Joseph R. Goodall's Blog

A unique storytelling event in Atlanta's historic Sweet Auburn neighborhood inspires an engineer and author to consider the reciprocal relat

Crafting the itinerary for a free walking tour in a neighborhood I love revealed the importance of building supportive relationships, learning from history and caring for the environment when designing more equitable cities.

A trip to the local recycling center offers creative ways to build community. Seeking to do good alongside others can free us from isolation

The winter sun shone across my back at a severe angle. Its light cast thousands of shadows over the brown lawn below my feet and the dormant shrubs huddled along the neighborhood street. With a shovel in hand, I marched toward the hickory tree leaning over the stream flowing beside my yard. Invasive vines had spent the growing season creeping up the scrappy tree. After several frosts sent the vines into hibernation and coaxed the hickory out of its leafy coat, the tree’s solitary position was ...

As a child, I painted landscape scenes I had never laid eyes on, recreations of Monet’s lily pads floating in a French pond, a world and century removed from my turn-of-the-millennium Florida classroom. While memorable and intriguing, the allure may have been childlike and surface-level, a desire to imitate, an urge to be seen and appreciated. But something in those paint splotches called to me. I just needed more guideposts to understand their language—to learn it extended beyond painting and...

I told myself I wanted my yard to be recognized as a bird sanctuary for all the right reasons. But two older ladies with clipboards and nature-ID phone apps offered me a more well-rounded perspective.

From first light to sun down, the land around my house is filled with near constant birdsong, filtering down from the tall pine trees, bursting from the tangled vines and dense shrubs along the street. A wildlife refuge certification sign at a local restaurant prompted me to look into recognit...

Recently I was walking in my neighborhood and noticed a vaguely familiar person from afar. A man who lives a few doors down from me marched slowly along the curb, arm and arm, with an older woman. I had never talked with him up close, but recognized his general features from a distance. The details of his appearance, name, personality and backstory were all unknowns, though my brain automatically created a rough sketch based on other people I've met. A swell of self-consciousness kept my gaze...

Recently I walked several miles in an airport terminal, toting a heavy backpack while listening to poetry. I was waiting for a return flight home, breathing sighs of relief after a tense work meeting with a client. My bag was laden with a laptop and construction plans, but my mind was no longer yearning for an urgent escape from a seemingly impossible situation. The conversation had been wearying and somewhat humiliating, but we had gained a sliver of understanding and clarity. Perhaps there c...

This week What the Bird Sees in Flight turned THREE! I'm proud to celebrate this work of historical fiction, and recognize that it's also become a special part of my history. From seeing my book in several public libraries, to sharing it at book events and festivals, to having many wonderful conversations with readers, it's truly been a joy to see these stories in the world and hear what they've meant to others. To celebrate, I wanted to share a couple reflections on this milestone.

As I wr...

How do we pay attention to the ongoing conversation in our world? When we pause to listen, do we recognize its constant invitation? What curiosity is stirred by this exchange?

When we are faced with the decision of what to do now, what questions do we ask? How do we offer and express ourselves?

When all that is familiar is challenged, how do we participate in what remains? Does a pressure constrict our chest as we lean into this dialogue? Do we feel engulfed or limitless, or an emotional hybr...