Autumn Welcome!
I savor each of the seasons, but this month and next, I’m savoring gold leaves and purple blooms. I enjoy hot tea all year long, but this month and next, I’m especially enjoying honey in my tea. I’m also savoring the lines learned years ago, “October gave a party, the leaves by hundreds came.” I’m grateful to my teachers, mostly nuns, who had me memorize many poems and taught me to love poetry, its pure pleasure.
I so enjoyed writing my poetry collection, Adobe Odes (The University of Arizona Press), about all kinds of things I like and love such as you: Readers!
“Ode to Readers.”
“Without you,
what I’ve prepared will wither
into dust.
Tempt you?”
Enjoy poetry and autumn
Pat
Spotted in the Bookstore: Tomás and the Library Lady
Pat’s granddaughter with Tomás and the Library Lady.
Growing an Artist: The Story of a Landscaper and His Son
How I enjoyed reading my friend John Parra’s new book, Growing an Artist: The Story of a Landscaper and His Son.
The author tells us that the story is inspired by his own work helping his dad. I too helped my dad at his optical company in El Paso, Texas. Like John’s grandparents, my dad came from Chihuahua, Mexico to the border.
I also grew up bilingual, English and Spanish like John, and enjoyed the braiding of both languages in this text. I’ve also enjoyed gardening for years and savoring Mexican food such as burritos.
I don’t have John’s artistic talents and appreciated his sketching and illustrations, dual talents. I also learned from his father’s landscaping skills.
Just as author and illustrator John Parra is proud of his father’s landscaping talents, I’m sure that his father is proud of his son’s talents on the page. Congratulations, John! ¡Felicitaciones!
Pat
Family: a wonderful inspiration for my writing
My family has been a wonderful inspiration for my writing.
My family memoir, House of Houses, was published by Beacon Press. I’m grateful to my editor Deborah Chasman.
My daughter, writer Libby Martinez, and I so enjoyed writing I Pledge Allegiance, about our beloved aunt, Libby’s great aunt, Ygnacia Delgado who was born in Mexico. We called this aunt Lobo which means “wolf.” (Read the book to find out why.) Libby and I are so grateful to Patrice Barton for her delightful illustrations.
Pat