Bluestocking

COLORADO COLLEEN: I Heart Prairie Dogs

2011-10-25T10:47:00.008-06:00

I'm a Denver-based writer, and have reported extensively for The Denver Post on the natural world in a former series titled "The Nature of..." One installment - "The Nature of Prairie Dogs" - taught me how important prairie dogs are as a species supporting dozens of other species as wide ranging as spiders to burrowing owls.

Pictured, a black-tailed prairie dog. Image courtesy of We For Animals.

I also was amazed to learn that prairie dog communications rank as complex or moreso than dolphins' "language." Prairie dogs keep their colonies tidy and live in community, in addition to being cute as can be. And their link to Bubonic plaque or broken legs on livestock is highly exaggerated.

Therefore, I just joined WildEarth Guardians in messaging my gratitude to decision makers for having the wisdom and foresight and compassion to relocate a colony of prairie dogs. Here's the text:

"As a supporter of WildEarth Guardians and policies established to protect wildlife, I am writing to urge you to support the relocation of prairie dogs to Rabbit Mountain Open Space.

Prairie dogs are a central part of grassland ecosystems in North America, creating vibrant landscapes of life on western prairies. They are recognized as a keystone species and greatly enhance the land they inhabit by aerating and turning the soil, providing meals for predators, and creating burrows that shelter a host of other animals including snakes, cottontail rabbits, burrowing owls, beetles, and salamanders, to name a few. The nutritious vegetation in their colonies is kept neatly trimmed, providing fertile foraging for grazers such as bison and pronghorn. These important creatures should be preserved, and I support Boulder County's efforts to relocate them out of harm's way. Additionally, I appreciate my tax payer dollars being spent to improve our communities by creating healthy wildlife populations for future generations instead of poisoning or eradicating them.

I applaud Boulder County Parks and Open Space for working to implement non-lethal prairie dog management, and I support this relocation effort."

Wag your prairie dog tale.

And enjoy this link to "Prairie Dog Town" by Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers.

Colleen Smith gardens in and writes from a historic neighborhood in central Denver.

Her second book, "Laid-Back Skier," was just released in September 2011 and is available through FridayJonesPublishing.com or Amazon.com.

Her first novel, "Glass Halo," was a finalist for the 2010 Santa Fe Literary Prize.

Please feel free to post a comment here: I'd love to hear from you. ~ Colleen Smith

• Find Friday Jones Publishing on Facebook and "Like" our page.

• Follow FridayPublisher on Twitter. Wag your tale!

Why I Published My New Book: "Laid-Back Skier" When Books Are Going Downhill

2011-09-27T08:47:00.013-06:00

Yes, I've read all the abysmal news about the post-literate age and the demise of printed books. In fact, all those discouraging words served to inspire my new book"Laid-Back Skier: As In Skiing, So In Life."

Of course, snow skiing inspired me, too. As I carved turns, I began crafting this new book's text in my head. All the while, I envisioned a charming book in three-dimensions, with luscious eco-friendly paper pages and colorful illustrations between hard covers.

I'm trained as a writer, and I've made my living as a writer. Consequently, books are an integral part of my life. They have been since I was a wee one. In fact, in my baby book, my mother noted that "book" was one of my first spoken words. My mom told me I always loved to be read to; and she related more than once that whenever she tried to skip pages - turning more than one at a time to rush through a reading - I always busted her.

"Laid-Back Skier" is for people of all ages and not for skiers only.

I hope mothers and other adults will read "Laid-Back Skier" to their children or grandchildren. I intend this book for "skiers, riders and snowflakes of all ages." The vocabulary might include a few words kids won't know, but the book will provide an opportunity to learn. Besides, they'll be captivated by the playful pictures, anyway. For Friday Jones Publishing, Denver artist Patty Leidy did 38 original illustrations.

"Laid-Back Skier" will delight adults, too. I hope this book reminds adults of the tactile pleasure of sitting with a book, turning pages, relishing full-color illustrations reflecting the text, reading. Yes, reading! An actual book!

"Laid-Back Skier" is a quick and easy read with special features.

If you're like I am, reading is not as easy as it once was. We've created an ADD culture with head-spinning distractions bombarding us constantly. "Laid-Back Skier" takes that into consideration. Intentionally, I kept the text very simple with only one sentence per page in the body of the book. Just about anybody can read this book and recall the joyful accomplishment of reading a book cover to cover.

To add to the practicality of the book, I added a skier's journal and a skier's packing list.

"Laid-Back Skier" is my second brainchild brought into the world by Friday Jones Publishing, my independent publishing company. Last September, Friday Jones Publishing released my first novel, "Glass Halo." While the books' subject matter varies greatly, both books present artful design and attention to graphic details that make quality 3-D books worth preserving even in the 21st century.

"Laid-Back Skier" is available through FridayJonesPublishing.com and Amazon.com. Coming soon to a bookstore or boutique near you! Thank you for helping us wag this tale.

Architecture: Santa Barbara's New Airport Evokes Old Missions

2011-09-26T18:42:00.011-06:00

The old Santa Barbara airport terminal was probably my favorite in the United States. With arched windows, octagonal tower, wrought iron, and a red tile roof, the little old open-air airport charmed me and made me feel I was in another country--especially the baggage claim area--so I was sorry to see the old terminal go.

At top, Santa Barbara's old airport, September 2010.

But Santa Barbara's new airport terminal also includes appropriate, pleasing Spanish architectural charms, too. Riffing on the old Santa Barbara Mission at the heart of this splendid enclave on California's central coast, the new airport includes architectural elements from the centuries old Spanish churches. Outside, the white stucco rises to a peak reminiscent of a steeple. Inside, wood trusses are stenciled with colorful patterns that call to mind the handiwork in California's old missions. A cheerful palette of vividly glazed ceramic tiles jazz up the risers of stairways.

Above, Spanish tiles decorate stairways in the new Santa Barbara Airport.

As I checked my bags, when I lamented the loss of the quaint, old, stucco building, a man at the counter told me it would be preserved as a museum. I'm glad that idea got off the ground.

And, architecture aside, I'm glad to fly back to Denver from Santa Barbara, rather than LAX, which also happens to be currently under much needed renovation.

"LAID-BACK SKIER" is the second title by Friday Jones Publishing. Friday was my beloved dog and remains my muse. A three-legged shelter rescue dog with health issues her entire life, Friday was diagnosed with cancer at age six. In an intense, alternative medicine clinical trial, she lived to age 15.5 people years, exemplifing an indominable underdog spirit.

For more information, visit FridayJonesPubishing.com and see LAID-BACK SKIER tab. Wag your tale.

LAID-BACK SKIER: Ski Bunny Illustrations by Patty Leidy, a Facebook Friend

2011-09-14T22:16:00.013-06:00

Here's a link to a gallery of "Laid-Back Skier" illustrations by Patty Leidy - see her self-portrait at right.

Below, one of the earliest ski bunnies by Patty Leidy for "Laid-Back Skier."

And here's the tale wagging of how these ski bunnies came to be:

When I was preparing to publish my first novel, "Glass Halo," Jesse - one of the Friday Jones Players - opened a Facebook page for me. I was upset. I had railed against Facebook without really knowing what it was. "I don't have time for Facebook," I argued. "Besides which, I like my privacy."

Jesse gave me one of his sage young adult looks and said, "If you want to sell this book, you have to have a Facebook page," he said.

Jesse is wise, so I said "Okay." But I left the Facebook page dormant for months.

Until another Friday Jones Player, Josie, told me, "You really need to get into Facebook." Josie is wise, too, but I dug in my heels. "Things will happen on Facebook that you would never expect," Josie said.

So I jumped into the Facebook vortex. And how! I post regularly now, and I enjoy Facebook, I admit. Jesse was right: Facebook helped sell my "Glass Halo." My first novel reached readers I knew only through Facebook.

Moreoever, I met the illustrator for my second book - "Laid-Back Skier" - on Facebook. I'm not sure how Patty Leidy and I got connected, but I began noticing her "Cafe Neurotic" comics on Facebook. I loved Patty's style and the fact that she is a fan of bacon and cupcakes. Her gags made me smile and sometimes even LOL. Mostly, I admired Patty's artful drawing. Genius flows through the ink in her pen.

When I figured out that Patty lived in Denver, as do I, I messaged her about the possibility of commissioning her to do some drawings for the ski book I envisioned. Yes, she was interested!

At our first meeting, I explained my idea for "Laid-Back Skier." She showed me her sketchbooks: Moleskin books filled with doodles and drawings in a wide range of styles.

Patty and I began meeting at the coffee court outside Nordstrom in Cherry Creek North.We worked through some initial drawings, but Patty's first sketches of people--tho' expertly rendered--were not matching the playful spirit of what I had in mind for "Laid-Back Skier's" messages that apply to everybody's ups and downs.

One day, on the first of the month, I posted on Facebook one word "Rabbit." Saying "rabbit" on the first of the month is a common British superstition to bring good luck.

Patty saw my Facebook post and shot me a message of a single word: "Bunnies!"

"Ski bunnies!" I realized, would be perfect.

Patty hopped to and drew some initial bunnies to set the style. I knew we were on to something better than the humans. We met several times to collaborate on the bunnies, their fur color and eye color, their attire, equipment, actions, and the general gist of alpine landscapes. We created scenarios to illustrate the truisms I'd written to compare alpine skiing to life.

Along with ski bunnies, we added foxes, birds, and even a rare lynx. In the end, Patty completed 38 illustrations for "Laid-Back Skier." Each is adorable and expertly rendered with expressive faces, dimensional shadows, and creative coloring.

Here at Friday Jones Publishing, we all have our favorite illustration by Patty. The cumulative effect of the illustrations plus all the other elements of design and the truisms in "Laid-Back Skier" should bring a smile to reader's faces - even if they've never ever been on skis.

Which is the case with Patty Leidy, making her illustrations even more impressive.

Wag your tale, Patty Leidy!

And thank you Jesse and Josie for dragging me into Facebook. I'm red-in-the-face about my initial resistance.

P.S. To contact Patty Leidy about commissioning artworks, e-mail her at

Patricia Leidy hkit1@mindspring.com

LABORING: LABOR DAY WEEKEND 2011

2011-09-04T19:17:00.011-06:00

I'm laboring this Labor Day Weekend. I'd complain - particularly given glorious weather in Denver, Colorado this holiday weekend. I've been holed away in my basement sorting old papers to make way for my new books: "Laid -Back Skier: As In Skiing, So In Life."

Friday Jones Publishing expects the books delivered at the end of next week. As the book's author, creative director and publisher, I'll also serve as "Laid-Back Skier's" publicist.

Laboring as a writer, editor and art director involves paper. A lot of it. Even in the digital age, I keep on file thousands of photographs, back issues of magazines,

This sorting strikes deep chords of melancholy in me, attached as I am to personal correspondence, old calendars, ephemera of not only my lifetime, but also generations of my family. I'm sentimental.

And I just might qualify as a paper horder. I filled cardboard apple boxes with yellowed newspapers, dusty greeting cards, business cards. I happened upon a box belying a book I wanted to write when younger about the Los Angeles Lakers and their three-peat seasons. Now I know little or nothing about the NBA. At this age, I'm almost positive I will not get that book written, so with relief I heaved three year's worth of clippings from both The Denver Post and The Rocky Mountain News.

Letting go of some of this old job stuff feels good.

I'm laboring in my gardens this Labor Day Weekend, too, but yard work feels more like play.

I like to think of myself as a hard worker. I'm from a line of hard workers, and my farmer and immigrant genes kick in when it comes to work.

Jobs I've held, a partial list: babysitter, lifeguard & swimming instructor, restaurant worker, parks & rec camp leader, fitness trainer, college writing teacher, bartender, clothing store sales clerk, framer's apprentice, journalist, Avon lady, Pepsi factory worker, calligrapher, staff writer, editor, public relations director, media relations officer, assistant communications director, freelance writer, publisher, author, columnist, novelist, book/music reviewer, reporter, dining reviewer, florist's assistant, greenhouse worker, and probably some I've forgotten.

I did not love all these jobs, but each of them taught me something and added to my current skill set.

This first weekend of September, this unofficial last weekend of summer, Happy Labor Day weekend whether you labor or laze.

Friday Jones Publishing will release Colleen Smith's new book LAID-BACK SKIER: AS IN SKIING, SO IN LIFE later this month. The book is a labor of love.

LAID-BACK SKIER: How the book idea began on Colorado's ski slopes

2011-09-02T08:44:00.010-06:00

COLORADO COLLEEN ~ ALPINE SKIING demands one to be in the now with pretty much every potentially perilous turn. Part of the appeal of skiing lies in the sport's ability to focus the mind and body, and, in turn, the spirit.

Illustration by Patty Leidy for Friday Jones Pubishing. One of 38 original drawings for "Laid-Back Skier."

When I ski - especially on challenging terrain - I tend to think almost exclusively about what I'm doing. I consider my line, my turns, my form. I look for fresh snow, obstacles, other skiers. My awareness is attuned to the mountain and myself on the mountain.

If I start fretting about deadlines or bills or household tasks, I might fall and seriously injure myself. When I ski, my interior dialogue deals with skiing. On black diamond runs, I'm frequently coaching myself, consoling myself, sometimes bolstering my confidence.

Which is how I happened to begin creating short ski mantras for myself. The first was "Lead with your heart." Alpine skiers seek good posture with a lifted chest and no bend in the waist. Lead with your heart, I reminded myself while making runs down the mountain. Lead with your heart. Good advice for life in general, I realized.

And eventually I collected in my mind several ski mantras: "Stay focused." "Don't hold your breath." "Face your fear."

I added language from ski resort signs: "Respect others." "Know the code."

Skiing provides a metaphor for life's ups and downs. I began adding the preface, "As in skiing, so in life" to my ski mantras. Soon I had a string of these sayings and discovered I had the bones of a fun book about skiing.

As in skiing, so in life, sometimes we encounter bumps. That was true along the way with my new book; but I copies of "Laid-Back Skier: As In Skiing, So In Life" were delivered yesterday - just in time to get introduce this lighthearted volume before ski season opens again.

As in skiing, so in publishing: Expect ups and downs. Here I go, wagging my ski tales, trying to stay balanced, and hoping to enjoy the ride. Whee!

For more information, visit FridayJonesPubishing.com and see LAID-BACK SKIER tab. Wag your tale.

What Katrina taught us about Irene: Hurricane Lessons

2011-08-28T08:13:00.006-06:00

I passed nine glorious days on the Eastern Seaboard two weeks ago, before Hurricane Irene showed up at the shore.

Pictured at left, Margate, Absecon Island, New Jersey Shore, August 2011

Currently, my host, John Becher, D.O. remains on Absecon Island, otherwise Irene evacuated save emergency medical personnel and about 130 patients in AtlantaCare Hospital in Atlantic City. Dr. Becher runs the Emergency Room.

He also serves as a trustee of the American Osteopathic Association. Dr. Becher and I both participated in an AOA board-sponsored mission of mercy in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Dr. Becher doctored in a free clinic. I hung sheet rock and also took the initiative to plant a garden at the home I worked at in St. Bernard Parish. I reported on my hurricane relief experience for The Denver Post and also my Denver Flower and Garden Examiner page, linked here.

Dr. Becher and his wife, his fellow AOA board memeber and my sweetheart Joel Cooperman, D.O. have experienced two hurricanes together. One in Florida, where we were gathered for an AOA convention. And another on Absecon Island, where the Becher's have a house in Margate.

That hurricane two summers ago was nothing like Irene. In fact, we body-surfed the righteous waves the day after the storm swept the island.

Irene is not so gentle. The storm stirs emotions in me, mindful of the devastation in NOLA even three years after the hurricane. The silver lining to this hurricane cloud? Hurricane Katrina taught us to beware Hurricane Irene. Here are a few ways we seem to be better responding to hurricane warnings:

Evacuate! Dr. Becher noted that the mayor of Cape May went door-to-door with indelible markers urging people to write their social security numbers on their forearms so officials could identify their bodies when found.

Do not put emergency workers in harms way for the sake of people who refused to evacuate. First responders won't be shoved out into the storm to rescue until storm intensity weakens: That's a message many municipalities proclaimed.

• Include people who are indigent. Dr. Becher noted that people who are homeless were evacuated by bus to schools on the mainland. I salute the justice in providing for people in need in emergency situations and hope similar arrangements were made elsewhere for indigent people in the path of Irene.

• Plan for pets. The ASPCA and other animal well being organizations dispensed information reminding people to make plans for pets. After Katrina, thousands of displaced pets added to the utter misery of the aftermath. In fact, I packed dog treats when I went to New Orleans. At the time, three years after Katrina, I saw one report that as many as 50,000 dogs and cats were still displaced. Allowing pets into shelters makes it easier for people to evacuate their homes.

Colleen Smith writes from central Denver.
Her first novel, "Glass Halo," was a finalist for the 2010 Santa Fe Literary Prize.

Her second book, "Laid-Back Skier: As In Skiing, So In Lifw" will be released in fall 2011.
• To learn more, visit FridayJonesPublishing.com or GlassHaloNovel.com. Post a comment on the blog; we'd love to hear from you.
• Visit Friday Jones Publishing on Facebook and "Like" our page.
• Follow FridayPublisher on Twitter.

Wag your tale!

WORDS TO LIVE BY: Preface from Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass"

2011-07-04T07:22:00.003-06:00

"This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body."

~ "This is what you shall do..." by Walt Whitman, from the preface of Leaves of Grass. Public domain.

Photo by Quincy Benton for Friday Jones Publishing

BLUESTOCKING BLUES: Is My New Book A Mistake?

2011-06-06T09:08:00.007-06:00

I hope I did not make a bad business decision by publishing another book--"LAID-BACK SKIER"--this September. I'm talking about an actual book, in three-dimensions, not an e-book, which seems to be the trend for people who buy and read books.

An e-book might have made more sense: It certainly would have cost a lot less money to publish electronically.

Illustration by Patty Leidy for Friday Jones Publishing.

But I don't want real books to go down on my watch. I want to be a friend of the book--my longtime companion in bathtubs and beds, on beaches and airplanes. For take-off and landing, federal aviation requirements never require passengers to turn off a real book. And for actual books, there is no power source necessary, aside from the ability to turn a literal page.

I'm plugged in and wired, too, and all for e-books, as well, in certain situtions. But electronic reading, no question, is a different experience. I hear owners of Kindles and Nooks and other e-readers rave. I myself have no desire for another gadget that requires a power cord. At least not yet.

"Laid-Back Skier" is a beautiful book to hold and behold--if I'm allowed to say so myself. With sumptuous yet eco-friendly paper and almost 40 full-color illustrations, "Laid-Back Skier" even includes a printed book plate with the Latin phrase "Ex Libris" (From the Library).

But "Laid-Back Skier" does not require much reading: The book's main section includes only one sentence per two-page spread. This was intentional: Like many wired people, I find myself struggling to read. My attention span shrunk when I dove deeper into the digital age defined by abbreviations, acronyms and 140-character Tweets. With "Laid-Back Skier," readers revive the pleasure of reading an actual book, cover to cover. I envision adults reading "Laid-Back Skier" to kids unable to read for themselves. Everybody will enjoy the illustrations by Denver artist Patty Leidy.

"Laid-Back Skier" celebrates the art of the book. With a colorful, satiny cover, artful design, textural paper, and even an unusual format with the spine on the top of the book rather than the left side, "Laid-Back Skier" delivers information, entertainment, practical help in print--a skier's journal and a skier's packing list. "Laid-Back Skier" is a sensual experience, a labor of love, an ideal gift book "for skiers, riders, and snowflakes of all ages."

More information about "Laid-Back Skier" can be found at FridayJonesPublishing.com.

Wag your tale.

MAY DAY! MAY DAY! Happy Birthday, Friday Jones & Other Festivals Celebrated May 1

2011-05-01T00:27:00.005-06:00

When I adopted Friday Jones as a puppy sheltered at Denver Dumb Friends League, I had no idea of her birthday. I guesstimated and chose 1 May because May Basket Day was big in my neck o' the childhood woods.

We celebrated May Basket Day by making little baskets--often of paper--and filling them with popcorn and gumdrops and maybe a twig from a blossoming tree.

Photo by Morgan Huston for Friday Jones Publishing ~ Cheery cherry blossoms on the tree at Friday Jones Publishing house

We exchanged May Baskets with schoolmates or left them on the neighbors' doorstep, rang the bell and ran away, leaving our anonymous gift to celebrate sweet spring.

Today's installment of Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac reports a laundry list of other holidays celebrated on May 1, including the following: In pre-Christian Rome it was the time of the festival of Flora, the goddess of flowers. In medieval England, people gathered flowers to 'bring in the May' and erected a maypole bedecked with garlands. It's also the date of Beltane, a Celtic calendar festival celebrating the start of summer. Beltane was known for its bonfires, and has been revived by neo-pagans all over the world as a major religious holiday. In Germany, May 1st was the date of a pagan festival that was assimilated by the Christians and turned into the feast day of St. Walpurgis. The night before -- Walpurgisnacht -- is still celebrated in parts of rural Germany as a kind of Valentine's Day, with the delivery of a tree, wrapped in streamers, to one's beloved. It's also a day to celebrate Hawaiian history and culture, and it's known as Lei Day in Hawaii."

All these holidays lead me to believe that May Day was the ideal day to mark the birth of my late great muse, Friday Jones.

For more about Friday Jones, "Like" Friday Jones Publishing on Facebook or visit FridayJonesPublishing.com.

Our tagline: WAG YOUR TALE. Happy birthday, Friday Jones. And Happy May Day, all.

Drop By My Virtual Garden on Examiner.com: I'm Denver Flower & Garden Examiner

2011-04-19T18:17:00.005-06:00

Do you have a green thumb or a thumbs down when it comes to plants? Either way, I invite you to drop by my virtual garden on Examiner.com.

I'm finishing up my second year as Denver Flower and Garden Examiner, and it's a position I enjoy growing with. I'm happy to pass along information gleaned as a garden writer since 1995. And I learn as I go: Gardening is a deep subject!

On my page, you'll find posts about the following:

• Plants • Garden Animals • Garden Art • Landscaping Tips • Eco-friendly Ideas • Literary Garden Quotes/Poems • Plant-based products • Recipes • Garden Books • Garden Events & More.

• Hundreds of helpful posts, gorgeous garden photography and graphic design.

Visit my virtual garden by clicking here.

IMAGE: A garden of Earthy delights designed by William Morris

Irish Movies: The Emerald Isle And The Silver Screen

2011-03-16T18:12:00.007-06:00

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day and the creative spirit of Ireland with an Irish film. Try these lesser known gems related to the Emerald Isle:

In America: An Irish immigrant family learns to adjust to live in the U.S. Written and directed by Jim Sheridan in 2003. A devastatingly powerful film. Watch trailer at this link.

The Field: The legendary Irish attachment to land provides the motivation for this dark picture in which an American businessman (Tom Berenger) clashes with an Irish farmer (Richard Harris). Rated PG, some violence and profanity.

The Secret of Roan Inish: This beguiling folk tale blends realism, myth, family legend and the Irish art of storytelling. Set on Ireland’s coast, this mystical movie includes a boy in peril, as well as a wee bit of profanity, resulting in a PG rating.

Catholics: In this twist on liturgical reform, Martin Sheen plays a papal representative who travels to Ireland to conform Catholic priests to “new” Church teachings. Also starring Trevor Howard as a rebellious Irish abbot.

Da: When an Irish-American playwright (Martin Sheen) returns to Ireland to bury his father, he relives a bittersweet past that includes Catholic family and an anticlerical dog. Touching but unsentimental Irish irony and humor.

The Dead: John Huston directed this elegant 1987 adaptation of James Joyce’s short story, but died before the film’s release. The cast includes Huston’s daughter, Anjelica Huston.

St. Patrick Photo + + + The Crosiers/Gene Plaistead, OSC

Author's Note: My first novel, "Glass Halo," centers around a stained glass artist of Irish descent. See below for more information. Happy Saint Patrick's Day from Colleen Smith.

Colleen Smith’s debut novel Glass Halo, set in Denver, was a finalist for the Santa Fe Literary Prize and was praised in the latest issue of The Bloomsbury Review. The novel is available online and through your favorite bookstore.

To learn more:

• FridayJonesPublishing.com

• GlassHaloNovel.com

• Become a friend on Facebook, or follow FridayPublisher on Twitter.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day from Colleen to you and those you love

2011-03-16T13:31:00.008-06:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm a Colleen, with an uppercase "C"-- if not a colleen--with a lowercase "c," the Irish word for a young girl. I'm not so young anymore, though I'm still half-Irish, descended from generations of Irish farmers on my Da's side.

Since I began as a writer in my youth, I appreciated my connection to the Irish tradition of storytelling and the magnificently colorful contributions to literature from the little Emerald Isle.

My next novel, ONLY WILD PLUMS, presents a quirky Irish family, the Larkins. The novel includes chapters from various character's points-of-view, always emphasizing the power of memory and also the fact that each of us has a story.

Gathered here to celebrate the "great day for the Irish" are some links to pieces I've published about Irishmen and women, or Irish subject matter:

David Whyte’s nonprosaic world (An interview with this Irish-English poet in The Denver Post)

A talker most literate: Dubliner’s candid writings celebrated a culture’s melancholy and joys

(An interview with the late Irish writer Nuala O'Faolain in The Denver Post)

John O’Donohue’s Blessing for Your Work

Going Green: Preparing for Saint Patrick’s Day (From my Denver Flower and Garden Examiner page)

Irish Arts and Culture

17 Questions about Irish Arts for St. Patrick’s Day (A multiple choice quiz.)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

All About Shamrocks

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to you and all those you love.

"...May the wind be always at your back..."

~ Colleen Smith

John O'Donohue's Irish Blessing for Your Work

2011-03-15T12:02:00.005-06:00

Here's a beautiful blessing by the late John O'Donohue, a prelude to St. Patrick's Day:

May the light of your soul guide you.

May the light of your soul bless the work you do with the secret love and warmth of your heart.

May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul.

May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light, and renewal to those who work with you and to those who see and receive your work.

May your work never weary you.

May it release within you wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration, and excitement.

May you be present in what you do.

May you never become lost in the bland absences.

May the day never burden.

May dawn find you awake and alert, approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities, and promises.

May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.

May you go into the night blessed, sheltered, and protected.

May your soul calm, console, and renew you.

~ John O'Donohue, Anam Cara

Denver Book Babes Sponsor Opening Night Film for International Women's Festival

2011-03-08T08:49:00.003-07:00

I'm honored to belong to a rollicking book club made up of wonderful, entrepreneurial, hilarious Denver women known as Book Babes. The book club established in Denver in 1987, is sponsoring the Opening Night film for Women+Film Voices, Denver Film Society’s six-day film festival. Opening March 8 and running through March 13, 2011, the film festival celebrates the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day.

The Book Babes will sponsor Miss Representation, directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, one of many films—both documentaries and feature films. The festival also will include salons, and in-person guests focused on thought-provoking, inspirational stories of women from around the world.

Two members of Book Babes—Joanne Katz, and Lu Law—serve as Denver Film Society board members. A third Book Babe, Terri Garbarini, also is sponsoring another film through her Cherry Creek North namesake women’s fashion boutique, Garbarini.

Book Babes includes the following members:

• Meredith Carson: Works at the Denver Performing Arts Complex and serves as a music DJ Friday mornings on KGNU, 88.5 FM, 1390 AM. Meredith reads some of the books some of the time.

• Susan Erlich: LoDo Pioneer, Generalist.

• Terri Garbarini: Owner, Garbarini, a woman’s fashion boutique.

• Lee Goodfriend: Co-owner of Racines and Dixons Downtown Grill restaurants.

• Mimi Kaupe: Book Babes’ founder and an in absentia member in good standing, is a costume designer.

• Joanne Katz: Denver Film Society board member, owner of Three Tomatoes Catering, Cowtown Barbeque Catering , and Three Tomatoes Steakhouse & Club at Fossil Trace.

• Lu Law: Denver Films Society board member and designer extraordinaire.

• Jennifer Macy, Esquire.

• Karen Means Moore: Owner of Djuna, an interior design/home furnishings store, and also Pilates Evolution, an SPX Fitness studio.

• Karen Roehl: An Abstract Expressionist painter with a studio at the Dry Ice Factory in RiNo.

• Carol Simpson: Owner, Fine Gardens landscaping.

• Me, Colleen Smith: Author of the acclaimed novel “Glass Halo,” founder of Friday Jones Publishing, freelance writer & graphic art director.

• Alice Sperling: Mostly retired from the P.R. business in Denver, and living happily-ever-after in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

• Deborah Williams: Miss Chief at Design and Image Communications. Deborah--to her credit--reads most of the books most of the time. For the occasion, Design and Image Communications created a new Book Babes logo, shown above.

National Read Across America Day Here At Friday Jones Publishing House

2011-03-02T20:58:00.005-07:00

It's never to early to read to children. Or too late.

Happy Read Across America day!

My baby book indicates that one of my first spoken words was"book." Half a century later, I still give lip service to books. As a publisher, an author, a journalist, a ghost writer, a copy writer, and, of late, a blogger, Tweeter, Examiner, and Facebook aficianado, and moreover a reader, I bow to the written word.

Photo by Quincy Benton for Friday Jones Publishing

The image shows a volume from a set of books that enchanted my childhood. These books brought to bear an enormous influence on my creation of the design for "Glass Halo," my first novel.

When I began visualizing the art direction for my first novel, "Glass Halo," the book took shape in my mind's eye with strong influences from the Arts & Crafts Era. In particular, book designs by William Morris stood out for me. As I formulated my own ideal cover and page layouts, I researched artful books of the bygone era because I saw a similar passage: Just as the Arts & Crafts Movement responded to the Industrial Revolution, I responded to the digital age.

At Friday Jones Publishing, books are held in esteem. Our books bear the imprint of joy in the work.

Here's a link to the Presidential Proclamation on Read Across America day, from which I pulled this excerpt:

"Hidden in the pages of books are extraordinary worlds and characters that can spark creativity and imagination, and unlock the potential that lies within each of our children. Reading is the foundation upon which all other learning is built, and on Read Across America Day, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting America's next generation of great readers."

It's never to early to read to children. Or too late.

Cultivate citrus fruit trees in containers indoors and/or outdoors

2011-02-03T00:27:00.010-07:00

• On Monday night, I returned to Denver from Phoenix, coming from the desert to the deep-freeze.

Citrus fruits helped me make the drastic transition. I picked fragrant juicy oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, tangelos and tangerines from the backyard grove planted about 30 years ago by my sweetheart’s Uncle Jack. Juicy and flavorful, these Paradise Valley fruits tasted far better than any I buy in Denver. This citrus tasted as if the fruit had actual sunshine contained within every cell. Just peeling them released zest enough to scent a room. The taste on the tongue? Indescribably intense.

In aromatherapy, citrus scents stimulate joy.

I tasted happiness, indeed, wandering through branches laden with vividly colorful fruits against the blue desert skies.

“The longer they stay on the tree, the juicier and sweeter they get,” Uncle Jack explained.

Fortunately, I had packed relatively lightly. My suitcase weighed exactly 50 bounds when I put the large grocery sack of citrus fruit into my luggage. The fruits helped me make a transition from the warm desert to the Mile High City’s record low temperatures.

My indoor citrus grove: 2 limes, 1 lemon

Back home in Denver, near the French doors, three potted citrus plants bear blooms and fruits. Two ‘Bearss’ limes and a Meyer lemon are in their third winter indoors. They prefer the hot, full sun patio in my secret garden in summer. But inside, they add an element of the exotic. The flowers are beautiful and perfumed. The fruits come in handy for mixing up a shaker of lemon drop martinis or a bowl of guacamole or other dishes calling for lemons or limes.

• Here's a story I wrote for The Denver Post: "Pucker up and enjoy citrus delights"

• Here's an entry I wrote for my Examiner.com garden page: Grow citrus in pots

• And another Examiner.com entry: "Potted lime will sweeten your garden and home"

• Fresh citrus can act as a natural air-freshener, but for when you don't have the real thing on hand, try Watkins Lemon Citrus concentrated, non-aerosol room spray. Watkins has other lemon products, too, including a hand salve ideal for green thumbs. To support local Denver distributors at www.watkinsonline.com/windler and, if you will, tell them Colleen sent you.

Citrus have the juice. And you can even feast your eyes by piling vivid orange and green and yellow fruits piled in a bowl as an appealing centerpiece, too. Vitamin See for the soul.

Colleen Smith’s debut novel Glass Halo, set in Denver, was a finalist for the Santa Fe Literary Prize and was praised in The Bloomsbury Review. The novel is available online and through your favorite bookstore.

To learn more, visit FridayJonesPublishing.com and GlassHaloNovel.com, become a friend on Facebook, or follow FridayPublisher on Twitter.

Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix: Noteworthy

2011-01-31T08:29:00.005-07:00

The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ struck a chord with me. Many chords, actually. A music-lover—though not, regrettably, a musician—I found the MIM one of the most amazing museums I’ve ever visited. The MIM combines geography, history, anthropology and musicology--and you even get to try your hand at playing some of the world's most exotic instruments.

The main attraction, of course, is the collection of musical instruments from around the globe. The MIM houses exotic instruments you’ve probably never heard or seen before: Imagine drums with heads of python skin. Some instruments are primitive and dusty, made of plant material; and some are sophisticated and shiny, made of precious metals. The instruments are as sophisticated as a Steinway piano and as crude as a rattle made of a bull scrotum.

Upon purchase of your ticket, you’ll receive a headset and a sensor that allows you to wander about the MIM without fumbling with buttons or dials. Just approach any of the dozens of screens, and your audio automatically synchs with the video.

"The most extraordinary museum you'll ever hear."

The MIM’s tagline—“Music is the language of the world”—sets the tone for a global educational excursion. Traveling through the MIM by continent and nation, you’ll find colorful instruments of every kind, ancient and contemporary. The video screens display musicians playing various instruments from their native country, sometimes solo, sometimes in ensemble, sometimes instrumental music only, sometimes with vocals.

Save time for the galleries on the ground floor:

• The Experience Room allows visitors to try their hand at harps, gongs, drums, keyboards, percussion instruments and a variety of other music-makers.

• Another gallery shows off a collection of automated music machine: Victrolas and player pianos, Nickolodeans and

• The Artist Gallery features various performers, including Paul Simon and Eric Clapton. The Family Center.

• Another gallery includes a number of “juke boxes” for visitors to step into, crank up the sound and even have a go at mixing music.

• The Family Room provides a respite spot for youngsters. Complete with colorful, kid-sized tables and chairs, the Family Room also includes books and educational toys such as globes and world maps or puzzles. There’s a family restroom and even a Nursing Room.

Also on the ground floor, a beautiful piano invites musicians to tickle the ivories for the enjoyment of other guests. On my second visit, a young man, probably high school aged, wearing a gray t-shirt, blue jeans, and an orange baseball ap on backwards, sat down and played impressively for a good half hour. After he left, the piano seemed particularly silent. About 10 minutes later, a pair of kids walked up and banged on the keyboard until a woman I assumed to be their grandmother sat down to play Chopsticks.

Tony Bennett called the MIM “my favorite museum in the world.”

The MIM itself is a harmonious building with expansive spaces, soaring ceilings, lots of natural light and architectural highlights. Art from around the world adorns the museum. Concert halls showcase visiting musicians. Outside, benches welcome moments of repose; and those who listen will hear the music of the water features.

To learn more, visit FridayJonesPublishing.com and GlassHaloNovel.com, become a friend on Facebook, or follow FridayPublisher on Twitter.

Wag your tale.

Julian of Norwich's Hometown Reads As Literary Utopia

2011-01-24T01:13:00.012-07:00

"All shall be well and all shall be well

and all manner of things

shall be well."

-- Julian of Norwich

The above quote has been my trusting in troubled times mantra for the last few years. The optimism appeals to me, as does the simplicity and repetition of Julian's statement. A mystic, Julian of Norwich wrote "Revelations of Divine Love," started in 1373 and frequently cited as the first English-language book published by a woman. Julian, despite her claims of being "unlettered," was one of the first bluestockings.

Julian of Norwich, pictured with a cat, in this icon.

In the Travel section of today's New York Times, Rachel B. Doyle reported on the literary tradition alive and well in Julian's hometown of Norwich: "Where Writers, and Readers, Feel at Home."

A medieval town located two hours from London, 31 medieval churches still stand. Many now serve as houses of word worshippers, settings for readings, salons, and writing classes, Doyle reported. The reporter also revealed that Julian, , an anchoress (religious hermit) "was likely bricked up inside a small stone cell during her 40-odd-years of monastic life."

The contemporary writer demonstrates a sense of humor about the ancient writer. "Julian's manuscript survived for almost three centuries in the care of nuns before it was finally published in 1670. Compared with what Julian of Norwich experienced, the long waits of modern writers trying to find a publisher can seem almost reasonable."

Other high points of Doyle's feature:

• Last year, 1.5 million visitors dropped by the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library.

• Across the street from the modern library, in a medieval church, the 17th-century writer/physician Sir Thomas Browne is buried.

• "An artist inscribed the entire text of Sir Thomas More's "Utopia"--written in 1516--on an old brick building.

Sounds like a town where people know how to wag their tales. I want to go!

COLLEEN SMITH’s debut novel Glass Halo, set in Denver, was a finalist for the Santa Fe Literary Prize and was praised in the latest issue of The Bloomsbury Review. The novel is available online and through your favorite bookstore.

To learn more, visit FridayJonesPublishing.com and GlassHaloNovel.com, become a friend on Facebook, or follow FridayPublisher on Twitter.

•

Fare Thee Well, Tom Walker, The Denver Post Books Editor: A tribute & hub page of my Post books pieces

2011-01-19T10:39:00.013-07:00

I just got the sad news that today is the last day in the newsroom for Tom Walker, my Books editor at The Denver Post for many years.

Tom Walker was a prince of an editor. Fare thee well, Tom.

Originally from Louisiana, Tom plied his journalistic trade at The Denver Post for decades. A consummate professional, he had an office lined with bookshelves, and his job was to read. And, of course, to report on reading and books. As an editor, he had a light hand and never made many changes to my copy, but caught my mistakes and corrected them.

The Denver Post recently changed the Books format, reducing the pages from four to two, with additional Books coverage folded into A&E pages. I'll miss Tom's Books section, but moreover his professional presence--even though we mostly communicated via e-mail messages.

Fare thee well, Tom! Good luck with your golf game. And thank you for all the stories we collaborated on over recent years. You were a prince of an editor!

Here's a partial list of stories I published in The Denver Post Books section under the editorship of Tom Walker:

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love"

Garrison Keillor: "Red-footed humorist"

Jamaica Kincaid on her gardens

"David Whyte's nonprosaic world"

Temple Grandin's on her book "Animals Make Us Human"

"Publisher! Publisher!" (The backstory of founding Friday Jones Publishing)

Nick Bantock, author of Griffin & Sabine series

"The art of books unbound" ("Architexture" exhibit at Museum of Outdoor Arts)

"Authors go it alone in new literary landscape"

Denver Botanic Gardens' library

Denver Public Library special collections

"A passion that speaks volumes" (Antique & collectible books)

Bloomsbury Review's 30th anniversary

I'm sure I'll find more stories on which Tom and I collaborated as editor and writer; and I'll add them as I find them.

I miss you already, Tom.

COLORADO COLLEEN: The coyote I did not see, the bald eagle I did

2011-01-03T16:24:00.004-07:00

Today while taking a winter walk on the plains east of Denver, in Cherry Creek Lake Park, I watched my step as I made my way along the snowy, icy path. I had just looked up for a few steps and thought to myself, "I'm missing the mountains! I'm missing the views of the mountains because I am so concerned about watching my step."

Image shows frozen Shop Creek watershed at Cherry Creek Lake Park near Denver, Colorado.

I fell on the ice earlier this year. I was making the maiden voyage in my new snow boots when I stepped off the curb and went BOOM! I'm beginning to understand the old saying about how the older one gets, the scarier ice gets. Fortunately, I was not hurt, but it slowed me down a bit, make me more tentative on icy paths.

When I looked up again, I saw a man walking my way in the expansive park. He, too, had bundled up against the cold. He, too, looked relieved to get outside, stretch the legs, feel the fresh air and sunshine. As we neared one another, his grin widened. "Did you see the coyote?" he asked.

"Coyote?" I looked around, eager to spot the wily one. Disappointed I had missed the wildlife moment.

"He just crossed the path," the man said. "He was heading over to that watershed."

I explained to the man that I'd been too busy watching my step, careful not to slip on the snow and ice.

As we parted company, I looked around, realizing that the coyote did not have to let me see him if he did not want to: There was plenty of camouflaging cover.

But for the remainder of my walk, I tried to look up as well as down. I have seen coyotes at Cherry Creek State Park. Once, I saw a trio of them out on the ice not far from the edge of the woods. Once, I happened upon a bloody deer carcass, snags of pelt, bones upon the snow. I have heard the coyotes calling in the evening.

And on the return trip today, looking down and looking up, I did spot a bald eagle perched in a tree. As I walked gingerly along the path, I kept my eye on him, and did not miss the moment when he left that tall tree to soar off into the distance, my head up as I tracked him winging across the winter sky.

COLORADO COLLEEN: Check my essay on skiing in The Denver Post

2010-12-29T16:10:00.005-07:00

If you are or were an alpine skier--or rider--you'll appreciate the sentiments.

If you're not, you'll better understand why we skiers risk life and limb, endure traffic jams, and potentially suffer frostbite--all at a pretty penny.

That's me after a long day on the slopes at Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, last season. Pardon my helmet hair.

The Denver Post published "Skiing: An elevated state" Monday.

That's me after a long day on the slopes at Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, last season.

25 Christmas quotes: Join us at Friday Jones Publishing on Facebook

2010-12-24T08:45:00.005-07:00

To celebrate the season and

to offer succor to anybody suffering Christmas blues, I'm posting 25 Christmas quotes and uplifting images on Friday Jones Publishing's Facebook page today.

I hope you will join us there.

Merry Christmas!

Photo courtesy of James Baca

Winter Solstice, full lunar eclipse: Rare celestial event coming soon to sky near you

2010-12-19T20:01:00.007-07:00

Leroy Leonard is the most accomplished amateur astronomer I know, and he's also able to articulate astrophysics to help the rest of us grasp what he understands. Here, Leroy offers his insights to this Winter Solstice full lunar eclipse:

"Hey Colleen! Let’s see, lunar eclipses occur about twice a year. That means that, statistically, any given day in the year – including the winter solstice - has about a 1/182.5 chance of hosting one. OK, the average life expectancy for someone born in 2010 is 67 years. That is a tad over 1/3 the possibility of lunar eclipses on a given day in one year. So, this eclipse is about a once-in-three-life-times event. Another way to put it is to say, that if you want to see a lunar eclipse on the Winter Solstice, you’d better do it this time because, from a statistical stand point, you’d have to be reincarnated three times to have another shot at it! (Please don’t argue that the actual moment of solstice happens the several hours after the eclipse. I think this one counts.)

To help you not miss it, here is the schedule: Eclipse begins Monday Dec 20 at 11:32 p.m. MST Totality begins 12:40 a.m. MST Mid Eclipse 1:17 a.m. MST Totality ends 1:53 a.m. MST Eclipse ends 3:01 a.m. MST."

Thanks, Leroy. I'll set my alarm clock!

Christmas angels' hand-painted glory in Munich Glass

2010-12-19T09:16:00.004-07:00

"It came upon a midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold."

Christmas angels--notice the star at lower left--in Munich glass window at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Denver, Colorado. The cathedral, also designated a basilica, inspired the setting for the newly released, critically acclaimed novel "Glass Halo" by Colleen Smith.

Photo courtesy of James Baca

Christmas nostalgia: "Bring joy to your heart"

2010-12-18T19:18:00.002-07:00

This Christmas,

bring joy to your heart."

Christmas nostalgia

2010-12-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

2010-12-17T21:48:00.001-07:00

CD REVIEW: "Love Is Strange" ~ Jackson Browne & David Lindley

2010-12-16T17:41:00.003-07:00

“Love is strange": That's an understatement, and also the title of the 2-CD fiesta of acoustic, eclectic, mostly Jackson Browne songs recorded live in Spain.

Love is strange, yet no more so than David Lindley--the man Browne calls “a longtime friend and compatriot” and also “maestro.” Lindley is strange in terms of unabashed quirkiness: runaway sideburns, loud polyester shirts, epic tales of headcheese, cheesy references to “Elvis,” and oddball self-portrait caricatures on his website.

Mr. Dave also is strange in the sense of the hermit, as Browne explains in his entertaining liner notes describing “stalking the wild Lindley.”

Best known as a featured accompanist for Browne, Lindley’s string theory also backed Warren Zevon, Rod Steward, Ry Cooder, Linda Rondstadt, Aaron Neville, Dolly Parton, Emmy Lou Harris, Dan Fogelberg, John Prine, America, Bread, Shawn Colvin, Karla Bonoff, The Bangles, Bonnie Kolac, James Taylor, Leo Sayer, Marshall Crenshaw, Crosby, Stills, Nash and others.

Lindley performed on Browne’s albums from “For Everyman” (1973) to “I’m Alive” (1996) and joined the tour again last year. Lindley’s strings add more than historical tones to old songs such as “For Everyman” and “Call It A Loan.” His twangs and twists make these old songs new again.

Browne has polished his vocals against four decades of performing. His sometimes gravely delivery sounds authentically melancholic. Browne gets a bit bluesy, but does not stretch for high “Disco Apocalypse” notes of his days of yore.

Lindley, however, does. Mr. Dave’s startling clear falsetto is fully intact on “Stay.”

Along with classics from Browne’s canon, “Love is Strange” includes songs by Lindley and others. Fringe fans might find themselves annoyed at rambling introductions in Browne’s “Espanol di California” and Barcelonian lisp. A couple of Browne’s songs are covered by friends who are popular recording artists native to Spain, where cuts were taped live at five gigs.

Initially, I was disappointed that instead of Browne, a woman I’ve never heard of sings “These Days.” But Luz Casal’s charming accent—particularly the way she says, before the song, “Hey, Yackson”—won me over, and Lindley’s fiddle licks transform the existential heft of this classic. Following the last lyric- “Don’t confront me with my failures; I have not forgotten them”--Lindley tickles a jaunty fiddle riff that leaves listeners more uplifted than the original track did.

In the end, I found myself wishing Casal had added backup vocals in the tradition of Rosemary Butler.

I applaud exotic notes added by Celtic whistle, Hawaiian guitar, cajon, bouzouki and banduria. And given Browne’s international scope, the cross-cultural collaboration seems perfectly appropriate.

Crank it up and imagine the players performing in casa. One of the best aspects is hearing the tuning, and the bandmaster’s directions such as—on “Your Bright Baby Blues”—when Browne says, “No, it’s you; it’s you; it’s you, David.”

Love is strange; and love is gracious, too. Jackson Browne generously shares his secured limelight with some Spanish peers; and the amigos pull off this transcontinental musical summit with simpatico and aplomb.

Bueno!

Colleen Smith’s critically acclaimed first novel, “Glass Halo,” is available at bookstores, Amazon.com and GlassHaloNovel.com. The novel was selected from among 448 entries as a finalist for the Sante Fe Literary Prize.

THE WRITTEN WORD: Raymond Carver & Barry Hannah

2010-12-06T13:04:00.004-07:00

Yesterday's New York Times Book Review--the holiday edition--weighed in at a splendid 68 pages. Near the back of the book, on "Paperback Row," a brief item noted that "Raymond Carver: A Writer's Life" now is available in paperback.

Also yesterday, in The Denver Post, William Porter's piece about Barry Hannah caught my eye. Titled, "A rogue's gallery of the south," Porter's story reviewed "Long, Last, Happy, New, and Selected Stories."

Both writers struggled with alcoholism. Both writers reportedly struggled with their relationships with women.

And both writers were on the Iowa Writers' Workshop scene--still drinkers, then--when I was a student at the University of Iowa.

I remember Raymond Carver reading his story "Feathers"--a hilarious yet sad story typical of his ouvre.

Stephen King originally reviewed the Carver bio for the Book Review and dubbed the book "meticulous and heartbreaking" and "a welcome and necessary corrective." The Book Review went on to include the biography by Carol Sklenicka in their list of the 10 Best Books of 2009.

For regular posts on books--and also dogs, art, gardens and more--join us on Friday Jones Publishing's Facebook page.

Wag your tale.

To learn more, visit FridayJonesPublishing.com and GlassHaloNovel.com, become a friend on Facebook, or follow FridayPublisher on Twitter.

THE WRITTEN WORD: Encounter With a Young Writer After My Book-Signing Yesterday

2010-12-05T07:31:00.010-07:00

Yesterday, after a book-signing I did at the invitation of a local bookstore, a young woman approached me. She was petite, pale, brunette. She wore a canvas messenger bag across her torso, and clutched some notebooks as if they were her child. We were at Fireside Books & Coffee in Englewood, Colorado.

In the photo, "Glass Halo"--my first novel--enjoys a prominent place at Fireside Books & Coffee in Englewood, Colorado.

“So you own a publishing company now,” the young woman said, a statement not a question.

"Friday Jones Publishing," I said, trying to peek at messages on my iPhone.

“That’s pretty cool,” she said.

“Yeah,” I admitted, not really up for a conversation, feeling somehow drained from standing up to speak about my novel to a room filled with strangers, including this young woman.

But people in bookstores tend to be gentle people. I tend to like people who like books.

And this girl seemed friendly enough, curious. “So you worked on that book for almost 27 years? she asked, astonishment twinkling in her eyes.

“Off and on,” I said. “I wrote another novel in tandem. When I got lost on one, I went back to the other.” I wondered how old she might be. “Are you still in school?” I asked. She had a dreamy, authentic look in her eyes. Her face was entirely unlined, a smattering of freckles across her little nose and plump, ivory cheeks.

She announced herself a novelist many times over, this girl

“I’m 17 years old. I’ve already written several novels," she said. "But they’re childish." She had long dark hair. She stared up at me.

"So do you have a writing program at your high school?" I asked, remembering how nervous I used to get whenever talking to a "real" writer while I was a student in the Iowa Writer's Workshop. Suddenly, I saw myself in this 17-year-old.

She told me she was in a small, experiential learning high school with only about 100 students. "So we don't have much. I like short stories," she said; and we clicked.

"It's one of my favorite forms," I said, now truly interested in our conversation.

We spoke of sentences. Short stories. Plot. Characters, and whether they needed to change.

“I just like a beautiful sentence next to another beautiful sentence,” I confessed to her. “Sometimes, that’s enough for me.”

She nodded. We shared a giggle over our agreement.

“Sometimes, I like to write just dialogue. And sometimes, I like to write with no dialogue, at all,” she said.

I knew she had it bad, the writing bug. I detected her literary fever. “It’s good to experiment,” I said.

“I like to write horror,” she said.

“Then you must like all the Dracula books out now,” I said.

“Oh, no.” She gave me solemn look. “They’re childish.”

She, at 17, arbiter of childish.

And then they were calling for a group photo of the authors.

“Colleen,” I heard my name called.

“That’s me,” I said. I wish I would have asked her name. I wanted to tell her, “Run! Run from writing: It’s too difficult. Cultivate a career in gardening.” I wanted to say, on the other hand, “Follow your writing. It will inform your life with wonder and gratification.” But instead I said, “Good luck with your writing.”

And then I took my place among five other local authors lined up before the fireplace at Fireside Books & Coffee as she watched.

I wish I had thought to give her a copy of my book.

To learn more, visit FridayJonesPublishing.com and GlassHaloNovel.com, become a friend on Facebook, or follow FridayPublisher on Twitter.

Nora Ephron: She Remembers Everything

2010-11-29T11:53:00.006-07:00

As a freshman English major, we read Nora Ephron. I can't remember exactly what we read, but our English 101 professor obviously thought enough of her work to include her in his canon.

Now age 69--tho' she hardly looks it--Ephron is in the news again with yet another book: "I Remember Nothing," a memoir released this month. On the heels of "I Feel Bad About My Neck" And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman," this writer and film director dominated The New York Times this weekend with an interesting interview in the magazine section AND a nice page-and-a-half piece complete with 4-color portrait in the Book Review.

Even if you don't know Ephron's books, you probably know her movies.

In addition to her books and essays, Ephron, in case you didn't know, brought us these romantic comedy confections: "When Harry Met Sally" and "Heartburn," "You've Got Mail," "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Julie and Julia."

Some writerly fine points from the pieces:

From "Domains: On Location" by Edward Lewine:

• Nora Ephron uses "Freedom" on her computer so she can write without Internet distraction.

• She not only writes, she reads: "I read four or five books a year I wish I had written," she said.

• She reads the newspapers in bed. Breakfasts. "Then at some point I actually sit down to write."

• Her parents, Phoebe and Henry Ephron, were writers.

From "The Oft-Examined Life" by Alex Kuczynski:

• She has been nominated for three Oscars.

• "She's like Benjamin Franklin or Shakespeare: her words are now part of the fabric of the English language. Whenever we talk about 'white man's overbite'...we're quoting her."

• "...Ephron is the poster girl for the religion of When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade."

And Ephron's evidently still got the juice.

Colleen Smith’s debut novel Glass Halo, set in Denver, was a finalist for the Santa Fe Literary Prize and was praised in the latest issue of The Bloomsbury Review. The novel is available online and through your favorite bookstore.
To learn more, visit FridayJonesPublishing.com and GlassHaloNovel.com, become a friend on Facebook, or follow FridayPublisher on Twitter.

"GLASS HALO" upcoming book-signing events in Denver

2010-11-10T07:30:00.014-07:00

Writing a book is one thing. Publishing a book is another. And signing one's own published book? Well, that's something entirely different, too.

Photo by James Baca: Signing copies of my first novel at the "Glass Halo" launch at Dixon's Downtown Grill.

This weekend, I'm scheduled to sign copies of my now critically-acclaimed novel, "Glass Halo" at several locations: a greenhouse, a warehouse, and--more conventionally--a bookstore.

Here are the details. Thanks for stopping by to say hi. And remember: Books make terrific and easy-to-wrap gifts for people on your holiday shopping list.

Thank you for helping me wag my tale.

• Friday, November 12: Echter's Holiday Art Sale ~ Three of my passions come together: books, glass art, and gardening. I'll join the Glass Artist's Fellowship as they open their 7th annual show. Glass looks great in the natural light of the greenhouse!

• Saturday, November 13: Gallagher Books ~ signing from 1 - 3 p.m.

This bookstore boasts the original shelves from the first Denver Public Library.

• Sunday, November 14 and Saturday, November 20: Shop to the Nines ~ signing from 11 am - 2 pm.

This event happens over two weekends, offering a "haute holiday shopping weekend;" find chic and high-quality gifts at deeply discounted prices.

• Saturday, December 4: Fireside Books ~ signing from 1 - 3 pm

Drop by this bookstore for a great inventory of used books and fresh pastries.

• Thursday, December 9: Broadway Book Mall ~ signing begins at 7 pm

This book mall houses ten bookstores offering a wide array of books that can satisfy every reader's tastes.

Colleen Smith’s first novel, Glass Halo, is available through bookstores and Amazon.com.

Named a finalist for the Sante Fe Literary Prize and favorably reviewed in the Fall 2010 issue of The Bloomsbury Review, the novel is set in Denver.
• To learn more about Glass Halo and Friday Jones Publishing
visit FridayJonesPublishing.com and--if you like--please post a comment on the blog.
• Or visit Friday Jones Publishing on Facebook and become a fan.
• Follow wagyourtale on Twitter.

Seeing Wild Parrots on Telegraph Hill, San Francisco

2010-11-06T22:05:00.004-06:00

When the documentary "The Parrots of Telegraph Hill" came out in 2005, one of my editors called me and told me, "This is your kind of film." She knows I am an animal-lover, a tree-hugger, and a colorist.

The documentary sounded fascinating, yet I never got to the theater. And then I forgot about it.

Until recently, when I was preparing for another trip to San Francisco. My editor, whose husband used to be a report for The San Francisco Chronicle, sent me a list of curious San Francisco highlights. She mentioned that she walked up Telegraph Hill, but never saw any parrots.

I remembered her recommendation, years ago, of the film.

In San Francisco, I had the good fortune to meet up with two friends for a walk. The three of us share similar interests: walks, museums, nature, art. We decided to take a long walk to a secret garden mentioned in a guide book. The secret garden was in a long corridor-like space on a hill. Charming and romantic, the garden had exotic features such as Chinese lanterns and elegant birdbaths, bright bouganvillea and mossy fern-covered shady spots.

Parrots in a secret garden

As we made our way down the stairs and around a corner, one of my friends ahead of me remarked that the tree was shedding something. It had been raining off and on, so I wondered it she was seeing or hearing raindrops. Then I looked into the tree and saw them: parrots!

"The parrots! The parrots!" I said, sneaking back up the stairs and pulling out my iPhone.

My friends had not heard of The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. We watched them for a good long while as they feasted on the red berries in the trees. We took photos and got quite close to them.

"There you go," one of my friends said as one of the parrots made his way down a branch. "He's posing for you."

And then, suddenly, with a screech, the parrots flew off in a hurry, lime Jell-O green on the wing.

Parrots with personalities: Lessons from so-called bird brains

Today, I picked up the film at Denver Public Library. Tonight, I watched The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. I laughed. I cried. And I almost flew out of my chair after the delightful surprise ending.

If you get this DVD, be sure to watch some of the extra tracks, too. Colorful and uplifting!

American Indian design draws upon ravens

2010-11-05T09:37:00.006-06:00

In 1990, November was declared National American Indian Heritage Month. Native American design and lore frequently draws upon the mysterious raven. Scientific research has revealed ravens to be highly intelligent creatures, sentient beings. Learn more about this common, yet uncommon bird at this link to my feature on ravens: "The Raven in Your Garden"

THE IMAGE: Birds inspire Native American dance.

••• Colleen Smith's first novel, "Glass Halo," was released 1 September 2010, and was a finalist for the prestigious Sante Fe Literary Prize.

••• Check out the book at your local library, bookstore, Amazon.com or FridayJonesPublishing.com

Wag your tale.

Color your world; color your mood

2010-11-04T16:14:00.007-06:00

At left, one of Vance Kirkland's dot paintings demonstrates the impact of color.

I've been crazy about color since I was a kid. One of my earliest memories involves a family trip to Como Zoo in Minneapolis. I was not yet in kindergarten, so the city and the animals excited me. And the balloon vendor with a giant, buoyant bouquet of red, yellow, and blue balloons--just like on the Wonder Bread wrapper--especially thrilled me.

My parents bought me a balloon.The balloon man asked me which color I wanted. I knew I wanted red, but I was a terribly bashful youngster. Research indicates that red is a favorite color for many kids.

"Which color do you want?" the man asked me again. I was too shy to say. My second choice was blue--a pale sky blue. Almost the color of my eyes. "Do you have a favorite?" the balloon man asked me again. Again, I did not answer, afraid to voice my preference.

And then the balloon man handed me a yellow balloon--my least favorite. I was crestfallen. Maybe he thought the yellow balloon matched my hair. I was disappointed, yet still did not ask to swap the yellow. I wanted red, would settle for blue, but wound up with default yellow. My dad tied the balloon around my little wrist, and I looked up and it and pretended the yellow balloon was the sun. Still, I had wanted red.

Ask for what you want. And don't be afraid to specify.

I look back on that anecdote and realize that it's important to ask for what we want. And sometimes it's ok and even appropriate to ask with some specificity. If we have a choice, why not speak up and ask for our heart's desires?

Pantone Matching System: A designer's wide spectrum rainbow.

The story also underscores my early appreciation of color. Selecting color palettes is one of my favorite aspects of my work as an art director for printed materials. I just inherited a new set of Pantone Matching System color selector books with more PMS colors that you can shake a mahl stick at. This year, Pantone added 566 new colors: 224 solid colors, 300 premium metallics, and 42 neons. You might not believe how much we deliberate over colors. A trained eye can see many colors--even in white.

Color is a vibration: choose carefully.

I have one main rule when I work with color: The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. I've found this truth both in my home decor and in graphic design projects. Colors have clout.

Color, we know from the scientists, is a vibration. Different colors have different vibrations. We know, too, that black in paint represents all pigments. Yet black in light represents none.

Pay attention to colors that lift your spirits. Use them in your wardrobe and on your walls and any way you're able to incorporate your favorite hues to color your world. You just might kick your blues, stop seeing red, and find yourself in the pink.

"I can't get no": Why I won't read Keith Richards' new memoir

2010-11-03T19:54:00.007-06:00

I never really rolled with The Stones; but I'm a rock fan, and I saw the band in concert once at Mile High Stadium and could, of course, see and hear what all the fuss was about.

I don't plan to read Keith Richards' newly released memoir, titled "Life."

But I did read David Remnick's review of the book in the new issue of The New Yorker. The magazine where Remnick serves as editor devoted seven pages to the boss's critique of the ghost-written book for which the publisher Little, Brown paid Richards a staggering $7 million advance.

"Maybe you can't always get what you want. The rule doesn't apply to Richards," Remnick wrote.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Remnick's piece in the 1 November 2010 issue demonstrates once again why he's chief at one of the most literate publications in the land. Remnick must be a Stones fan to have turned over so much of his magazine's pricey real estate to his review, titled "Groovin' High." But he provides less-than-flattering commentary, too.

As for the book's redeeming value, Remnick points out that the sweet chord of "Life" sounds when Richards describes playing a guitar. Or, at least, Richards' ghost writer James Fox describes playing guitar.

Remnick labels "Life"--released 26 October--as "half book, half brand extension."

Yet Remnick's review of the book is informative and entertaining. Describing Richards' progression from young rebel to geezer rocker, Remnick wrote, "Where he used to have a wolfhound named Syphilis, he now has a golden Lab named Pumpkin."

It's just one of Remnick's rockin' riffs in this entertaining article that tells me all I want to know about the sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll defining Richards' "Life."

••• Colleen Smith is the author of the recently released novel GLASS HALO, which was a finalist for the prestigious Sante Fe literary prize. Purchase GLASS HALO at Denver bookstores or through Amazon.com. For more details, visit GlassHaloNovel.com.

HamsterWheel.com: Where You'll Find Colleen's Wordsmithing These Digital Days

2010-04-07T21:00:00.007-06:00

This Bluestocking Blog celebrated a one-year anniversary recently, tho' I'm directing most of my efforts now to other avenues. I'll still post here from time to time, but

please drop by the following sites for a visit. I'd love to hear from you, so please do leave a comment, question, concern or even just an emoticon. =)

Just click on any of the colored links to travel to my main digital domains.

• MY NEW COMPANY:

Friday Jones Publishing. This beautiful site includes a lot of background information about my novels, some beautiful William Morris/Arts & Crafts images, a hearty blog, photographs of stained glass, and bios of my collaborators--the Friday Jones Players.

• MY FIRST NOVEL: Friday Jones Publishing will release my first novel, GLASS HALO, which has its own website: GlassHaloNovel.com in addition to information found on FridayJonesPublishing.com. We're working like Friday dogs to get the novel on the press this month.

• MY EXAMINER.COM PAGE: I'm also semi-buried in my Denver Flower & Gardening Examiner page for Examiner.com where you'll find almost 500 green-thumb bluestocking posts and some gorgeous photography of my gardens and gardens I encounter in my travels or on assignments. This page includes flower-inspired fashion, practical tips, literary quotes, updates on events, and more.

• FACEBOOK: I went kicking and screaming into Facebook, dragged in by my young staff. Now I'm hooked. I post pretty much daily both on my own personal page--Colleen Smith--and on the Friday Jones Publishing fan page. The Friday Jones Publishing Facebook page includes posts about books, dogs, stained glass and more.

• THE DENVER POST: I'm writing books features (Click here for my story on Elizabeth Gilbert, author or EAT, PRAY, LOVE) for The Sunday Denver Post and gardening pieces for the Grow section in The Denver Post on Fridays. (Click here for my most recent feature on Henry Moore's sculpture at Denver Botanic Gardens.) If you're not in Denver, you might Google denverpost.com or just search "Denver Post by Colleen Smith." I've contributed to the Post for 15 years, but not all my articles are digitally archived.

• I'm also writing music reviews for Reverb, The Denver Post's music blog. (Click here for my review of Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers.)

• TWITTER: I even Tweet! I used to be wagyourtale--the registered trademark of Friday Jones Publishing. But now you can follow me at FJPublishing.

• Or look me up on LinkedIn!

And now you know why I call my life HamsterWheel.com.

Thanks for reading. And for writing: I'd love to hear from you.

COLORADO COLLEEN: On Top of Grouse Mountain, Ready to Ski

2010-03-26T17:58:00.002-06:00

On top of Grouse Mountain at Beaver Creek, Colorado, on Day 24 of this season.

2010-03-25T19:46:00.002-06:00

The enchanted view from my front porch

during a spring snow storm earlier this week.

The day brought rain, snow, sleet, hail, thunder, lightning

and a wee bit of sunshine: Springtime in the Rockies.

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY, 2010: Bluestocking's Green-Thumbs Up & Literary Links

2010-03-17T21:00:00.007-06:00

My name is Colleen, and yes, I am of Irish descent on my dear old da's side. In honor of the Emerald Isle and my ancestors, I posted more than a trinity of entries on my Denver Flower and Gardening page for Examiner.com. Just click on the blue to go from Bluestocking to green-thumb. My Examiner'com page was 4th most popular in Denver yesterday. (Number 1 was Denver Zombie Examiner.)

The image above, photographed by James Baca, shows Celtic design detail from a stained-glass window in Old Saint Patrick's in downtown Chicago. James and I are work partners, and we've been on assignment many times over 21 years. When we first met, we covered the Irish for the big St. Patrick's Day issue of the Denver Catholic Register. Tonight, James and I got to celebrate together, unexpectedly. I even cooked dinner for the two of us--a first.

Today, I hope you got a taste of Irish culture, whether corned beef and cabbage or some Irish music or an Irish film or Irish literature, or perhaps goods from Irelands: Aran sweaters or Belleek china.

The culture has a lot to offer other than drinking--tho' I did sip a couple of Harps with James to celebrate Saint Patrick, to toast his recently departed mother, and to wash down the salmon I broiled. Served the fish in a style atypical of Ireland. Tossed a salad of greens, tangelos, walnuts, dried cranberries, cilantro in citrus grapeseed oil and balsamic vinagrette and for the salmon made a salsa with fresh mango, cilantro, lime juice, sea salt, pickled jalapeno and freshly snipped chives--the first from the secret garden. Sauteed some snow peas until a green as the Emerald Isle. Felt great to nurture my dear friend and star twin. (We share the same birthday.) Great to be with friends in high times and low. Losing a mother is a terribly difficult turnstile to walk through, and I'm glad my friend is on the other side of a difficult transition.

The Irish wake celebrates death, as well as the life of the person who has passed.

On the Friday Jones Publishing webpage and the Friday Jones Publishing Fan Page on Facebook you'll find lot of posts and links related to Ireland/the Irish/Saint Patrick's Day/Irish arts and culture, and Nora Kelley, the main character of my soon-to-be-released novel titled GLASS HALO.

"May the wind be always at your back."

Going Green: Preparing for Saint Patrick's Day

2010-03-09T21:58:00.013-07:00

About to celebrate its one-year anniversary, my Bluestocking Blog is preparing for the wearin' o' the green. Here is a trinity of posts to prompt the spirit of Saint Patrick's Day:

• Irish arts and culture quiz: 17 questions

• All about shamrocks

• Nuala O'Faolain: In memory of the Dublin writer

Image depicts oxalis, which stand in for shamrocks during this celebratory season. For more about this pleasant plant, visit my Examiner.com page: Denver Flower & Gardening Examiner.

THE ARTS: March Comes in Like a Lion

2010-03-01T08:59:00.006-07:00

This is one of the lions flanking the front of the Art Institute of Chicago. Last summer, after the museum closed, I captured this shot on my iPhone. I love the inky blue sky and the fact that the people visible beneath the lion's belly lend scale to this photo. Happy March!

SUPPORT THE ARTS;

THE ARTS SUPPORT YOU.

THE WRITTEN WORD: Inspiration from the Arts & Crafts Movement

2010-02-21T14:38:00.006-07:00

I've been researching the Arts & Crafts Movement, finding inspiration in this artistic era on a number of levels. During the Arts & Crafts Movement, book design reached a pinnacle. Most notably, William Morris and Kelmscott Press in England, and the Roycrofters in East Aurora, New York, created gold-standard books. Beautiful typography, intricate illustrations, printers ornaments, lavish borders, and handsome bindings typify the books.

In their rare books collection, Denver Public Library has a number of these precious works. In the photo above, the spread shows a portrait of William Morris at left and an elaborate page at right. A thin tissue separates the pages.

(F.Y.I: Normally, the books may not be photographed, but DPL made an exception for my iPhone: Thanks, DPL!)

People in the Arts & Crafts Era responded to the Industrial Revolution; and I am responding to the Digital Age. The Industrial Revolution put a lot of people to work in factories and put and end to a lot of handcrafting. The Digital Age--along with its many advantages--poses some threats to books and writing. I believe we must preserve an interest in the written word and in tactile books.

The design of my soon-to-be-published first novel, titled GLASS HALO, shows a strong influence from the Arts & Crafts Movement.

My Friday Jones Publishing website includes a list of links related to the Arts & Crafts Movement. I hope you'll enjoy browsing some of these sites.

Thanks for clicking in!

THE ARTS: Stained-glass gardens grow in Denver's cathedral

2010-02-19T06:56:00.006-07:00

Since I was a wee one, bored in church, I've been enthralled by the luminous beauty of stained-glass windows. This ancient art form originated to help illiterate people understand stories from Scriptures. Check out this link to today's entry on my Examiner.com page, where I serve as Denver Flower and Garden Examiner. This post takes a look at the flowers and plants in the exquisite stained-glass windows inside downtown Denver's Gothic basilica, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. These are some of the finest windows west of the Mississippi. To read this entry, just click here. I've done a lot of research on stained glass for my first novel, titled GLASS HALO. Set in Denver, the main character is a stained-glass artist. For more details on my soon-to-be-released book, visit Friday Jones Publishing.

Photo by James Baca

This is not a window from Denver's cathedral, but is an example of Munich-style glass that shows the marvelous detail of the stained-glass style.

THE WRITTEN WORD: Full Circle Drawn with The Bloomsbury Review

2010-02-17T17:37:00.005-07:00

THE BACK STORY:

When I first moved to Denver in 1985, I quickly discovered The Bloomsbury Review because I hung out a lot at a branch of the Denver Public Library, where I found free copies of this books magazine. I was young, financially challenged--as we say in today's politically correct parlance--and eager to become a writer. I had graduated with an English degree and honors from the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop. I had little experience, but a lot of interest in books; and when I saw that Blooms headquartered in Denver, I made a phone call.

The phone call turned into a long and thoughtful conversation with Tom Auer and ended with a warm invitation to come down to The Bloomsbury Review's office to pick out some books to review. Walking on air, I did just that, braving my way downtown to find Tom in an office cluttered with rows and stacks and shelves and piles of books. I picked out some books on nature, as I remember. I seem to remember a woman coming part way down a staircase, and Tom introducing her as his sister Marilyn.

I did not get paid for my reviews. I did not care. I was thrilled for the opportunity and the byline and the inclusion of my words in the magazine. I don't remember how many pieces I wrote for Blooms before I went on to other writing gigs, then full time jobs in the so-called real world. I eventually lost track of Blooms for many years.

All that changed recently when while working on an assignment for Tom Walker, the books editor of The Denver Post. Tom had given me contact information for a Boulder author to interview, but then called me off the source since somebody else had already done a recent story on him. When that source fell through, I wasn't sure where to turn. I decided to call The Bloomsbury Review to see if they had an leads.

Marilyn Auer answered, and we had a long chat about authors who might make good sources. I mentioned that I had written for Blooms way back. She mentioned that Tom had died. I had not known, or if I had heard, I had stuffed away the sad news.

"But you're holding down the fort?" I asked Marilyn.

And she answered, "I'm working on our 30th anniversary issue."

PING! My freelance journalist light went on, knowing Blooms' big anniversary would make a great story for the books section of The Denver Post.

THE GOOD NEWS:

I'm delighted to report that in the wake of my story about Blooms in the Post, the 30-year-old magazine on books got 55 new subscribers to the magazine--some for several-year subscriptions--and also gained 70-some new fans on Facebook, all in just the first few days after my piece appeared in the Post.

Chalk one up for books, magazines, newspapers, and freelance journalists--all evidently still relevant in the digital age.

Here's a link to my Post piece on The Bloomsbury Review, with some great quotes about books from Marilyn Auer and Blooms' marketing director David Perkins.

THE WRITTEN WORD/WRITERS I'VE KNOWN: Happy Birthday, Tama J. Kieves!

2010-02-15T10:49:00.007-07:00

Today I celebrate the birthday of one of my dearest friends and closest literary companions: Tama J. Kieves. Tama and I both arrived in Denver in June of 1985, though she came from Brooklyn, NY; and I came from Iowa.

Tama and I met about four years later through a third writer, Kay Porterfield. I was taking a fiction writing course through one of the university campuses in downtown Denver, and Kay was my instructor. Kay recognized my writing, knew Tama, and recognized that Tama and I had a lot in common. She suggested we meet. Funny thing, I was so intimidated by Tama because Kay told me Tama is a graduate of Harvard Law School. Eventually, Tama told me she was cowed because I was out of the Iowa Writer's Workshop. Eventually, we did meet when Kay convened a writer's group. Tama and I connected. I appreciated--and continue to appreciate--Tama's smarts and humor and beauty on so many levels, her authenticity and her writing.

The writer's group disbanded, but Tama and I remained friends, cultivated our friendship; and shared countless fits of hilarity, as well as streams of salted tears. Tama and I used to schedule what we called "9 to 9" writing days. Tama would show up at 9 on a Friday morning with bagels and cream cheese. I'd brew the coffee. We'd breakfast, write, talk, write, break for lunch at a nearby Chinese restaurant, write some more, walk my dogs, and talk about our books, our lives, write some more, winding down at 9 p.m. This was years ago. We're both still writing.

Tama has led the charge first by self-publishing her book, then getting signed by a major New York publisher, then garnering accolades for her book and going on to use her book as a springboard to other ways to have a voice in the larger debate, a place at the self-help table, and oodles of disciples like myself who have heard her Harvard lawyer wisdom delivered in lines closer to poetry. Tama is fearless: She speaks to huge audiences, at prestigious retreat centers, goes on television, does radio interviews. She has 15,000 names on her electronic mailing list, and pods of people in cities throughout the U.S. She's even branching out internationally, having done appearances in Mexico, Canada, and Costa Rica.

I consider myself one of Tama's success stories because in addition to writing, Tama works as a career counselor, coach, and speaker. After practicing law for about a year, Tama fled her downtown Denver firm to follow her heart. She inspires others to do the same. She inspired me, and continues to inspire me, with her message of love over fear.

If you're considering a career change--and even if you're not, but you just like a sweet but solid voice of wisdom in the world, check out Tama's website. You'll find all her upcoming speaking engagements, her book THIS TIME I DANCE! Creating the Work You Love, audio recordings, destination vacations, and free resources. Definitely check out her free e-newsletter as it’s filled with monthly support and creative inspiration, and you can sign-up online.

CLICK NOW ON LINKS BELOW FOR MORE:

• Tama Kieves' Awakening Artistry website

• Bluestocking Guest Blog Tama contributed titled "Mothering Ourselves"

• Tama Kieves endorses GLASS HALO, the soon-to-be-released first novel by Colleen Smith

• Tama Kieves quoted in The Denver Post's article about authors conducting their own publicity

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TAMA: Enjoy the fruit!

Where to find me these days online

2010-02-01T23:20:00.005-07:00

Bluestocking blues: I'm not posting here as regularly because I'm working the following gigs:

• Please friend me on Facebook, where I post links to my published articles, as well as lots of random stuff--much of the same subject matter as I've included in this blog.

• Or check out my website for Friday Jones Publishing. I'm releasing my first novel, titled GLASS HALO. This website includes a lot of additional information about my fiction, along with links to lots of my articles.

• Become a fan of Friday Jones Publishing on Facebook. You'll enjoy regular posts about books, dogs, angels, stained glass, the Arts and Crafts Movement, and more.

• Or dig up my Examiner.com page. I serve as the Denver Flower and Gardening Examiner. Many of the photos on my page stem from my own gardens. I also post about gardens I visit, and I link gardening pieces I write for publications.

Detail from William Morris tapestry

COLORADO COLLEEN: One extreme to the other--Alpine skiing and Bikram yoga

2010-01-09T18:28:00.008-07:00

Alpine skiing requires a lot of layers of clothing, a lot of equipment, a lot of cold, and the clunkiest of footwear.

Bikram yoga requires bare feet, as little clothing as possible, and a studio heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit and about 50 percent humidity.

I'm crazy about both activities.

Or maybe just plain crazy?

I shot this iPhone photo from a chairlift at Arapahoe Basin last season.

The single skier at bottom left puts the picture into perspective.

The Rockies rock.

THE WRITTEN WORD: Friday Jones Publishing urges you to "Wag Your Tale."

2010-01-06T09:52:00.009-07:00

My most current entrepreneurial endeavor is Friday Jones Publishing, an artisan press with a creative and collaborative synergy. Plans call for the first book--a literary novel titled GLASS HALO--to be released around St. Patrick's Day, in homage to my storytelling Irish ancestors.

Please visit our new Friday Jones Publishing webpage, where you'll find out more about us and the nature of our Arts & Crafts cottage industry. Check out the blog, where we encourage you to join the conversation with your comments.

Friday Jones has a Facebook page, too. Consider joining us as a fan.

"Wag Your Tale."

TREBLE CLEF: All you need is music

2010-01-05T11:36:00.008-07:00

Or attuned writing about music.

Here's a list of my music pieces published in The Denver Post:

Bruce Springsteen Quiz: Think you know the Boss and the E. Street Band?

Jackson Browne: A colorful character, singer and songwriter.

Beyond Browne: a 70s Roc Quiz: Jog your memory.

Reverb is the Denver Post's music blog. Here's an eclectic collection of my reviews:

Natalie Merchant: "Leave Your Sleep" review. In a word? Dreamy.

Bruce Hornsby: One of our most talented individuals and a former touring member of the Grateful Dead.

Karla Bonoff: Singer, songwriter, and vocalist extraordinaire.

Keb' Mo': Rocked, rolled and turned the Paramount a shade of Blues.

The Denver Brass: A shining local institution.

Mannheim Steamroller: 25th anniversary Christmas concert.

Dakota Blonde: The acoustic band's annual Valentine's Day concert at Swallow Hill

Moira Smiley & Rani Arbo

WELL BEING: Brush up on your hand-washing

2010-01-04T09:56:00.003-07:00

As the cold and flu season continues, effective hand-washing remains critical. Check out Dr. Joel Cooperman's advice about how to wash your hands effectively, and other good habits to avoid bad germs that can make us sick.

GUEST BLOG: Reflection for a Happy New Year! Happy New Decade!

2009-12-30T17:45:00.005-07:00

This guest blog--a teaching from the 11:11 Progress Group--pertains to spirituality in the old year and the coming new year, the new decade. Happy 2010!

Keep an eye out for the Blue Moon on New Year's Eve.

Photo by Colleen Smith

Computer enhanced detail from bas relief

at Art Institute of Chicago

“The message for today is about reflection on the past and planning for the future. As the closing of one calendar year approaches, it is helpful to evaluate one’s spiritual progress by self-reflection on positive changes in attitude and accomplishments in self-mastery, which were wholly absent only one year previously. Become aware and make note of these changes, and give thanks for the help you received from your guides, guardians, and teachers that led you to the place you are now. Have you become more tolerant, more loving, more patient, more giving? Have you embraced spiritual knowledge and teaching that has helped you to become aware of these more noble attributes of the growing soul? Take inventory of these things now, my beloveds, and bathe in the light of these accomplishments with tempered humility....

“Let us also become aware of the imperfections in our personalities and our attitudes towards others. Acknowledge the areas we still need to work on, and with great honesty. Hold them up in front of the ego, and declare that these areas shall be transformed, and will no longer serve as a hindrance to us, nor will they prevent us from attaining the spiritual freedom we so deeply desire.

“Let us go boldly into the future with great confidence, knowing all will be for the good of the soul and no ‘real’ harm can befall us. Allow more time for introspection as you face the challenges of life and let go of needless worries. Become increasingly aware of the spiritual guidance all around you and use this ‘spirit team’ to help you accomplish your goals and desires. And most importantly, be aware of your duty to serve others."

THE ARTS: Cynthia Madden Leitner & Museum of Outdoor Arts

2009-12-30T03:52:00.004-07:00

I just happened across this article I wrote for Denver Woman News. This profile of Cynthia Madden Leitner explains why she founded the Museum of Outdoor Arts, why art needs to be part of everyday life, and why women between 50 and 65 rock.

Photo by Colleen Smith

Detail from a painting in Art Institute of Chicago

THE ARTS: Meet My Auntie Artist

2009-12-29T19:53:00.005-07:00

Meet my great-aunt Mary: an artist, a woman well ahead of her times, and one of my mentors. Mary was a fine artist, and she published a little chapbook of poetry that made a huge impression upon me when I was a girl. Learn more about her on the Friday Jones Publishing webpage.

MERRY CHRISTMAS: From my hearth to yours

2009-12-24T09:43:00.003-07:00

"...may your days be merry

and bright."

WELL BEING: Material VS Spiritual

2009-12-23T17:44:00.006-07:00

I came upon this teaching today and wanted to post it for more people to consider as we enter another Christmas:

“Today’s message is about letting go of the material and commercial aspects of your religious traditions, and embracing a new and more spiritual way to worship and remember God’s visitations and promises to perfect humanity, and to bring peace and brotherhood to this confused and strife torn world. It is the Father’s will that love be the focus of all celebrations and in the joy of fellowship with your brethren, you come together in unity and project your intentions for a better future. To answer the Father’s call to perfection, we must continue to change and evolve our thinking, and put into practice those high ideals we have when caught up in the moment of celebration and ceremony.

“For thousands of years man has capitalized on the traditions and celebrations of religious holidays to turn profits by exploitation of man’s good nature and worshipful attitude to honor God. This exploitation has become so intense that the very meaning and spiritual inclinations of the celebration have been supplanted by clever commercial campaigns aimed at appealing to the vanity of the ego to fill the spiritual longings of oneness with God with material gratifications. This serves the money changers well, but leaves the soul and the pocketbook empty.

“Man has become a slave to this perpetuation of materialism in connection with his celebrations and religious festivals, and this leads to anxiety and depression in many, because they feel they have lost control and must conform to peer pressure to perform in opposition to the longings of the soul for sincere relationships, and worshipful unity.

“Let us focus on the ‘good will.’ What is the ‘good will?’ The ‘good will’ is God’s will, and His will for us is to enjoy life; to love Him; and to love one another. When anxieties and ill will enter into our traditions and festivals, we must change our way of approach. It is not my place to tell you how to live, but it is my desire that you become aware of that which you have become, and to hold your intentions to the light, and see if they embrace truth, beauty, and goodness. Begin a new tradition this year, one that is focused on love and relationship and less on material gratification. In the worlds to come, relationship is the gift of celebration, for material things are left behind with the flesh. Let us learn these lessons of love now, my beloved friends, and enjoy this precious time you have on the earth.

“Peace on earth, and good will toward all mankind."

For more information, Google the 11:11 group.

"At Christmas play and make good cheer..."

2009-12-22T06:59:00.003-07:00

I hope you'll drop by my digital garden,

that is, my Examiner.com page on flowers and gardens,

where you'll find lots of entries on the history and lore of holiday plants like holly and mistletoe, delightful happenings in winter gardens, and more

Or drop by my new webpage for Friday Jones Publishing,

where you'll find details about my newest entrepreneurial endeavor.

Or strike up a friendship with me on Facebook.

Meanwhile, "At Christmas play and make good cheer for Christmas comes but once a year."

GOOD YULE, Y'ALL!

2009-12-21T16:14:00.003-07:00

Happy Winter Solstice!

I plan to join fellow yogis for a candlelight practice of 108 sun salutations tonight--my yogic salute to the season. Welcome, Old Man Winter!

Photo at right is a sculpture in Museum of Outdoor Arts' permanent collection. At Winter Solstice, he points to the sun at a certain hour.

For more about the history, mystery and science of Winter Solstice, please check out my 2-part series posted today on my Examiner.com page on flowers and gardens.

You'll also find seasonal entries on the following:

• The nature of holly,

• A Christmas carol--"The Holly and the Ivy"--sung by a boy's choir,

• Winter garden holiday light shows around Denver,

• Tips for winter houseplants,

• How-to guidelines for forcing paperwhite narcissus bulbs indoors,

• Great garden books, and more.

Please drop by my digital garden. Leave a comment, if you care to, or just wander around the page and enjoy the beautiful photography and inspirational quotes. Good Yule!

Mercury photo courtesy Museum of Outdoor Arts

THE WRITTEN WORD: "One of the few havens remaining"

2009-12-13T09:56:00.006-07:00

Old books hold court in the old built-in bookcases in my old Craftsman bungalow. My grandmother gave me many of these beautiful volumes, but that handsome burgundy copy of "English Romantic Writers" is one of my favorites from my years as an English major at Iowa State University and University of Iowa. I still love the British Romantics.

Photo by Quincy Benton

“BOOKS: A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few sources of information left that is served up without the silent black noise of a headline, the doomy hullabaloo of a commercial. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man’s mind can get both provocation and privacy.”

-- Edward P. Morgan