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