Ex-Yugoslavia / Balkans

Creative Nonfiction

Awards

2014

  • 1st place, 15th Annual Oregon Quarterly Northwest Perspectives Essay Contest for “A Demolition”

Published Works

2017

2015

2014

Freelance Works

2020

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2009-2010

2004

  • Review of Michael E. Brown (ed.), The International Dimensions of Internal Conflict, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1996, in: Southeast European Politics, Vol. V, No. 1, June 2004, pp. 103-105 [pdf]
  • “Images of Yugoslavia: Past and Present,”The Global Review of Ethnopolitics, Vol. 3, no. 3-4, March/June 2004, pp. 82-87 [pdf]
  • Review of Jasna Dragović-Soso, “Saviours of the Nation”: Serbia’s Intellectual Opposition and the Revival of Nationalism, London: Hurst & Company, 2002, and Ivan Čolović, The Politics of Symbol in Serbia: Essays in Political Anthropology, translated from the Serbian by Celia Hawkesworth, London: Hurst & Company, London, 2002, in: The Global Review of Ethnopolitics, Vol. 3, no. 2, January 2004, pp. 95-97 [pdf]

Books

As Author

Guerrilla Yardwork: The First-Time Home Owner’s Handbook

GuerrillaYardwork_228x331Part manifesto, part field manual, the book rethinks draws upon the tenets of guerrilla warfare outlined by Sun Tzu, Che Guevara, and others, to introduce guerrilla yardwork as both a yardvolutionary philosophy and an effective practice for every first-time home owner strapped for cash and pressed for time.

Guerrilla yardwork utilizes the element of surprise to launch small, repetitive attacks at unpredictable times and locations around the yard to weaken Bad Nature and promote Good Nature in Her stead. Offensive, highly mobile, and fluid in character, guerrilla yardwork is marked by swift action of short duration, followed by rapid withdrawal.

The yard won’t know what hit it.


 

The Collapse of Federations: Elite Political Mobilization in the Dissolutions of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia

Why did seemingly stable East European federations, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, break up after the collapse of state socialism? Modernization under state socialism, which aimed to equalize economic development levels between regions in the two federations, caused the respective ethnic elites to elevate their aspiration levels, claim relative deprivation, and mobilize in pursuit of resources. Ethnic elites of the economically inferior groups mobilized to demand more resources and concessions from and within their respective federations; the economically dominant groups mobilized defensively to protect their status. In the complex pattern of interacting and mutually reinforcing mobilizations, enabled by a considerable external shock in the international political arena, the defensive, resource-driven mobilization of political elites of the economically dominant ethnic groups resulted in the dissolution of the two federations.


As Editor

The Portland Bottom Line: Practices for Your Small Business from America’s Hotbed of Sustainability

PBL_Cover_thumbnail_228x331The Portland Bottom Line is a collaborative exploration of sustainable practices for small businesses. Organized into 12 sections along the triple bottom line of People, Planet, and Prosperity, the book explores how small businesses can effectively and efficiently shift toward sustainability and thrive. In their short essays 51 small-business people from the City of Roses share their experiences with sustainability in their companies and offer actionable ideas, valuable practices, and practical tips that any small business can implement tomorrow. The Portland Bottom Line demonstrates how small businesses can innovate to put people before profit, help restore the ecosystem, and prosper.

Contributors collectively chose MercyCorps NW to receive 100% of net profit from the sales of The Portland Bottom Line

As Contributor

  • “Conversation as a Driver of Social Sustainability,” in: Gavin Heaton and Drew McLellan, eds., Age of Conversation 3: It’s Time to Get Busy!, Chanel V Books, 2010 — BUY NOW
  • “We the People: Social Media and Sustainability,” in: Jeff Caswell, ed., Connect: Marketing in the Social Media Era, Blurb, 2009 (Out of print)

Other Blogs & Websites

Active

Dormant / On Hiatus

  • Where Is Your Toothbrush? – A travel website exploring how to feel at home anywhere in the world through food and drink.
  • American Robotnik – A blog where I explored (2011-2015) the experience of immigration to the United States from Central Europe.
  • I ♥ Slovakia – A travel website highlighting the best of my homeland for visitor and travelers alike.