David Mark Brown

Writer. Novelist. Redneck. Granola. Raised on a Texas cattle ranch and schooled at the U of Montana (Berkeley of the Rockies), I am the world’s most self-proclaimed redneck granola and author of optimistic-dystopian dieselpunk, sci-fi thrillers and young adult literature.

Hemp History Week, 2010: Bring Back Industrial Hemp

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It is probably not a new revelation to most of you that hemp once grew tall and proud throughout many regions of the United States.  Before bored advocated of Prohibition teamed up with politicians and others seeking to push mostly Mexican immigrants back South of the Border during the rise toward the Great Depression and eventually leading to the “Reefer Madness” era, hemp was widely grown and used for dozens of applications in the U.S. including paints, cosmetics, fabrics and foods.

It seems, after many years of difficult struggle, groups such as the Hemp Industries Association and Vote Hemp might finally be gathering the momentum to bring hemp back into the mainstream of American society.  These two organizations are teaming up this Spring to bring us Hemp History Week, May 17th-23rd.  This is not the same thing as, “Smoke a Doobie, Attention Deficit Day,” or “Bake a Ganja Brownie for your Favorite Earth Sprite Day.”

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Academic or not, work it all the same

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While slopping up superbly done over-medium eggs with my “Park Potatoes” this past Saturday morning at the Park Cafe with a friend, I was enlightened to the nature of publishing a scientific study.  Low and behold, it is much the same as publishing anything else. My scientist friend described his writing process of identifying and … Read more Academic or not, work it all the same

Deeper Down the Hemp Textile Rabbit Hole

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logobuttAs I metaphorically dug this last week, flipping participles and pretense skyward over my head and up to the sunny surface of my thoughts (and out of the maddening depths of confusion) the revelation suddenly dawned on me while seated and flying with Southwest somewhere over the eastern half of Utah.

I will call upon someone with a modicum of professional talent in Salt Lake City to make the prototype of “One True Pants.”  Yes, the pair of pants that all others will one day bend the knee towards and acknowledge as king.  How could I expect this pair of pants to be found wondering the savannas of retail America?  No, the one true pants has yet to be woven together in the womb of its father’s mind.  Too far?  Yeah, I don’t even understand myself anymore.

Recently though, I found more helpful insight from Eric VandenBerg, the founder of the Hemp Barn.  What will really blow your mind about a place called the Hemp Barn is not that it is primarily an earth-friendly upholstery store, or that it was founded by a young, non-hippy male, but that it is based in Salt Lake City.  I know.  Miracles never cease.

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