Home Ground and Family

Members of my family have played an important part in my readings and travels to bookstores and museums in the Northwest, as well as supporting my efforts over the years. In Kellogg, my brother and his wife sat in the front row, along with my mother, whose painting graces the cover of my book. Before I sent in my final manuscript to the University of Oklahoma Press, I asked my mother to read it, which she did over the course of several days when I visited her in April 2008. When I delivered the finished book to her, she exclaimed how beautiful it was and she looked forward to reading it. Again, she read the book over the course of several days in September, 2009. "I’ve never seen this before," she said. I assured her she had, but she didn’t remember. Nevertheless, she pronounced the book "a good one," so we were both pleased.

My daughter Melanie also read parts of my manuscript over the years–as well as other writing pieces I have sent her. I have always valued her input, partly because she tells me exactly what she thinks. I believe this book meant more to her than anything else I’ve written, because it told her the story of her roots as well as mine. When I scheduled my readings in Seattle at the end of September, she re-scheduled her work days and reserved a place on the train to bring her from Oregon to Seattle. Both at Ravenna Third Place Books and Elliott Bay Books, she was there to lend support, love and cheer.

I could not have spent the last two decades writing without the love and support of my husband Gerry, an artist in his own right. His love and photos grace my life. For the readings and presentations, he has been my audio-visual expert: setting up and taking down easels, carrying painting and photographs on location, loading mining gear, downloading music to his iPod–mining songs, dance songs, other music–to play while we get ready to present, taking more photographs. He has listened to me practice my readings, watched me nervously pace a room, smiled when I needed it, hugged me before and after presentations. "You were terrific," he says. And then I glow.

Other members of my family–my stepchildren, my sister, my nieces and nephews–all have encouraged me and supported my writing. Friends are family, too. Without them, my readings might have been fairly quiet affairs–just me, my book, a half dozen bodies and mostly empty chairs. What a difference they have all made!