In Memory of Grandma Tats Losing the woman who shaped my sense of Japanese identity. -Flathead Beacon 2021-
The Power of Children's Love Amid the uncertainty and impatience and worry, I've found that I have a secret weapon. -Flathead Beacon 2020-
Nelson's Anew Rekindling a friendship on a famous Montana spring creek, with, of course, fly rods in hand. -The Drake 2017-
Baby Gus Celebrating the birth of my second son. -Flathead Beacon 2018-
Cutthroats and Magpies: A Childhood on Water A remembrance of growing up with a pet magpie and a creek right outside my front door where I started fishing alone when I was 5 years old. -Hatch Magazine 2018-
Life Cycles Lose a loved one, gain a new one, and the water welcomes them both. -Flathead Beacon 2017-
The Great Porcupine Mystery A family photo leads to questions about a disappearing species. -Big Sky Journal 2018-
Goodbye, Caddis Remembering our beloved family dog. -Flathead Beacon 2020-
Minefields in Paradise With two gold mines proposed near Yellowstone National Park, writers across the state joined forces to raise awareness about the need to protect the Yellowstone ecosystem and its wild lands. The result was Unearthing Paradise, which is a finalist for the 2017 High Plains Book Awards. I wrote this essay for the anthology. -Unearthing Paradise: Montana Writers in Defense of Greater Yellowstone 2016-
Building a Family With our first son in his wild toddler stage, we prepare for our second, and all the magic and madness that comes with him. -Flathead Beacon 2018-
Old Jim Remembering Jim Harrison, the celebrated author of 39 books, including Legends of the Fall, as well as a family friend and personal inspiration. -Flathead Beacon 2016-
Learning to Parent To view the world through my son's eyes is to retrain, or at least remind myself, to recognize and appreciate everyday miracles; to hear whispers of poetry in the mundane sentences of our daily lives. -Flathead Beacon 2017-
On the Mend The Kootenai River, hidden away in dense timber and sparsely populated mountains, is a trout stream as unique as it is overlooked. And nobody knows it better than Dave Blackburn. Here's a profile of the man and the river. -The Drake 2015-
Fishing with Fire When I catch myself complaining about smoke, I remember my fellow Montanans whose lives have been completely upended. -Flathead Beacon 2017-
Big Hole Bonanza The grayling is no less beautiful than when the Corps of Discovery encountered the fish in 1805, but it may be even more mysterious today, since so few people get to see one for themselves. I’ve been fortunate to hold quite a few in my hand. -The Drake 2016-
Thanksgiving in Quarantine Adjusting holiday plans on the fly with a sick baby, and learning a few lessons along the way. -Flathead Beacon 2017-
So Many Stones A brief history of my attempts to unravel the mysteries of stoneflies, through scientific texts and more questionable methods. -The Drake 2016-
Rhythm of Life Coming back to the Flathead Beacon while welcoming my first child into the world. -Flathead Beacon 2016-
Miscellaneous Features
'You Lose a Language, You Lose a Culture' The publication of a four-volume Kalapuya dictionary and a separate ongoing effort to build an expansive digital archive have brought renewed attention to an Indigenous language that has been dead in spoken form for more than a half century. This story won first place for Arts & Culture Reporting and second place for Feature Writing at the Society of Professional Journalists' 2023 NW Excellence in Journalism Awards. -Underscore News (and publications including The Oregonian, Oregon Public Broadcasting and others) 2022-
Murder on the North Fork A night of terror 36 years ago took the life of a beloved father and community figure. I conducted the first interview with the murderer since his incarceration in 1979, during which he told me that he wasn't actually the killer. The story appears in the book "Montana: Warts and All," which features the Montana Quarterly's best writing from the last decade. -Montana Quarterly 2015-
Constructing a Fraud For years, a contractor has been scheming homeowners, businesses and racetracks out of millions of dollars, depleting life savings and inflicting severe emotional distress. His victims wonder where they’ll get justice. This story won Best Investigative Reporting at the 2020 Montana Newspaper Association awards. -Flathead Beacon 2019-
The Dinosaur Sculptor A profile of Matt Smith, who builds ancient creatures for museums across the world and is admired by famed paleontologist Jack Horner. -Big Sky Journal 2017-
The Jane Goodall of Wolves Nearly four decades after Diane Boyd started monitoring the first radio-collared wolf to recolonize the Western U.S. from Canada, living in a remote North Fork Flathead River cabin without electricity or running water, she has come full circle with her new job as wolf management specialist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. -Flathead Living (and other publications, including USA Today) 2017-
Sculpting a Home My father rescued a cabin destined for demolition and turned it into an art project. The story features many of the usual Parks Reece themes (catching rattlesnakes, falling off ladders, etc.), but mostly it's about the subject that runs through everything in his life: art. -Big Sky Journal Home Issue 2017-
Off the Grid in Hot Springs As one of the few incorporated towns in the country still without cell phone service, residents of this eclectic community — whose small population includes former Rainbow Family members, cattle ranchers and loggers — are divided over whether they want a tower. -Flathead Living 2014-
Misguided Brotherhood The first story in my investigative series exposing numerous allegations and instances of unethical and criminal behavior among several law enforcement departments. The series prompted state legislative hearings and helped lead to an overhaul of multiple agencies, including suspensions, resignations and law certificate revocations of multiple officers and officials. My reporting won the top public service award from the Montana Newspaper Association. -Flathead Beacon 2011-
Bringing Charlie Russell's West to Life One man is trying to rebuild an old Western frontier town from scratch. It's ambitious, but Don Waite is the man for the job. -Big Sky Journal 2017-
Kalispell's Only Unsolved Murder Investigators have repeatedly spoken to the murder, but the final piece of evidence has eluded them for 13 years. -Flathead Living 2016-
Aviation and Fire Safety at a Crossroads I obtained internal government documents detailing a chaotic wildfire-fighting atmosphere within state ranks, based on personality conflicts, negligence and threats. The situation escalated to the point that some fire crews, due to safety concerns, were ordered off aircrafts intended to carry them to fight the blazes. Interviews and documents describe a culture of fear and paranoia within state government, with employees hesitant to air their concerns because they were told they would be fired. -Flathead Beacon 2007-
Poet Laureate of the Rockies I was commissioned by book publisher Bangtail Press to write a profile of Paul Zarzyski, one of our nation's most respected rodeo poets. The piece appeared in a number of newspapers. -Lively Times, Explore Big Sky, and other publications 2014-
Schweitzer's Closing Act A profile of Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Montana's most widely known political figure, in his final days in office as speculation ramps up about a potential run for the White House. -Flathead Beacon 2012-
No Boundaries in Babb A profile of two families who have owned and operated every business in this tiny town, located on the eastern edge of Glacier National Park, for nearly a century. -Flathead Living 2015-
"Glencore Has Been Playing Us" What does Glencore, the largest trading commodities group in the world, intend to do with an aluminum plant outside of Glacier National Park? With no answers forthcoming from the secretive Swiss company, I pieced together a story, speaking with everyone from local political figures to union leaders to U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, that gives voice to a community that has lost all trust in Glencore and now wants to move on. But how does a small town take on a global behemoth? -Flathead Beacon 2013-