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I'm nearing the end of my year here in incomparable Mongolia, and the mood in Mingland is accordingly retrospective. I've been in a state of deep, deep gratitude lately. For the work done. For the friends made. For the lessons learned. For a year given to me like pennies from heaven by the Luce Foundation--a year given to me to adventure in a faraway land, to do The Work I am here in this world to do: work at the intersection of literary arts and social justice. Grateful is the only word for me these days.

I did a shoddy job of ever combining my photos and my writing this year, perhaps because of the ability of images to override text so easily. But while in this retrospective mood I'd like to share some of my favorite photos from this year--because I can't blame anyone for not sorting through the hundreds of my uncaptioned photos in Picasa.

First, winter pollution, taken from my apartment in central Ulaanbaatar:



And in February, in -30 cold at monastary ruins in the South Gobi:



On my very first day in Monoglia, I snapped this picture of a couple enjoying the autumn green:



More to come soon.