Sometimes (okay, constantly) I'll write a piece for a specific publication, very tightly themed, and it won't make it in. Occasionally that doesn't matter, but sometimes you're left with something extremely narrow in tone that, while it might find a home elsewhere, is often just too tailored for that sort of thing.

"Ribbon Trees" was a recounting of my trip to Avebury with my friend JJ. Mostly we were going to look at the stones, but there were also some straight-up magic (take that however you like) trees there. There's a great deal to the legend of them... and that was part of my piece. That, and the full experience of the place.

The legend of Avebury's trees sat in my mind for months (years, at this point) after my trip, and I was pleased that I had a chance to write about them and share the experience with a larger audience. Not everyone will have a chance to see them for themselves, after all.

Sadly, its inclusion had a very near miss (I made it to the short list, and even to the editing stages). These things happen, and so I filed it away to use later elsewhere.

Then I was approached again, asked if I might mind having it put in an online journal. All things considered? Not at all. It's a piece I'm proud of, and I was glad for it to find a home.

The home in question is Rooted, a spinoff site of the original anthology with which it shares a name. The site explores "our messy, beautiful, symbiotic relationship with trees." And it's a great spot for a lot of creative nonfiction on the same topic.

You can read my contribution free on their site. And, you know, if you enjoy seeing me write about crazy trees with magical properties, you may want to look into Owl's Flower, the light novel series I do with Ginger Hoesly.