Snake Den Ridge : Poetry by Bill Griffin; Drawings by Linda French Griffin: A Bestiary

by Bill, Griffin; French, Griffin Linda (ART); Bixby, Robert J.

• ISBN13: 9781596610972
• ISBN10: 1596610972
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-11-14
• Publisher: March Street Pr

Summary

Thank you for sharing with me the manuscript of your charming bestiary-the drawings are finely conceived and executed, and the wit in the poems is balanced with a good-hearted spirit I found very appealing. I trust this loving combination of your two talents will find the readership that it deserves. -Mark Smith-Soto, Director, Center for Creative Writing in the Arts; Editor, International Poetry Review

Author Biography

The Artists Bill Griffin is a family doctor in rural North Carolina, where his ôwriters' groupö is a hawkswept footpath that wanders the crest of the Blue Ridge. His poems have appeared in many regional and national journals, including Tar River Poetry, POEM, NC Literary Review, Pembroke Magazine, and Illuminations. He has two chapbooks in print: Barb Quill Down (Pudding House 2004) and Changing Woman (Main Street Rag 2006).Every summer Bill assists Mike Barnett with High Adventure Camp, leading a small crew of teenagers on their first backpacking experience in the southern Appalachian wilderness. They hope to instill in the young people not only a greater sense of self-reliance and teamwork, but also a deep sense of connection to earth, water, sky, and all life. For a week in 2007, Bill and Mike hiked Snake Den Mountain and its connecting trails; they encountered most of the creatures that speak in this collection (especially Mouse).Linda French Griffin is a self-taught artist and trained historian who studies human attitudes and actions toward the natural world in Europe and America during the late medieval and early modern periods. Her writings and printed designs analyze and often celebrate this complex relationship. Many of her pieces have been adopted by religious publishing houses and international peace organizations because of their emphasis upon reconciliation, stewardship of Earth, and spiritual harmony.Living in the foothills of the Blue Ridge since 1981 with Bill and their growing family, Linda experiences daily the inspiration of the surrounding natural wonders and the vital importance of their preservation. She and Bill hike local mountain and river trails, and support environmental protection efforts of many local and national groups, including the Piedmont Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, National Audubon Society, Cornell Ornithology Lab, and the U. S. Geological Survey.Bill and Linda have collaborated on many creative endeavors during their 35-year marriage (including raising their two children, creative in their own right), but Snake Den Ridge: A Bestiary is their first book project undertaken together.While engaged in Snake Den Ridge: A Bestiary, the Griffins eagerly awaited the arrival of their first grandchild.