We arrived home a week ago from our little midwest adventure and I must say I was eager for the mail. I’m always eager for the mail. As a writer I regularly submit myself to the daily longing for good news, which often results in receiving nearly weightless self-addressed letters from literary magazines all over the country.  To think, my work in the hands of a whole bunch of young slush pile readers who, if they felt compelled, could pass it on to their editors. I can often read the form rejections without opening the envelopes by holding the letters to the light. Oh well.

But sometimes the best mail comes after that correspondence, when contributor copies are out. This time I had the delight of looking through my copy of Arctic Inspired, essentially an anthology of stories, essays, songs, poems, and stunning visual art by people who have traveled through the tundra of Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Tim Irvin, who envisioned and edited the book, calls it a not-for-profit community project. Irvin says:

If this project brings people together to share their collective interest in the tundra, then it will have been a success. If it also stands as a testament to how the rugged beauty and vastness of the tundra inspires the people who visit it; if it helps in some way to ensure that we treasure it, that we don’t plunder it, that we respect it and its people, then I will be thrilled.

I wish him and this project that success and hope some of you will feel drawn to this sort of collection. Inside you’ll find three poems of mine, a slew of great writing and stunning photography. Never been to the tundra, but want to know what it’s like? Order a copy of this beautifully designed book. Spread the word. You won’t regret it.