Between Towns

This collection of poems celebrates the delicacy and harshness of the landscape: animals, bones, canyons, weather, storms, wind, and elements. A native of Wyoming, Kutchins captures the essence of the land she loves."While longing for other worlds, Laurie Kutchins writes compellingly of her love for this one--for its plants and animals, its weather and seasons, its people. Between Towns shows clearly and compassionately the tension bunkhouse, many of us feel, wanting both to live well at home and to move on to some place new."-- David Romtvedt."Laurie Kutchins is following in the footsteps of James Wright--if James Wright had been a woman. And it is all her own: direct, erotic, surprising, and wise."--Jean Valentine.From Men Kick Stones When They WalkOne night, waking me, the scuffle of wind at the water pump,lifting and lowering the armat the rusted hinge. Windharnessed in the cottonwoodsgroaning down by the vacant bunkhouse,a should I half-dreamedwas Wally, whiskied and cussingin his joints, come back for choresafter a night trip to town,his good eye lost in its eye blood.Wind scraping the voiceof my parents, so hushedin the cold of the kitchenit seemed they were sleeping.