BASTARD OUT OF CAROLINA by Dorothy Allison.
In this powerful book of suffering, strength, and grace, family love provides all of the above.
The most powerful aspect of Allison’s book for me is her ability to remain loyal to truth, and Bone’s ability to remain loyal to a family ripped through with flaws, and that family’s ability, finally, to remain loyal to Bone and back her with all their strength, flaws and all.
CRATER COUNTY: A LEGAL THRILLER OF NEW MEXICO by Jonathan Miller Jonathan Miller writer a sort of court procedural tale, quite in keeping with his lawyer-self. Add romance, a pinch of creepy suspense, interesting characters, and a marvelous New Mexican backdrop and it makes for good entertainment. Don’t forget to look for the humor in…
Joshua Tree photo by Michael Reichmann “Joshua Tree” is from Common Ground (Confluence Press, 1988). These poems deal with experience, nature, the past, reading, solitude, travel, the seasons, aging, friendship, and identity. Click here for complete list of publications. ____________________________________________________ JOSHUA TREE by John Daniel These bent trees that Mormons saw as the prophet waving,…
Humans, even nomads, are settlers at heart. We want a place to come home to, a hearth to warm our hands around, and other humans to love us. Marj Casswell in “A Place to Come Home To” tells a story of these ordinary yearnings and the high price they exact from us. In the opening…
“They welcomed me by letting me know that they hadn’t let me go. I was remembered. As far as they were concerned, no matter how far I roamed or what we’d had to do to survive, I was still in the story with them, and had never actually left the village.” Martín Prechtel Artist Writer…
Anne Schroeder is a fifth generation Californian, whose love of writing was fueled by stories of immigrant ancestors. Anne evokes the drama of growing up in a close-knit Southern California farm community in her first memoir, “Branches on the Conejo: Leaving the Soil after Five Generations.” Anne and I are linked by our love of…
A gift might be innate, but not inevitable. Many are called; few choose to go.—Eden Maxwell. Are you bringing your gifts to fruition? Clif Johnston hosts Eden Maxwell today on his Zen Junk Tumblelog. Click here to read a comprehensive interview. Eden Maxwell, author of “An Artist Empowered: Define and Establish Your Value as an…