Jill Sisson Quinn
Jill Sisson Quinn is the author of “Sign Here if You Exist and Other Essays.” Her work has appeared in Ecotone, OnEarth, Orion, and many other magazines. She teaches writing at Mid-State Technical College and lives in Scandinavia.
Latest Contributed Stories
July 2, 2024
‘Play ball’: A parent’s journey in falling for baseball
America’s favorite pastime might not be the preferred recreational activity for everyone, like writer Jill Sisson Quinn. But then, her son fell in love with baseball. Because of his unwavering ...
January 16, 2024
Snowboarding with the older boys: A parent’s lesson on letting go
The quiet, snowy days of winter have a way of compelling us to reflect on our lives. For writer Jill Sisson Quinn, a sledding excursion in central Wisconsin with her ...
August 23, 2022
Under bridges: A parent finds peace in independence and letting go
You don’t have to travel far to find adventure. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn and her son recently spent an afternoon at a local park where he had a run in ...
July 26, 2022
Lake love: Embracing both new and old experiences
Writer Jill Sisson Quinn and her son had a summer routine. They would go to their local lake for a chilly, early morning swim almost every day. But last summer, ...
February 12, 2020
‘You Are Stardust:’ A Mother’s Lesson From Rib Mountain
Author Jill Sisson Quinn likes spending time at Rib Mountain State Park outside Wausau. She recently took a hike there with her young son for a lesson about our place ...
July 11, 2018
What I Mow Around
Mowing the lawn, a simple task that’s got to be done every so often during the summer. That is unless you start appreciating the areas in your yard where plants ...
April 11, 2018
Rats
Critters invading a home is always annoying. But rats, well that’s something else altogether. Jill Quinn shares her experience.
September 25, 2015
The Comfort Of A Leopold Bench
I remember my first Wisconsin hike, ten years ago, just after moving here from Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. I stepped from my car at the trailhead for Portage County’s New Hope ...
May 22, 2015
Extra-Terrestrial
Along the Ice Age Trail, near Portage County’s Trunk T, is a short spur that delivers me, chute-like, from the shelter of the forest to a pond. The pond startles ...
May 22, 2015
Extra-Terrestrial
Along the Ice Age Trail, near Portage County’s Trunk T, is a short spur that delivers me, chute-like, from the shelter of the forest to a pond. The pond startles ...
April 16, 2015
Discovering An Ecosystem
Lately, I have been on the trail of a muskrat. Before winter, his muddy mound of a home appeared through the leafless trees in a pond I have largely ignored. ...
August 20, 2014
Moskey Basin
The list of what makes a place special is endless. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn tells us about what is for her, Earth’s most perfect place.
April 23, 2014
Playing Possum
We celebrate Earth Day this week. Many animals have evolved the ability to feign death. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn witnessed this unusual act of survival in a groundhog.
March 12, 2014
Snow Wars
Winter inspires strong feelings. As winter draws to a close – at least on the calendar – writer Jill Sisson Quinn explores why winter defines us.
February 14, 2014
Friends
Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate romance. But it’s also a holiday of love in all its forms. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn tells us about one of the loves ...
October 23, 2013
Hummingbird Moth
Is it a moth or a bird? Hummingbird moths are fantastic imposters. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn reflects on the moths flitting about her yard.
August 20, 2013
Gatherer
Many of us spend our summer in the garden, tending flowers, vegetables, and other plants. For writer Jill Sisson Quinn, the orderliness of gardening challenges her internal urge to simply ...
June 12, 2013
Ephemeral Ponds
Ephemeral ponds are here today, gone tomorrow, especially in the spring. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn shares why she loves these ponds and the wonders she's found within them.
April 24, 2013
Trespasser
Poet John Keats once wrote that the poetry of the earth is never dead. In honor of this week's celebration of Earth Day, writer Jill Sisson Quinn tells us why ...
February 13, 2013
Skunk
Many people think of skunks as smelly animals best avoided. But that tell-tale scent makes writer Jill Sisson Quinn think of love.
January 17, 2013
Daily Bread
Unexpected gifts often come in the midst of our daily chores. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn tells us what she — and her dog — found on their daily walks.
November 29, 2012
Indigenous
The Midwest is sometimes called the Third Coast or the Fresh Coast because of our Great Lakes. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn reflects on her own confusion over the bodies of ...
May 18, 2012
Coyotes
Coyotes can be found or at least heard in every county in Wisconsin. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn sometimes hears them howl as she walks her dog. It got her thinking ...
April 20, 2012
Earth Day – Plants
Sunday is Earth Day, a day for appreciating and thinking about our natural environment. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn brought a little nature into her classroom with a few potted plants. ...
January 6, 2012
Metaphors
The New Year reminds us that the Earth is also beginning something new — a new journey around the sun. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn reflects on our experience of the ...
December 14, 2011
Dog Walk in the Dark
Darkness descends earlier and earlier in Wisconsin as fall slowly gives way to winter. And with that loss of light, night seems to take on a character of its own. ...
August 31, 2011
Lake Superior Rock Picking
Meandering along Wisconsin's beaches in the last lazy days of summer, you can find all sorts of rocks and pebbles that have washed ashore. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn went looking ...
August 3, 2011