This column’s primary poem is “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop, written in 1975. Although the first line of this poem is “The art of losing isn’t hard to master;” the same way Steven Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns” isn’t about clowns, this isn’t about losing things, certainly not keys. Both follow Emily Dickinson’s edict: “Tell the […]
Including Reviews of two of Judy’s Books: Sanity and Grace: A Journey of Suicide, Survival, and Strength and The Seven T’s: Finding Hope and Healing in the Wake of Tragedy Judy, I love it that your vocal gifts and training in classical piano never require you to reach for notes—I’ve never heard you reach once—but
A Love Letter to Judy Collins Read More »
Including reviews of two of her books: Sanity and Grace: A Journey of Suicide, Survival, and Strength and The Seven T’s: Finding Hope and Healing in the Wake of Tragedy Like many Judy Collins fans, I was first taken with her voice. She never reaches for a note, she hits each one like a finely-tuned
Notes on Judy Collins and Suicide Read More »
I’m a sucker for songwriters—from Judy Collins’ eclectic selections to Dylan to Lenny Cohen to Sondheim—they’ve taught me always to ask, “Who wrote this?” When I heard the Willy Nelson / Merle Haggard version of “Pancho and Lefty,” I searched out the songwriter. I had no idea it was from Townes Van Zandt, a guy
Poet with a Guitar—The Story of the C&W hit “Pancho and Lefty” Read More »
With my novel, The Sureness of Horses, available now, twelve years after I started, in hardcover, softback, and eBook forms, I took a few minutes to look back at some of the things I’d heard about writing that helped me finish the process. I’ve divided it into Beginnings, Middles, and Endings. Beginnings: “How is writing
How to Throw a Novel Together in Twelve Years or Less Read More »
Colorado’s Western Slope is a beautiful landscape of mountains and river-cut canyons. This makes the region a go-to destination for tourists and thrillseekers alike. But something else drew even the earliest of Colorado’s settlers to the area: hot springs. The Ute tribes considered the hot springs a place of spiritual healing. Here, they cleansed the
Glenwood Springs: Blending Past and Present Read More »