Facebook, and checking out the funniest
videos on YouTube, all while writing an
essay or doing math homework — and are
still earning passing grades. It is nearly
impossible to stand aside and watch peers
embrace technological advancement and
continue onward. It’s a process of natural
selection. One must adapt to one’s environment or struggle to survive.
CHRISTINA MORRISETT
Cordova, Alaska
I disagree with the implied position in
Jay Gri;ths’s column “The Tips of Your
Fingers” (January/February 2010): that
the U.S. should have an open-borders
immigration policy. An increasing U.S.
population contributes disproportionately
to the world’s carbon footprint. Further,
the human costs of mass immigration un-
fairly fall on U.S. citizens in the form of
significantly lower income and lower job
security. Open borders would completely
destroy our land, impoverish the citizenry,
and further empower the corporate elite.
I will share Derrick Jensen’s column “ 50
Ways to Get O=” (January/February 2010)
with friends who are a little squeamish
about Jensen’s thoughts on violence. It is
unfortunate that some pacifist fundamen-
talists miss the wider meanings of his
work in their focus on “moral purity” as
they define it. Jensen’s writings have tre-
mendous awakening power. People need
to be shocked out of their hypnotic trance
of complicity in this “civilization.”
CORRECTION: In the January/February
2010 issue of Orion we incorrectly identified
Kevin Kelly as the founder of Wired Magazine. He was the founding executive editor.
We apologize for the error.
Orion welcomes your thoughts and
responses. Please send your letters to us
at 187 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA
01230 or letters@orionsociety.org.
Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
Orion Notes & Miscellany
We were delighted to learn that Orion is a finalist for the 2010
National Magazine Award in the category of Essay; the selected
essay is Joe Wilkins’s “Out West” (September/October 2009). We are
up against stiff competition: National
Geographic, The New York Times Sunday
Magazine, and Sports Illustrated. The winner
will be announced on April 22.
In February, Poetry Editor Hannah Fries
was a judge at Great Barrington’s Monument
Mountain Regional High School for Poetry
Out loud, a national recitation contest
created by the National Endowment for the
Arts and the Poetry Foundation.
Photographer Carolyn Drake has won the
Picture of the year International award in
the Science / Natural History Picture Story
category for her picture essay “Return to the Center of the
World,” published in our March/April 2010 issue.
scott slovic and Christopher Nye have joined The Orion Society
board of directors. A professor of literature
and environment at the University of Nevada,
Scott was a founder of the Association for
the Study of Literature and Environment.
Chris sits on the board of the Myrin Institute,
Orion’s founding organization.
In staff news, Development Director
Madeline Cantwell has been promoted to
Managing Director, Communications. And
Managing Editor Tara Rae Miner leaves us
after five years at Orion. We have valued her
commitment and contributions to the
magazine and wish her all the best.
Poetry Editor hannah fries with Poetry Out loud
Great Barrington winner Ruslan sprague (right) and
finalist Joseph heath (center).
ABOu T ORION’s PAPER This paper is made by Mohawk Fine Papers of New York and Ohio. It contains 50 percent postconsumer fiber, is
FSC-certified, and is process chlorine–free. It is also carbon-neutral; since 2007 Mohawk has offset all of its energy use with a combination of wind
energy purchases (for electricity) and verified emission reduction credits to cover the thermal power used in the paper production. By using this
paper made with Mohawk’s production processes, Orion avoids the emission of roughly eighty tons of greenhouse-gas equivalents annually.
