Writers

I've had the privilege to listen to three great writers over the past couple of days. Last Friday pm I was a volunteer at SOMOS (Society of the Muse of the Southwest)and there were two readings: Jason Yurcic and Robert Mirabel. Jason is a poet from Albuquerque and has 3 books of poems published. He writes, "pain-based poetry" drawn from his traumatic childhood and travels to work with abused children, incarcerated criminials and those who have been disenfranchised. He invited a local youth to join him and had him read as well. He mentors youth in alternative high schools across New Mexico. Jason's readings were raw, real and moving. His first one was titled "Broken Ornament" about how his father was murdered on Christmas Eve.

Robert Mirabel is a native American that lives on the pueblo and is well known in Taos. He is a musican, artist and writer - a true Renaissance man. He read from his recent novel, "Looking Through Photographs". It definitely was a performance piece as Robert intoned, chanted, drummed, sang and spoke the words from his novel.

Last evening I attended a reading by the keynote speaker for the Taos Writer's Conference this year: Wally Lamb - author of "She's Come Undone", "This Much is True", "The Hour I first Believed" and others. He read a personal authobiographical piece and several chapters from his newest book, still unpublished, "Wishing and Hoping - A Christmas Story". He was friendly, funny and comfortably down to earth. He lives in Eastern Connecticut; in fact his second book, "This Much I Know is True" is set in Groton, CT, and the main character's stepfather works at EB (Electric Boat) where two of my brothers once worked.... small world.

I'm looking forward to next weekend I'm attending a workshop with local author, Sean Murphy, on "Overcoming the Barriers to your Authentic Voice" - sounds like it could be good for life as well as writing.