Costco Birdsongs: Who and What Deserves Protection?

Plus, a call to action

Apr 03, 2025

∙ Paid

Cross-post from Gathering

Hello Wilderness Readers! I am crossposting this little essay I wrote for my other newsletter. In the next couple weeks I will be transferring Wilderness to this newsletter, but don't worry, you won't be subscribed to anything but the "Wilderness" section. Nothing will change for you except that you'll have the option to read all of my other work without have to subscribe to anything else. Thank you so much for being here– you all mean so much to me! -

River Selby (they/them)

This weekend there’s an important movement occurring throughout the United States. Please consider participating, and find information at the end of this short essay.

Three weeks left of spring semester.

This semester has been an uphill climb, every third step shifting underfoot. Stones halving. Flesh squeezed. I pulled myself up and here I am, so close to the top of this particular mountain.

For the past five days I slept alone in someone else’s bed, waking each morning to feed and walk their three dogs, driving home each afternoon to check on my cat before or after teaching, then back to the dogs. A wad of much-needed cash my reward, plus a giant television. Movies and shows without commercials. Pure luxury, but nothing’s as good as my own bed, really.

Tuesdays are non-teaching days. Grading days. Catching up on email days. Planning days. Writing days. Today I took an exact amount of cash to Costco, where I do most of my grocery shopping. The regular stores are too expensive, especia…

Subscribe to Gathering to continue reading

Visit the author’s Substack to subscribe and read more.