Author Archives: williamjcobb

On Randall K. Wilson’s “A Place Called Yellowstone”: Award-Winning History of Yellowstone National Park

So as a devoted National-Park aficionado I learned of Randall K. Wilson’s A Place Called Yellowstone: The Epic History of the World’s First National Park last Spring when it was announced as winner of the Barbara and David Zalaznick Book Prize for the best … Continue reading

Posted in Backpacking Adventures, books, Yellowstone National Park backcountry trips, Yellowstone National Park kayaking, Yellowstone wildlife | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

On Candice Millard’s “River of Doubt” and “River of the Gods”: Bugs, Snakes, and Disease Aplenty

So a couple years back my wife read Candice Millard’s excellent nonfiction book The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey (2005). She raved about it and I put it on my reading list, but somehow or other I ended up reading … Continue reading

Posted in Amazon River, books/film, Candace Millard books, Teddy Roosevelt | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

More Alone than “Alone”: On Adam Shoalts’s “Vanished Beyond the Map: The Mystery of Lost Explorer Hubert Darrell” (2025)

So I have great admiration for the hardy, crusty souls who can live and survive well in the rugged outdoors—people like the enigmatic free-style explorer Hubert Darrell, who began life as an Englishman and ended his days in far northern … Continue reading

Posted in Animal Attacks Stories, Backpacking Adventures, Bear attacks, books, Canada's Northwest Territories | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Rachel McAdams film “Send Help” (2026) Makes Comic Gold Out of “Survivor” and “Alone” Audition Videos

So I saw the new Rachel McAdams star vehicle Send Help, directed by no less than Mr. Evil Dead himself, Sam Raimi. It’s way fun. As it’s just released and in cinemas, I’ll avoid spoilers as much as possible. As you can … Continue reading

Posted in "Alone" TV Reality Series, "Drag Me to Hell" film, "Game Night" film, "Send Help" film, Rachel McAdams films, Thailand Adventures, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

“The Wiggle Room”: A Short Story

Note: This story originally appeared in the online literary journal Solar, Spring 2022. For this one, if you think “genre,” think Gothic. It’s “Based on a True Story,” kind of. According to his father, the neighbors who lived in the … Continue reading

Posted in Fiction Writing, Gothic short fiction, Texas stories, Uncategorized, William J Cobb Short Fiction | Tagged , | Leave a comment

On the New Film “Grizzly Night,” Based on the Nonfiction Book “Night of the Grizzly” (1971)

So it was my (pleasant? gruesome?) surprise yesterday to stumble upon this new film Grizzly Night, which is based on a true story, famously recounted in Jack Olsen’s nonfiction book Night of the Grizzlies (1971). I’m a sucker for a … Continue reading

Posted in "Grizzly Night" 2026 film, "Night of the Grizzlies" by Jack Olsen, Animal attack movies, Bear attacks, Bears, books/film, Film, Glacier National Park backcountry, Horror Films, The West, Uncategorized, Wildlife, Yellowstone National Park backcountry trips | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Alien-Hunting Wives: Trump’s Novel Solution to the Coming Alien Invasion

[Note: This is satire. In the spirit of the New Yorker’s “Shouts and Murmurs” satirical op-ed slot.] New bombshells revealed after the recent release of the shocking documentary The Age of Disclosure, detailing U.S. government’s possession of recovered UFO craft … Continue reading

Posted in Alien Intelligence, Anti-Trump Satire, Bad TV, Good TV, The Hunting Wives TV series, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

On the Gerard Butler film “Greenland”: Maybe Trump Thinks It’s Real, Why He Wants the Icy Island?

So as not to be considered too “elite” I have actually watched not only the original Greenland (2020) film, starring Gerard Butler, but have also watched Greenland: Migration (2026), the sequel, to boot. And I’m thinking either Trump or one of his minions watched … Continue reading

Posted in "Greenland" the Film, Climate Change, Disaster movies, Film, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Shoshone Lake Paddle Trip Report: Yellowstone National Park, September 2025

So last Spring when I was arranging a week-long kayaking trip on Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone National Park I read a number of Trip Reports, on various blogs and backcountry-travel sites. They were helpful. Some of them were kooky, such … Continue reading

Posted in Photography, Shoshone Lake, The West, Yellowstone National Park backcountry trips, Yellowstone National Park kayaking, Yellowstone wildlife | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

On “Die My Love”: Jennifer Lawrence Channels Her Inner Kristi Noem, and Does Not Write the Great American Novel

So after a lot of pre-release buzz the Jennifer Lawrence film Die My Love fizzled at the box office and did not get much attention. (Note: Minor spoilers ahead.) That’s a bit unfortunate, as it has the terrific performance of … Continue reading

Posted in "Die My Love" film, books/film, Film, Jennifer Lawrence film, Love of Dogs, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment