THE VIEW FROM
T O R R E Y H O U S E
May 2018
by Danielle Austin,
Sustainable Communities student at Northern Arizona University, inquiring in her thesis how migrant justice leaders imagine possibilities for change
“The work is reconnecting.
It happens between us.
Happens between our many worlds.
The work happens where our edges meet,
where we come together.
The journey to and through the cracks cannot
be done alone. Fresh mint, bees,
whispers, crackling embers, and loved ones
sitting on porches- we must feel, see hear,
breathe, love, and taste it all. In community
the healing begins.”
With a new piece every month, Voices Rising elevates millennial voices through a digital platform to publish diverse forms of storytelling. From poetry and creative nonfiction to song and visual art, we hear from young people grappling with the greatest challenges society faces.
Coming October 2018!
From a leaky dugout canoe in Tanzania and the mating grounds of Ecuador’s cock-of-the-rock to a juniper titmouse’s perch at the Grand Canyon and the migration of hooded mergansers in a New York swamp, Eli Knapp explores life’s deepest questions with insightful humor. This collection of essays navigates the world in hopes that appreciation of nature will burn intensely for generations to come. Whether traveling solo or with his students or children, Knapp levels his gaze on the birds that share our skies, showing that these feathered creatures can be a portal to deeper relationships, ecological understanding, and newfound joy.
Eli J. Knapp, Ph.D., is professor of intercultural studies and biology at Houghton College and director of the Houghton in Tanzania program. Knapp is a regular contributor to Birdwatcher’s Digest, New York State Conservationist, and other publications. An avid birdwatcher, hiker, and kayaker, he lives in Fillmore, New York, with his wife and children.
Q: What inspired you to write your book?
A: As most writers will attest, writing requires long bouts of unbroken concentration, exactly the kind of thing that being with your kids tends to preclude. So, a quandary emerged. Should I put off writing until my kids grew up? Or, should I write (and hold down a job) and spend less quality time with the kids? For a year, I waffled. Then one day, while taking my young son through a swamp to see a bird, I suddenly realized that my son offered me a unique lens on life, a lens that I’d likely lost with age and the responsibilities of life. While an exhaustive scholarly book wasn’t in the offing, shorter, energetic essays were. Especially so if I took advantage of the multitude of smaller moments, the interstices of the day. So I decided to do both, write and be present with my kids. I penned my first essay over five years ago and have been at it ever since. The Delightful Horror of Family Birding is the culmination of this five-year venture. Now as my kids are reading themselves, I’ve been able to share my nature writing with them.
Coming November 2018!
Spanning four generations of a mixed-race family, Mostly White is a powerful tale of inter-generational trauma and the healing brought by wildness, music, and the resilience of women. From Emma, who survives the abuse of an Indian Residential school in 1890s Maine, to Ella, who navigates color lines in 1980s New York City, Alison Hart’s unforgettable characters fight to form their own identities and honor the call of their ancestors.
Alison Hart studied theater at New York University and later found her voice as a writer. She identifies as a mixed-race African American, Passamaquoddy Native American, Irish, Scottish, and English woman of color. Her poetry collection Temp Words was published by Cosmo Press in 2015, and her poems appear in Red Indian Road West: Native American Poetry from California (Scarlet Tanager Books, 2016) and elsewhere. Hart lives in Alameda, California.
Q: What events or people inspired you to write your book?
A: I grew up not knowing my mother’s side of the family, that is the Black, Native American, and Irish side from Maine. I knew my mother’s upbringing was difficult, but she rarely spoke about it. My mom was a poet, scholar, and humanitarian; her love for words and the arts inspired me. The characters in Mostly White are loosely based on family history, some stories told to me, and others—well, that’s the fun of writing fiction—I got to imagine them.
It took six years to write the novel while I was teaching music in public schools... driving my son to soccer games and practice, and attempting to be a somewhat decent parent. I became a binge writer and would clear certain weekends and say, “That’s it! This is my weekend.” (A) photo... of Isabelle Allende kept me on track. She is one of my favorite writers and whenever I looked at the photo I’d either feel pangs of guilt for not writing, or I’d nod in satisfaction of my efforts. I did extensive research on the Passamaquoddy tribe, Native American, and African American history, then a year later, bam! there was Emma’s voice in the scene at the residential school. I needed to write this book, to understand my own roots, to pay honor to my mother’s story, to create characters that represented my experience and history as a mixed-race American woman, to heal, to forgive, to grieve, and to celebrate.
June 1: Final day to register for the Writing Place: The Animas River Region Writing Workshop with Jonathan P. Thompson, author of River of Lost Souls, and Kirsten Johanna Allen, Publisher and Editor at Torrey House Press. (Workshop to be held July 16, 2018 in Durango, CO; youth workshop, 18 and under, free; adult workshop $75)
June 12, 7:00 p.m.: Discussion of Red Rock Stories and public lands with Stephen Trimble, Alastair Bitsoi, Brooke Larsen, and Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk at Patagonia (SLC, UT)
June 11, 8:00 a.m.: Visit the Torrey House Press table at the Downtown Farmers Market (SLC, UT)
June 20, 7:00 p.m.: Reading and signing of Yosemite Fall (#4 in the National Park Mystery Series) with Scott Graham and Emily Littlejohn at BookBar (Denver, CO)
See the Facebook event details here
June 21, 5:00 p.m.: Reading and signing of Yosemite Fall at Covered Treasures Bookstore (Monument, CO)
See the Facebook event details here
June 22, 5:00 p.m.: Reading and signing of Yosemite Fall at Hearthfire Books (Evergreen, CO)
See the Facebook event details here
MAY NEWS AND EVENTS
(l-r) Jacqueline Keeler at We Can Listen in Portland. Scott Graham and Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk at the Yosemite Fall book launch and Bears Ears discussion at Maria's Bookshop. Andrea Avantaggio and Kirsten Allen next to River of Lost Souls and Yosemite Fall on the Bookseller Favorites shelf at Maria's Bookshop.
Continuing a string of important conversations, Jacqueline Keeler (editor of Edge of Morning and author of Standoff, coming April 2019) spoke at We Can Listen: Native Perspectives on Arts, Culture, & Justice in Portland on May 8. Read about the conversations with panel participants in Oregon ArtsWatch and Portland State Vanguard.
Scott Graham launched Yosemite Fall (National Park Mystery Series #4) on May 22 at Maria's Bookshop in Durango, joined by Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk (also a contributor to Red Rock Stories and Edge of Morning) for a discussion of Bears Ears. If you have yet to join the world of archaeologist Chuck Bender as he grapples with life-threatening danger and growing into fatherhood, all while in the expansive beauty of our national parks, you can get the first three paperbacks 33% off at the Torrey House Press store when you use the code MYSTERY at checkout. Be prepared to get comfortable—on the edge of your seat!
Yearning for a great read?
Use the code NEWSLETTER to get 20% off your order!
Enjoy THP Books All Year—Subscribe Today!
Waived adoption fees for military members Memorial Day weekend
Memorial Day adoption special May 25-28 at the Humane Society of Utah
In celebration of Memorial Day and to honor and thank those who have served our country in the armed forces, the Humane Society of Utah (HSU) has partnered with the Animals for Armed Forces Foundation to waive the adoption fees for all active and retired military looking to adopt a new pet Friday, May 25, through Monday, May 28, 2018. The Animals for Armed Forces Foundation is generously covering 100 percent of adoption fees for military members and their immediate family. The HSU adoption center located at 4242 S 300 W in Murray, Utah will be open Memorial Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We’re honored to be able to give back to those who have done so much for our country while helping find homes for our animals, ” said Lesley Gulledge, HSU development manager. “This adoption event will benefit many members since there are several military installations in Utah.”
This fee-waived adoption special applies to active duty, reserve and veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and National Guard.
During this event last year, 56 pets found new homes with military members.
All animals adopted from the Humane Society of Utah are spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinated. HSU’s regular adoption process applies to ensure the best fit for both animal and adopter.
To receive the adoption discount, a photo ID and one of the following is required: military ID, dependent ID, DD-214 and Driver’s License, or NGB Form 22.
Information about holiday hours of operation and all animals available for adoption may be viewed online at www.utahhumane.org/adopt.
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About the Humane Society of Utah
The Humane Society of Utah is dedicated to the elimination of pain, fear and suffering in all animals. Since 1960, the HSU has been sheltering homeless animals, fighting cruelty and neglect, and creating an environment of respect, responsibility, and compassion for all animals across the state of Utah. HSU is the largest open-admission
private animal
shelter in the state
,
and welcomes any companion animal that can legally be admitted. As a member of the No-Kill Utah (NKUT) Coalition, the HSU works hard to ensure that every healthy and treatable pet that enters the facility will be placed into a loving home. The Humane Society of Utah is a local, private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that does not receive any state tax dollars or government funding. HSU is funded by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses and foundations. Read more about the HSU online at www.utahhumane.org.
Deann Shepherd
Director of Marketing and Communications
Office: 801-506-2416
Direct: 801-747-9136 (text or call)
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LOST IN SOCIETY
Releases Eager Heart EP
Via Wiretap Records
Available Today on Vinyl, Bandcamp and Spotify
"a plethora of catharsis...raw, punk aesthetic"
"An absolute anthem for anyone who listens to
punk-rock" - Substream Magazine
May 25, 2018 - ASBURY PARK, NJ - Three-piece Alternative Punk Band Lost In Society are celebrating the release of Eager Heart today! The EP is the band's first release on Wiretap Records and is available for purchase on Vinyl, Bandcamp and streaming on Spotify. The EP was recorded with Pete Steinkopf of The Bouncing Souls and has already been garnering strong praise from outlets like Substream Magazine and New Noise Magazine.
Frontman Zach Moyle shared that "With this EP, I dove into some emotional and psychological channels more than the previous releases. I questioned myself and who I am as a person a lot while writing some of this record."
Lost In Society are completing a brief run of shows this weekend and will be playing at The FEST this fall in Downtown Gainsville, FL. Early Bird Tickets for FEST 17 are on sale now at https://thefestfl.com/. A full list of dates can be found below.
Upcoming Lost in Society Tour Dates:
5/25 - Charleston, SC - Tin Roof
5/26 - Wilmington, NC - Calico Room
10/26-29 - THE FEST - Gainsville, FL
New Jersey has a long history with punk music and Asbury Park's Lost In Society is proud to carry that banner. With a killer 2017 behind them, seeing support tours for Face to Face, Unwritten Law and 88 Fingers Louie, the trio plan on taking that momentum with them in to 2018. Having spent the last 5 years intensely on the road, this new release on California's Wiretap Records sees the band in top form.
Jolting, fierce and raw: Lost In Society's live show has been described as all of the above. The NJ-based alternative punk act has performed at large festivals including Vans Warped Tour, Punk Rock Bowling, Fun Fun Fun Fest, SXSW, CMJ Music Marathon and Fest. Lost In Society is known for bringing fans out the same way old punks did -- by word of mouth. Having toured all over the map and sharing the stage with the likes of Taking Back Sunday, Dead Sara, The Bouncing Souls, Bad Religion, The Flatliners, Misfits and SWMRS, the trio is showing no signs of stopping.
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Photo Credit: Mallory Turner
Lost In Society is Zach Moyle (guitars + lead vocals), Nick Ruroede (bass), and Hector Bonora (drums).
For updates on Lost In Society, please visit:
Website: http://www.lostinsociety.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lostinsociety
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lostinsociety
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostinsociety
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lost-in-society
Download EP Cover Art Here
Download Tour Admat Here
Download Press Photo Here (Photo Credit: Mallory Turner)
