmagazine.org/donate to support Orion in bringing readers, writers, and activists together in this way. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6284/ Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:24:28 -0500 01:01:10 Alberto Álvaro Ríos Alberto Álvaro Ríos reads his short story, "The Asterisk Company," published in the March/April issue of Orion. The story is not otherwise available online. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6199/ Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:34:30 -0600 33:47 Linda Hogan Linda Hogan reads "Snow," published in the March/April issue of Orion. The article is not otherwise available online. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6198/ Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:30:19 -0600 33:24 Editors H. Emerson "Chip" Blake, Jennifer Sahn, and Hannah Fries discuss Orion's March/April issue, including: Sandra Steingraber's arresting article about the poisoning of our children with environmental toxicants; the magical language in Alberto Álvaro Ríos' fiction; William Fox's unusual 800-mile drive along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline; and the transformative power of poetry...and queer geese. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6161/ Tue, 22 Feb 2011 02:35:09 -0600 12:17 Michael P. Branch Michael P. Branch reads "The Adventures of Peavine and Charlie" from the January/February 2011 issue of Orion. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6081/ Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:34:32 -0600 25:31 Luis Alberto Urrea Lius Alberto Urrea reads his short story, "The Southside Raza Image Federation Corps of Discovery," from the January/February 2011 issue of Orion. The article is not otherwise available online. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6076/ Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:20:43 -0600 22:18 Editor in chief Chip Blake, editor Jennifer Sahn, and photo editor Jason Houston discuss articles in the January-February issue, including reporter Jeremy Miller's piece on heavy oil in California, vagabond photographer Jake Price's imagery of a vanishing way of life, Luis Urrea's short story, Janisse Ray's ongoing effort to wean herself off airplanes (and onto trains), a great website for people interested in environmental health issues, and more. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6074/ Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:50:53 -0600 15:26 Terry Tempest Williams A discussion of "The Gulf Between Us," an article in the November/December 2010 Orion, by Terry Tempest Williams When the BP oil rig 'Deepwater Horizon' exploded and sank into the Gulf of Mexico in Spring 2010, it caused the biggest accidental offshore oil spill in history. Now, on the 6-month anniversary of the spill, as corporate and government officials declare the disaster over, we learn differently. In this podcast, we speak with Terry Tempest Williams, author of "The Gulf Between Us," an epic and devastating 14,000 word piece in the November/December 2010 issue of Orion magazine. She reads a short excerpt and shares what more she’s learned about the disaster since the story was published, then invites several people who appear in the story to share their latest observations and frustrations from the Gulf. A Q&A with Terry, listeners, and Orion's editor, Jennifer Sahn, follows. Orion magazine hosts regular dialogues with writers, artists, activists, and thinkers about transforming ideas into action for people and planet. Dialogues like this are made possible by your donations, so please go to orionmagazine.org/donate to support Orion in bringing readers, writers, and activists together. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/6042/ Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:08:47 -0600 01:10:04 The Editors H. Emerson Blake, Jennifer Sahn, Jason Houston and Hannah Fries discuss the articles and art in the November-December issue, including how we came to send Terry Tempest Williams to the Gulf, the serendipitous intersection of the work of a photographer and a writer in the warming Arctic, photographer J. Henry Fair's new book, an upcoming gathering of poets, two new anthologies, and more. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/5957/ Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:27:55 -0500 21:48 Lia Purpura Lia Purpura reads her article from the November/December 2010 issue of Orion. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/5956/ Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:15:07 -0500 32:28 The Editors H. Emerson Blake, Jennifer Sahn, and Jason Houston discuss many of the articles in the September/October 2010 issue of Orion, and touch on coyotes, the border patrol, fiction by T.C. Boyle, and portraits from the oil sands. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/5860/ Thu, 19 Aug 2010 02:56:51 -0500 16:19 Katrina Vandenberg Katrina Vandenberg reads her piece from the "Coda" section of the September/October 2010 Orion. The article is not otherwise available online. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/5861/ Wed, 18 Aug 2010 02:59:00 -0500 5.50 The Editors Jennifer Sahn, Hal Clifford, and Jason Houston discuss the July/August 2010 issue of Orion. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/5689/ Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:00:55 -0500 16:03 Amy Leach reads "Pea Madness" from the July/August 2010 issue of Orion: tendril-wending, chance-taking, and desire. The article is not otherwise available online. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/5690/ Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:49:04 -0500 10:36 The editors discuss the May/June 2010 issue. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/5541/ Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:45:41 -0500 16:50 Eric Zencey Eric Zencey reads his article from the May/June 2010 Orion. We all love it. Everyone says they want it. So we might want to get very clear on what it actually is. http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/item/5540/ Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:38:25 -0500 15