The front and back covers of the book you are considering hold a couple stories. With my two sons and a few friends I built an A-frame that looks on the scene of the front cover. The first draft of the book was written in that A-frame. I fell down the back cover of the book, so to speak, attempting to dislodge a dead elm from the spillway--dislodging myself instead.I taught writing at several colleges for 36 years, enjoying (almost) every minute, and edited textbooks for four years. I have written over a hundred poems (a few published), occasional pieces, and have published articles on composition, literature, and articles advocating for adjunct teachers. I've also written a hundred and… thirty two journals (still counting), writing that brings again and again the pleasure of putting pen to paper.I was raised just west of Chicago on a small working farm, milking cows and goats, pitching manure, and riding horses, saddled and bareback, through the fields. I hike, camp, bicycle-tour, sail small trimaran rigs I've put together (see UTube "sailing custom trimaran"), sing folk songs and play guitar. My two sons, now grown, have shared extensively in each of these activities, including, as kids, folk music at bed time. I have remodeled each home in which I've lived, built a cabin in Colorado, and two vacation rental "casitas" in Abiquiu, NM, both used as writing retreats. Love of the Southwest and of the outdoors led my wife Glynn and I to move to Santa Fe, NM, both having retired as teachers of writing.