I was just voted onto the board of The Little Patuxent Review (LPR), a literary journal based in Howard County, Maryland. I thought that some of you might want to know why, since I spend so much of my time on Climate Change and environmental issues. So, I am taking this opportunity to write down my reasons and then see where this experience takes me.

The LPR journal is named for a small river that flows from the Piedmont of Maryland, through the planned city of Columbia, and then joins the Middle Patuxent. Eventually, these waters flow into the Patuxent River and the Chesapeake Bay. 

 I have lived on this river since moving to Howard County in the 1970s, and I have waded, fished, and written about it over the years. So, it’s home to me – it is my watershed. It’s also the collector of all that washes off my land.

The LPR is an arts and literary journal, that publishes: poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and artwork from up-and-coming and well-seasoned artists and writers. It currently is open for submissions and will produce two issues this year. I suggest you contact them for current and past editions and to subscribe, if you are interested. https://littlepatuxentreview.org/

So, why am I excited about joining this board? This is a good question. I have served on a variety of boards and find it to be a wonderful way to cross-pollinate ideas and opportunities, between boards, so they can each be more effective.   

And not all my time is devoted to environmental issues. My wife, Kathy, and I have been involved in a number of art shows and have hosted a story-telling series at the HoCo Conservancy. The arts make everything more worthwhile and help us to better understand complex issues like climate change and environmental justice in an intimate way that enhances our understanding of the challenges we face.

I am looking forward to learning and helping this organization blossom for the sake of our community and artists everywhere.

Ned Tillman

ned@sustainable.us

September, 2022

Ned is the author of The Big Melt, The Chesapeake Watershed, and Saving the Places we Love