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David J. Backes
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David J. Backes

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The First Sure Sign of Spring
Nature and Environment

The First Sure Sign of Spring

March 25, 2022March 25, 2022

Spring comes slowly next to Lake Michigan. We’ll get teased by sunshine and 60 degrees one day and snow the next. So on a recent…

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Take a Walk Through My Listening Point
Nature and Environment

Take a Walk Through My Listening Point

December 5, 2021December 5, 2021

Take a walk with me through part of my listening point. No narration, just the sounds around me and 33 minutes of 4K film. I’m…

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Hope Is A Verb With Its Sleeves Rolled Up
Nature and Environment | Spirituality

Hope Is A Verb With Its Sleeves Rolled Up

September 16, 2021September 10, 2021

Hope is a verb with its sleeves rolled up, I used to tell my students. Let me explain. I used to begin the semester in…

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Mapping the Spiritual Journey for a Better Life
Spirituality

Mapping the Spiritual Journey for a Better Life

September 9, 2021September 6, 2021

You are on a spiritual journey, whether or not you use the term. It is simply part of being human. But making it a conscious…

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News, July 2021: Coming Events, Plus Video
Sigurd Olson | Writing

News, July 2021: Coming Events, Plus Video

July 26, 2021July 26, 2021

A Private Wilderness has been out for nearly two months and is doing great, according to the marketing people at the University of Minnesota Press….

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News, May 2021: It’s Here! And My Heart is Full
Sigurd Olson | Writing

News, May 2021: It’s Here! And My Heart is Full

May 20, 2021May 19, 2021

A Private Wilderness: The Journals of Sigurd F. Olson arrived at the University of Minnesota Press warehouse earlier this week, and my editor immediately rushed…

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What’s in a Name? For Writers, More Than You’d Imagine
Writing

What’s in a Name? For Writers, More Than You’d Imagine

May 6, 2021June 20, 2021

All I could do was laugh. I cannot for the life of me sign my own name in a consistent manner. My signatures are like snowflakes: no two are the same.

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My Most Devious Assignment for College Students
Spirituality

My Most Devious Assignment for College Students

April 29, 2021April 29, 2021

The assignment sounded so simple: just spend twenty minutes alone in silence, and then write about it. But for many, it was terrifying.

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News, April 2021
Writing

News, April 2021

April 15, 2021April 15, 2021

This month feels like a pause as I wait for the June 1 publication of A Private Wilderness. I was amused several weeks ago when…

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Sigurd Olson at Dachau and Nuremberg
Sigurd Olson

Sigurd Olson at Dachau and Nuremberg

March 18, 2021April 14, 2021

In March 1946 Sigurd Olson witnessed scenes in war-torn Germany so disturbing he would have occasional nightmares for the rest of his life. He had…

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News, March 2021
Sigurd Olson | Writing

News, March 2021

March 8, 2021April 14, 2021

The first article about my forthcoming book A Private Wilderness is now online. I was really glad to see that, out of all the possible…

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Book News, February 2021
Sigurd Olson

Book News, February 2021

February 15, 2021April 14, 2021

The 74 photos spread throughout A Private Wilderness, will add greatly to the book’s interest. It will come out in June.

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  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Private Wilderness
    • Wilderness Within
    • Meaning of Wilderness
    • Spirit of the North
  • Blog
  • Contact