Beginning, Again

"Beginning, Again" is a collection of author Linda M. Hasselstrom's writings that have appeared in various places but never in book form. Linda writes: "In my 81st year, I've enjoyed revisiting them. In many cases, seeing the poem or essay brought back the specific instance which inspired it, which, of course, is one of the best reasons why everyone should write. Memories fade, but if we reinforce memories with our words, we are likely to enjoy them longer.

This book will lead the reader through a wild variety of topics that have caught my interest in the 70 or so years that I have been writing coherently. A killdeer sits on her nest. My father's steel bar clangs against other tools in the pickup bed. Women win the vote for those of us who follow them. My mother shrieks at me, trying to create the kind of daughter she wanted. Readers will -- and should -- be led to their own memories as they peruse mine. Close this book and write whenever the impulse strikes you."

James W. Parker adds, "In our previous book, "Walking: The Changes", I used pictures that had somewhat of a tenuous association with the images that Linda drew with her words. In this companion volume, I went back to the well, revisiting old favorites and photographs to illustrate the emotions and feelings Linda writes about. This book was an opportunity for me to resurrect some photographs that had not found a home in my more commercial work, or had spoken to me in a secret language."

"Beginning, Again" is the second collaboration between Linda M. Hasselstrom and James W. Parker, bringing the two creative souls back to their South Dakota roots and the peaceful stillness of the prairie.