The Salient Bits

The Salient Bits David Burn · The Salient Bits The Great Unraveling is upon us like hot white sun. Journalists and librarians are on the run. Whitewashed museums officially obscure. Nothing is pure. They want our favorite forests, deserts, and rivers. It gives me...

We Are Ruled By Math

What do I know about math? The more I considered the question, the more I understood that we all know more about math than we may realize. Big thanks to my friend Kate Ertmann—a lover of math—for encouraging me to write an essay about math and its role in our lives....

Weirdness Is A Virtue (That We Must Cultivate and Celebrate)

“Austin has become the epicenter of exponential growth.” -Douglass Rushkoff Douglas Rushkoff is one of America’s most important intellectuals, authors, and teachers. In March, Rushkoff spoke at South By Southwest about the changes he has witnessed at the conference,...

J. Frank Dobie Freed His Mind and He Can Help Free Yours

J. Frank Dobie was a naturalist, folklorist, author, and an English professor at the University of Texas. He wrote eloquently about cattle, cacti, and the colorful people of his native Brush Country in South Texas. Dobie was an erudite gentleman who believed in civil...