"Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, not that be limited without danger of losing it." - Thomas Jefferson, 1786. Freedoms of speech and the press are in the FIRST AMENDMENT of the U.S. Constitution, an indication of the priority with which those freedoms must be cherished and valued.

In-between black and white. A style of painting, drawing, etc. using only light and shade to achieve the effect of a third dimension.

A series of collaborative rhymes based on a children's rhyme, Old King Cole

Leonardo hums philosophically as he paints a portrait of Lisa Gherardini.

Fourteen line poems.

Why do we remember what we remember? As Ann Elizabeth Carson looks back at the long laundry line of her life strung with memories, in a rare combination of visceral, sensuous prose and poetry she explores how many Western women lived and were shaped by the 20th century. Laundry Lines: A Memoir in Stories and Poems considers the hidden world of women and how they communicate a rich subterranean world of emotion and knowledge to one another, weaving often unexpressed inner lives into the fabric of their public roles. Lines of laundry are a metaphor for the stories we remember, the tales we select from the past and hang on the line: hung out to dry for all to see and examine. In focusing on the moment, Ann Elizabeth’s stories and poems also unravel the complex emotional and often-painful undertow in families: secrets and lies, stories of betrayal – even among trusted sisters – tales of loss and of enduring love. Over time we see the slow reconciliation with the blows and beauties meted out by life that comes with age, and the healing power of the deep sensual salve offered by surrender to nature. Through Carson’s work we grasp how crucial, even life-saving, it can be to tell our stories, not only for our individual survival, but also for the collective endurance of humanity. The stories and poems in Laundry Lines shed light on current personal and world struggles by mapping myths and archetypes over family stories, revealing the shared fabric we all weave on a personal and public level. As we plumb the depths of our own wounds and learn more about ourselves, we understand our connections to our beleaguered Earth and become ever more capable of treating her compassionately, and of daring to speak out about what is happening to our home.

A cunning monkey grabs the attention of three kids and a small Alabama town during the summer of 1937. A tale in seven parts.

This collection is a gathering of most of my older poems, both published and unpublished, making it easier to find my poetry.

sometimes life is contrived. My thoughts and observations on aging.