04/16/2026
Mile-High MFA alum, Troy D. Allan got a mention in a New York Times article this week. Congrats, Troy!
"Troy D. Allan was an Army chaplain in Afghanistan when he began intentionally spending time outside at night. He knew little about astronomy or constellations, but found that simply staring up into the sky helped him find peace in a period of his life otherwise marked by turmoil.
Mr. Allan now heads a program at Utah State University that facilitates camping trips for teenagers and others to contemplate the night sky, and their place underneath it. His campers set up their tents, then lie back and watch the stars come out. At first, time moves slowly for young people accustomed to clicking through life at the pace of TikTok. But gradually, they warm to the experience.
“What happens to humans when we encounter vastness, silence, beauty and mystery?” Mr. Allan said. “It’s the recalibrating of our lives.”
After the stars come out, Mr. Allan’s group goes on a hike, with the Milky Way stretched like a banner above them. Then they stop again for a long time and look up."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/11/us/artemis-landing-splashdown-moon.html?unlocked_article_code=1.aFA.6uaG.joG49v6DpsAU&smid=url-share&fbclid=IwY2xjawROIT1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe9mUWuSulplqqw6SAIoDOSh7-vfLTLEPeZkgK4cteZoUMj6_vJNKCQRNIyA0_aem_M8nHfS8jm-G6vwGvzYqJxA
Mile-High Writing Troy D. Allan - The Practice of Noticing
A mission that took four astronauts farther than any human has ever traveled in the history of mankind has made people feel a little trippy.