This is a knockout of a first newsletter, already looking forward to the next one!
I’m not a geologist or even geology-adjacent, but I got excited when you mentioned John McPhee — his “Annals of the Former World” is one of the most mind-blowing things I’ve ever read. Someday I hope to drive across the country on I-80 to see everything he describes.
I wanted to find a good nonfiction book to recommend in turn, but I couldn’t pick just one, so here’s a link to the page on my website where I list everything I’ve read and enjoyed for the past 6 years: https://jordankoschei.com/reading/
Thank you so so much! I had a lot of fun writing it and I'm so excited to make more. It's great to hear you enjoyed it, especially since you're not normally a geology focused person. That's like the entire goal of my work, is to get people interested in this stuff who never really thought they were interested in it before.
That's so cool that you've read John McPhee's "Annals of the Former World" - that's one of the books I have on my to do list to read by him, along with "Basin and Range" which is the one my professor in college had said was his favorite book ever.
And thank you for sharing your reading list - wow you have some really great ones on there - ones I have read myself and/or have on my list! I just watched the first season of the Silo series on Apple TV and I loved it so much, thinking of reading the series as well but I'm pretty intimidated haha
I highly, highly recommend Annals of the Former World. Better yet, it’s a compilation of his other geology works (Basin and Range, plus four others) so if you read it you get the others for free!
I am actually interested in the development of this rock display. I currently have mine in this old jewellery box which sits on its side, like a display case. But I really want to have labels etc because I feel like I'm gonna keep collecting and stop remembering which rock is from where, etc.
My best friend's dad is a geologist and she will definitely testify to the car constantly being pulled over on family trips!
I'll have to share some photos of the finished product in the next newsletter! I also bought some 'museum wax' it's called, to keep all the samples stable so they don't fall off and potentially break. It works wonderfully. Still figuring out the labeling aspect, I got many ideas from a poll on Instagram so I'm going to see which one I think will work best/look best for me and my style. I feel the same way though, each one is like a memory and I don't want them to slowly disappear before I label them and write a bit about where I collected them!
Also I love that you have a best friend with a parent as a geologist, it's always so fun hearing the perspective of someone who's close to a geologist in their life and experiences through that!
My rock collection is spread all around my yard and inside my house. Crystals and fossils and obsidian blobs, oh my!
The Ugly History of Beautiful Things: Essays on Desire and Consumption
KATY KELLEHER This book totally surprised me. I love books that make me stop and do research.
I highly recommend it.
I worked on a tugboat that sailed from Seattle to the Aleutian Islands. I was not prepared for their stark beauty. There were no trees, just moss covered mountains, green as emerald. Even the rocks on the beach were green, I still have some that I gathered back then, in 1978.
Best thrift sore find, that’s like asking a parent who their favorite child is. But, I had an office that was covered with wall clocks from the thrift shop. Each one was set ten minutes apart, so that at anytime one of them was close to the actual time. The only clock that ran was a Hebrew clock with the numbers going counter clockwise. So much fun when coworkers would look in to see the time.
- Mine is too, even with this new method of display.. I was leafblowing the other day and discovered some larger rocks buried underneath that I forgot I put outside...
- Wow, this sounds super interesting I'll have to check it out, thank you for the rec!
- That sounds incredible - it's amazing how some places can leave such a special impression on us even long after we've left. I hope to visit Seattle and/or Alaska soon, I've never been anywhere like that (nor have I seen the Pacific Ocean yet!)
- hahahah I love this answer, I feel the same way I have so many great thrift store/antique shop finds. I probably would go insane with all the sounds of ticking!! I do have one vintage clock on my bookshelf though that I got at my favorite antique/vintage shop (the one I got this printers shelf at actually) for $3 and it's so cute
My personnal rock collection is scattered all around the house. But I love your idea, it looks a lot more tidy for sure ! But I must say I would need whole walls of it to store it all... Anyway, great newsletter, looking forward to more !
Thank you so much!! I'm excited to keep sharing more on this platform.
And oh my gosh yes I totally relate - now that I've organized these ones a bit better, my brain just has switched over to "ok now we have more room for more, so let's collect more" mode
This is a knockout of a first newsletter, already looking forward to the next one!
I’m not a geologist or even geology-adjacent, but I got excited when you mentioned John McPhee — his “Annals of the Former World” is one of the most mind-blowing things I’ve ever read. Someday I hope to drive across the country on I-80 to see everything he describes.
I wanted to find a good nonfiction book to recommend in turn, but I couldn’t pick just one, so here’s a link to the page on my website where I list everything I’ve read and enjoyed for the past 6 years: https://jordankoschei.com/reading/
That is an impressive book list.
Thank you so so much! I had a lot of fun writing it and I'm so excited to make more. It's great to hear you enjoyed it, especially since you're not normally a geology focused person. That's like the entire goal of my work, is to get people interested in this stuff who never really thought they were interested in it before.
That's so cool that you've read John McPhee's "Annals of the Former World" - that's one of the books I have on my to do list to read by him, along with "Basin and Range" which is the one my professor in college had said was his favorite book ever.
And thank you for sharing your reading list - wow you have some really great ones on there - ones I have read myself and/or have on my list! I just watched the first season of the Silo series on Apple TV and I loved it so much, thinking of reading the series as well but I'm pretty intimidated haha
I highly, highly recommend Annals of the Former World. Better yet, it’s a compilation of his other geology works (Basin and Range, plus four others) so if you read it you get the others for free!
wooooooo! you did it! :)
I am actually interested in the development of this rock display. I currently have mine in this old jewellery box which sits on its side, like a display case. But I really want to have labels etc because I feel like I'm gonna keep collecting and stop remembering which rock is from where, etc.
My best friend's dad is a geologist and she will definitely testify to the car constantly being pulled over on family trips!
I'll have to share some photos of the finished product in the next newsletter! I also bought some 'museum wax' it's called, to keep all the samples stable so they don't fall off and potentially break. It works wonderfully. Still figuring out the labeling aspect, I got many ideas from a poll on Instagram so I'm going to see which one I think will work best/look best for me and my style. I feel the same way though, each one is like a memory and I don't want them to slowly disappear before I label them and write a bit about where I collected them!
Also I love that you have a best friend with a parent as a geologist, it's always so fun hearing the perspective of someone who's close to a geologist in their life and experiences through that!
My rock collection is spread all around my yard and inside my house. Crystals and fossils and obsidian blobs, oh my!
The Ugly History of Beautiful Things: Essays on Desire and Consumption
KATY KELLEHER This book totally surprised me. I love books that make me stop and do research.
I highly recommend it.
I worked on a tugboat that sailed from Seattle to the Aleutian Islands. I was not prepared for their stark beauty. There were no trees, just moss covered mountains, green as emerald. Even the rocks on the beach were green, I still have some that I gathered back then, in 1978.
Best thrift sore find, that’s like asking a parent who their favorite child is. But, I had an office that was covered with wall clocks from the thrift shop. Each one was set ten minutes apart, so that at anytime one of them was close to the actual time. The only clock that ran was a Hebrew clock with the numbers going counter clockwise. So much fun when coworkers would look in to see the time.
- Mine is too, even with this new method of display.. I was leafblowing the other day and discovered some larger rocks buried underneath that I forgot I put outside...
- Wow, this sounds super interesting I'll have to check it out, thank you for the rec!
- That sounds incredible - it's amazing how some places can leave such a special impression on us even long after we've left. I hope to visit Seattle and/or Alaska soon, I've never been anywhere like that (nor have I seen the Pacific Ocean yet!)
- hahahah I love this answer, I feel the same way I have so many great thrift store/antique shop finds. I probably would go insane with all the sounds of ticking!! I do have one vintage clock on my bookshelf though that I got at my favorite antique/vintage shop (the one I got this printers shelf at actually) for $3 and it's so cute
Thanks Ms. Geo.
I live near Lake Erie and I’m working on identifying the various rock I find on the beach.
This rocks! 🪨 😍
Thank you so much!!
You’re so so welcome 👌🏽
My personnal rock collection is scattered all around the house. But I love your idea, it looks a lot more tidy for sure ! But I must say I would need whole walls of it to store it all... Anyway, great newsletter, looking forward to more !
Thank you so much!! I'm excited to keep sharing more on this platform.
And oh my gosh yes I totally relate - now that I've organized these ones a bit better, my brain just has switched over to "ok now we have more room for more, so let's collect more" mode
That's the danger and the beauty of collections i guess hahaha
Great newsletter! 😉👍🏼 looking forward to more!
excited to write more :)
Hi， I am Tan Han from Malaysia 🤗.
Do you sold gemstone and rock?
I love all the gemstone and all the unique rock but how do I bought it? How do I collect it and find it?
Because I am not a geology field but I am very love to collect and learning all the unique rock ❤️❤️❤️