A Mormon literary backcountry where words and place come together.

 

 

 

 

Death of an old dog, part five, by Patricia

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

I meet a young couple in the canyon. A dog in their company tells me more about them than they guess. I see a piñon pine tree alight with fall sunshine. As I exit the canyon, I discover a prying eye. This is another long and the last installment in this series but it isn’t [...]

Death of an old dog, part four, by Patricia

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

In which I make my way into Crossfire Canyon and meet a wondrous bird.  I muse upon the experience of eye contact with other species, referencing N. Scott Momaday and Martin Buber.  I see the light, loose and free in the canyon–it’s beautiful. Part one here, part two here, part three here.
As I worked [...]

Field Notes #10

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

March 15, 2010.  This winter paved the desert over, storm after storm laying down two-to-three feet of whitetop, setting spring back by more than half a month.  Since December 21st, I’ve been out only rarely, the deep snow creating hazards well beyond my abilities to negotiate them.  Who knew that when I moved to southeastern [...]

The Downstream Principle of Language

Monday, September 28th, 2009

I’ve cross-posted this over at the onymous blog Times and Seasons in  follow up to a three-part series I wrote there a couple years back.  If you wish to read the original series, the introduction to the T&S post contains links to all three parts.
September 17th marked the two-year anniversary of the closing of Crossfire Canyon [...]

Getting digs in: On the 6/11 SE Utah artifact raids

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

Saturday, June 13.  As I was coming up out of Crossfire I heard voices.  Much has happened lately in our small, southeast Utah town, so I was curious about who might be coming into the canyon.  I saw a woman on the rocks above me, well off the trail, turning back in response to a [...]