Natural Affinities

"Like a well-traveled rucksack, this collection speaks of journeys, the poet an

immigrant setting out from the home country of his imagination. Each poem serves

as a vehicle and destination, and the scattered outposts--Iceland, the Dakotas, the

Quinault River, Andalusia--lay their claims to portions of the poet's character,

memory, heritage. As well, we find our own homes in the reading."

--John Willson, Pushcart Prize winner and author of The Son We Had

"Evocative poems beckon one to follow in his footsteps through the territories

of youth and age, across the varied landscapes of Puget sound, Dakota prairies,

and Iceland. Along the way, artfully rendered images capture the spirits of the

characters who inhabit these poems, offering thoughtful reflection on the heart

and human experience.

--Kristen Gard Hotchkiss, Bainbridge Island poet