Serving Colorado and the Four Corners since 1996
Have you read a book today?
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Serving Colorado and the Four Corners since 1996 Have you read a book today? |
Uniquely Ouray: Reflections of Life in a Mountain County Collection of Essays Reviewed
by Carol McDermott  Beth
stretches beyond her usual poetry by publishing a collection of essays,
Uniquely Ouray: Reflections on
Life in a Mountain County, all of which first appeared in the Ouray County Plaindealer between
May, 1999, and January, 2007.From "Women with Sticks," which describes a hike up the Old Twin Peaks Trail, ascending 1,400 feet in 1.2 miles, to "Fifty Things to Do in Winter," a prescription for those afflicted with cabin fever, Beth's perspective on things ordinary captures the reader, often creating delightful periods of introspection. Add to that Beth's CD, By Stone, By Water, in which the listener hears, not only her voice, but her vision, and the world looks hopeful, enigmatic, a place for uncommon adventures. "Patches of prickly pear" edge the trail she hikes in the title piece, where she notes "hunters and the hunted - humans live in stone, too" and concludes "a soothsayer found shelter by stone, by water." We, also, found shelter. A former resident of Los Angeles, where she taught English for over 20 years, Beth now lives in Ouray, Colorado, where she writes, teaches writing workshops, directs local poetry events, and is a columnist for the "Ouray Plaindealer" newspaper. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including two anthologies published by Houghton Mifflin and University of Texas Press. Beth has received several prizes for her poems, including most recently two 2008 Mark Fischer prizes. Her poem, "Hollyhocks," was nominated for the 2007 Pushcart Prize. Beth also just received a Pushcart Prize nomination for 2009 for a poem called "The Color of Snow." Her newest book of poetry, "Wild Raspberries," is forthcoming from Plain View Press in early spring. View examples of her work at THE INNISFREE POETRY JOURNAL or visit her web-site wordcatcher.org Photo of Beth taken at Imogene Pass, Ouray County. Courtesy Beth Paulson |