“Chloe,” I whispered “Guess who you’re going to see soon? Samuel!” We had just finished dinner, and I had it on good authority that Chloe’s favorite uncle was 20 minutes away. Chloe started jumping up and down. “See Samah soon! See Samah soon!” The rest of us live in Idaho, spread out over less thanContinue reading “Samuel comes to Oregon”
Author Archives: Katie Botkin
Not in my cloister on a cloud
Where Normandy meets Brittany, there is a city on a hill, in the sandy land reclaimed from the Atlantic. Mont Saint Michel. I had wanted to visit it for years, imagining this cloister in a cloud, the ethereal chants of the monks of times past hanging like ghosts in the cold air, perhaps the choppyContinue reading “Not in my cloister on a cloud”
Corporality, part II: When love is pain
One of the things I dislike the most about the way some Christians spank their kids is the idea that it models God’s love for us, because he “chastises those he loves.” Because this means that as a child, you’re thus indoctrinated with the idea that you will receive pain when you’re bad, and thatContinue reading “Corporality, part II: When love is pain”
4th of July
We have a tradition that for the 4th of July, we all go up to my parents’ house next to Canada, swim in the river, jump off stuff, cook outside, shoot fireworks, and take lots of naps. All five of us kids. Sadly, however, it’s not going to happen this year, so I will contentContinue reading “4th of July”
Corporality
I consider it a mark of my parents’ humane natures that, as a child past a certain age, I was able to talk them out of spanking me. I hated being spanked. It wasn’t just the sting — it rarely was all that painful — it was the idea that because they loved me, theyContinue reading “Corporality”
From the studio
My friend Matt Stauss is currently driving across the country to take another photography job. He’s worked all sorts of photography jobs, most recently in the Coldwater Creek photo studio. For selfish reasons, I am unhappy that he is leaving. That guy is a true gentleman, which carries over into his on-the-set demeanor. I modeledContinue reading “From the studio”
The fortress of San Nicola
The most inhabited island in the Tremiti archipelago is San Nicola, although that’s not saying much. After leaving the docks, we ran into a woman who had a bed and breakfast on the island, and that’s about it. Our main purpose for seeing the island was to examine the fortress, which had a long history;Continue reading “The fortress of San Nicola”
The lighthouse of Capraia
On the island of Capraia, there is bright sunlight, harsh wind, seagulls, and not much else. It was once tended by a lighthouse, which has since fallen into disrepair. Now nobody lives on the island at all. You can find only the remnants of civilization, unless you bring your own. But nonetheless, it is beautiful.Continue reading “The lighthouse of Capraia”
Photos from the Adriatic
One of the highlights of my trip was exploring the archipelago of the Tremiti islands. Though the place is supposedly overrun with tourists during the later summer months, there was practically nobody but us — the Italian man and the French woman I went with — and some seagulls.
CouchSurfing Italy
In Italy, my accommodation is taken care of via CouchSurfing, a website and, for some, an entire way of life. It’s like karma, or Christianity, or anarchy, or socialism. I think different people have slightly different motivations for doing it. Some (the ones who “are not true couchsurfers”) are just looking for a free placeContinue reading “CouchSurfing Italy”
Botkin Creative 