Tracing Lines

Every divergence we encounter taps into our curiosity as well as our instincts. Which course we choose often reveals as much about ourselves as it does our surroundings.

In the winter 2021 issue of Hidden Compass, we bring you stories of tracing lines. Whether seen or unseen, these avenues of understanding often lead us back to our origins — yet hold the power to propel us forward.

Diane Selkirk follows Tracks to the Past on a Quest to reconcile the abundance of Canada’s northern landscape with the historic denial of Indigenous cultures. As she confronts a difficult legacy of repressed traditions and forced assimilation, she also grapples with her own family’s long-lost First Nations heritage — and looks toward a future rooted in remembering.

Russell Frank’s Portrait of artisanal mapmaking sends him wayfaring along the trails of the Pennsylvania wilderness in pursuit of veracity, on and off the page. Accompanied by the whimsical illustrations of Maggie Scotilla, Field-Truthing a Dream navigates the disparate worlds of Samuel de Champlain and modern cartography while plotting out the thrill of possibility.

In this issue’s photo feature, Alex Krowiak reveals a bastion of biodiversity known as “the Galápagos of North America.” Some tens of millions of years in the making, the Human & Nature story of these Deception Islands remains unfinished — and reminds us that environmental restoration is but one route to redemption.

In The Alchemy That Binds, Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee toasts the fermented resilience of Georgian wine-making traditions. Chasing Demons both political and personal, she unseals insights on humanity’s drive to imbibe through the ages — as well as her complicated relationship with her father’s drinking.

Spanning millennia and continents, Richard Pallardy’s Time Travel feature delves into the genomic taxonomy of an ancient wild dog that still prowls the mists of the New Guinea highlands. Though this creature eluded scientists for decades, recent discoveries add new clues to the interconnectedness of the animal kingdom. Put another way? No Dog is an Island. 

As always, we extend our deepest gratitude to our readers, who share our vision of powerful storytelling, and to our contributors, who bring us stories from the frontiers of exploration.

Until the next voyage,

Katie Knorovsky, Managing Editor

Sabine K. Bergmann and Sivani Babu, Hidden Compass Co-Founders