This is a second edition of my first poetry book, originally published by Cafe Review Press two decades ago, but long out of print. I’ve worked hard, but too slowly, to get it back into print, partly because other writing projects kept yelling for attention like spoiled brats, while SHE sat quietly on the shelf, knowing I could not ignore her forever. Thanks to the changes in publishing, I was able to control the whole process. The book will be available on Amazon next week, in time for me to relax and enjoy the looming holidays. Here’s my path to this particular publication:

• Earn an MFA in Creative Writing at Vermont College;
• Write the book over the next two years;
• Celebrate the original publication at the now-long-gone Cafe No in Portland, ME;
• Let the collection go dormant far too long;
• Feel guilty about that dormancy;
• Rediscover the delight I took in making these poems;
• Become a member of Colorado Independent Publishers Association;
• Give thanks to members of my weekly poetry critique group, Gamuts, who read this version;
• Ask for and receive comments from the folks whose words appear on the back cover: Robert Beveridge, Delta Donohue, Dan Manzanares, and Diane Wakoski;
• Format the interior, design the cover, with the blessing of Elizabeth Ostrander, who made the original woodcuts and allowed me to keep them in this edition;
• Proofread, proofread, proofread and again;
• Upload the PDF to Create Space, the self-publishing arm of Amazon;
• Sit back this morning and sigh in relief.