Power of the Pen: The Artist and the Blank Page, by William T. Dawson

I first met William Dawson in Mountainaire, New Mexico on August 2007 at the 10th annual Sunflower Festival. I performed my story “Big Butts Are Beautiful” complete with backup girl singers and drum. William has previously appeared on Riehlife several times. His most recent contribution is “River of Sadness.” Here are his thoughts on the…

“River of Sadness,” poem by William T. Dawson (Office of the Poet)

I met William T. Dawson in Mountainair, New Mexico, in August 2007 for the 10th annual Sunflower Festival centered at the historic Shaffer Hotel. First, I’d attended the Sunflower Poetry Writing workshop, then participated as a featured reader in the Mountainair Poetry & Writers Picnic. This spoken word event is sheltered in the tree-shaded garden…

Hardtimes Lessons: “Moonlighting,” story and poem by William T. Dawson

William T. Dawson’s poem “Moonlighting” is a poem of an event from the 1980s (when some of us remember the recession). Dawson’s poem speaks to our times as hard times cycle back around. I asked William to tell us a bit about the context surrounding writing his poem. This is what he said: I write…

What Use Is the Poet? William T. Dawson’s “Snow Blindness”

The Poet gropes in the darkness for the switch knowing that the light that is sought lies within. –William T. Dawson I met William Dawson when I told a story at last year’s Sunflower Festival in Mountainaire, New Mexico. We shared supper on his simple terrace as we gazed across the desert leading up to…