Brooke Williams
Brooke Williams writes about evolution, consciousness, and his own adventures exploring both the inner and outer wilderness. His books include Open Midnight: Where Wilderness and Ancestors Meet (Trinity University Press, 2017), Mary Jane Wild: Two Walks and a Rant (Homebound Publications, 2020), and his latest Encountering Dragonfly: Notes on the Practice of Re-Enchantment (Uphill Books, 2025). His writing has appeared in Orion, Outside, Huffington Post, and numerous other publications, and has been anthologized in Best American Essays. He lives with the writer, Terry Tempest Williams, and two cats near Moab, Utah, where they watch light and wait for rain. More at https://brookewilliams.site/ and @brookeusi
Photo by Dan Schrag
Where the Water Waits
Journal Article
I’ve been sitting at this pond for ten minutes and have seen only eight dragonflies: my young male, six other meadowhawks, and two great mossy darners. According to my journal, I observed eight different species here exactly a year ago. Although one hummingbird and two violet-green swallows are here hunting them, insects seem scarce.