Here's To You, Publishing Friends Old and New

Hot off the presses: my article "Compost" in the Science, You're Super! department of Inspire(d) Magazine, published by Decorah's own Aryn Henning and Benji Nichols of Inspire(d) Media.

(Click here or on the image at right it.)

I write for Inspire(d) regularly and am always thrilled to share the genius of my most-local publication with readers, whether my work appears in it or not.

The same goes for my alma mater in the publishing world, Powder Mountain Press of Driggs, Idaho.

Press founder Deb Barracato and, later, her successor, Nancy McCullough McCoy, gave me a chance when I hardly had a byline to my name.

Their publications were minted -- and continue -- to tell the story of people with big talent, living in the small towns along the craggy Idaho-Wyoming border, and I consider myself wildly lucky to have spent time on their staff. 

I learned a lot about my young self and what I wanted from my writing life, and as I look back at clips in my portfolio, I can see that the experience was less a working relationship than a near-perfect mentorship for me, the newbie. Over time, I got to try on their 'hats', helping run the publications from story assignment to stocking the newsstand. We still keep in touch -- though these days, we lapse easily into shop talk about small-business development. Without their investment in me, I can't say for certain I would have wound up among their ranks.

So. Here's to jumping off (or in?) -- all of you -- and giving saddle-bound wings to the written word, over and over again. Your work is making change you might never even see, and you are loved for it!

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