Literature Appetizer
Ben Kusserow
A Northern Appalachian's Journey

Recently I just finished Appalachia North by Matthew Ferrence. In it, he recounts the complex relationship he still has with the land as a Northern Appalachian. Typically when I finish a book I write a Literature Appetizer to get people a taste of what they will find. Since his book is such a personal journey, I would not do it justice by recounting his life.

Many of his experiences reflect my own experience growing up in Western PA. So instead of condensing his journey, I thought I would condense mine.

The Hero’s Journey is a common literary structure where the hero of the story departs home to do a great act, and then returns victorious. My Northern Appalachian Journey is a bit different, but has a similar structure of three parts; Living in Water, Succeeding by Leaving, and The Mountains are Calling.

A Northern Appalachian's Journey

Biomimicry: Coping Nature's Homework

Biomimicry: Coping Nature's Homework

Plagiarism is terrible, every time. We should never use an idea and claim it as our own. But engineers, makers, and architects are often told to study others' work to get inspired for your own design. It can be as simple as asking the person next to you to designing the David L Lawrence Convention Center off of the Pittsburgh Bridges.

But if we are counting how much research and development all of humanity has done, it pales in comparison to the millennia to experimentation that life overall has had. This idea of mimicking life and our greater ecosystems, or biomimicry, is best explained by Vox and 99% Invisible below.

Life Time Liberal Arts: Architecture

Life Time Liberal Arts: Architecture

One of the reasons why I was drawn to Allegheny College was the Distribution requirement. Basically all departments were divided into three divisions:

  • Humanities: Think music, arts, literature
  • Social Science: Think histories, psychology, education
  • Natural Science: Think biology, chemistry, physics

To graduate, I needed to have my major in one field (social science w/Environmental Education), minor in another (humanities w/Music Theory) and take two classes in the third (geology, forest management, etc). This meant that I didn't have "general elective classes" that I was forced to take but I still was able to experience a wealth of human knowledge that is key to a liberal arts education.

A Year in Review: Chemistry

A Year in Review: Chemistry

Last December I made a commitment to write one blog post a month about chemistry for the year of 2017. It was a way facilitate life long learning while also diving deeper into a subject I just never got around to. Looking back on those posts now shares not only my exploration of chemistry, but the journey of 2017 in general.

My start of 2017 was pretty stable. In my last months in Bellingham, WA I had time and energy to ponder the big questions. While I didn't quite know what my next step was going to be, I explored topics like metallic hydrogen and using chemistry to make the best popcorn! All the while enjoying the unique chemistry of Pure Bliss desserts.

Literature Appetizer: Dwelling With the Land: Cultivating an Ontological Ethos by Tim Bock

Literature Appetizer: Dwelling With the Land: Cultivating an Ontological Ethos by Tim Bock

Over my years of teaching about the environment, I have been fortunate to meet so many different people; from a farmer from Maine who is the best skier I know to the leading expert on native bees in Washington. With many of them I have also had long philosophical talks (usually with a drink or two). The book Dwelling With the Land: Cultivating an Ontological Ethos  feels like the book form of those late night conversions.

Tim Bock is a dear friend of mine from working at Lutherlyn. Currently he lives near Grove City with his wife, dog, and a plot of land. By just taking a walk through his back yard, you can get a feeling for his core philosophy. Yes there are sections that he has plowed the land for farming. But he has also set aside a large part of it for the organisms to shape it as they see fit. Tim gives the best summary of his book on page 3:

Chemistry and Gender Identity

Chemistry and Gender Identity

Chemistry, along with subjects like physics and biology, is often referred to as a 'hard' science while subjects like psychology and geography are 'soft' sciences. This distinction, only referring to the objectivity of results, often leads to the stereotype that the hard sciences are the only 'real' or 'tough' sciences, while all of the others have far less substance. While I disagree with those stereotypes, I have never associated chemistry with gender identity. Psychology? Absolutely. How about geography? Is someone more willing to transition publicly in some countries rather than others? For sure. But chemistry? No.

That was until I listened to the Testosterone episode of This American Life. Each act revolves around the hormone; lack of it, overabundance of it, etc. Act two is what caught my attention particularly.

Literature Appetizer: The Cloudspotter's Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney

Literature Appetizer: The Cloudspotter's Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney

At Allegheny College I took one art class: Drawing 101. I really dislike saying "I can't draw" but I was definitely one of the worst in this class. One of the phrases that stuck with me from my professor was "draw what you actually see, not what you want to see." When you actually start to see what is around, instead of what you think you see, the trees never are one-large-straight-trunk but rather a twisting formation of bark and branches. The Cloudspotter's Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney got me to appreciate clouds for what they are, instead of how I imagine them to be.

Literature Appetizer: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

Literature Appetizer: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

When I went to the Rally to Restore Sanity a few years back, one of my favorite signs stated "Give me moderation or give me death!" They weren't asking for extremism on any side. Rachel Carson's Silent Spring embodies this sentiment today. Even though it part of the foundation of the environmental movement, she didn't call for mass legislation or radical movements.

To be honest, even though I have been studying environmentalism and how to teach it since college, I had not formally read the book until this month. Each one of my professors would ask "who all have read Silent Spring?" and I would raise my hand, since everyone else was. I knew the gist; Carson was arguing against DDT, but I didn't realize how moderate of a viewpoint this book is in 2017.

Dopamine, Tattoos, and Mole Day

Dopamine, Tattoos, and Mole Day

When I started this year of learning chemistry, I knew today was going to be a big day. I had no idea where I would be, or what I would be doing, but I knew today was cause for a celebration. Today, October 23rd, is Mole Day!

If you are not a big chemistry person, you might not know that this is the official day of chemistry. Why October 23rd? To explain, we will have to get into a bit of math.

Fractional Freezing: Nature's Distillation

Fractional Freezing: Nature's Distillation

I love my drinks cold. Wicked cold. It doesn't matter if it is water, milk, or cider; it is perfect when frost is starting to form on the top. I'll even expedite this process by placing the beverage in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Sometimes though I'll forget it is in there for a day or two, and when I return the drink is transformed.

While the bottom of the mixture still is liquid, the top is frozen solid! A few minutes out on the counter remedies this but just what is going on? What I stumbled upon is actually the first step in a process called Fractional Freezing.

Horcruxes of Place

Horcruxes of Place

After the midnight showing of The Rachel Maddow Show everyone is asleep in the house except for myself and Tonks. People should imagine that this would be a tranquil time; a time to reflect in the quiet of the night. What pierces the darkness, however, is the loudest chorus of howls that this little creature can create.

At this point it has become ritual. "Baby girl, what is it?" *HOWLS* "Do we really need to do this every night?" *HOWLS EVEN LOUDER* "Alright alright, but you have to be quiet since everyone is sleeping." We then go to the kitchen where we split a slice of salami before going to bed.