POEMS TO THE DESERT is a chapbook of poetry by Howard Gayton, published by Trix Press in May, 2007. The book contains photographs by Stu Jenks, and an introduction by Terri Windling.
The poems chronicle the author's travels through the Arizona desert, 2005 - 2007. Here, the book's introduction explains, "you'll find poems of sly coyotes and dancing javelinas; of sweat-lodge, deer dance, and other Native American ceremonies; of journeys by foot and road and inward journeys by an ever-questing soul...."
Two of the poems were first published in The Journal of Mythic Arts, and can be read on-line here.
For ordering information, write to: trixpress@gmail.com.
About the Author: Howard Gayton was raised in Oxfordshire, studied Drama at the University of Exeter, and is now a theatre director, mask performer, and a writer of fiction, poetry, and plays. He is the co-founder and co-artistic director of the London-based Ophaboom Theatre Company, which has toured throughout Europe performing contemporary mask theatre in the “Commedia dell’ Arte” tradition. He has also devised and directed shows for the Little Angel Puppet Theatre in London and other companies in the U.K. and Europe.
More information on the author can be found on the Endicott Studio website, the Ophaboom Theatre Company page, Ophaboom's MySpace page, and Wikipedia. His article on creating fairy tale theatre for children can be found on-line in the Spring 2006 issue of The Journal of Mythic Arts.
About the Artist: Stu Jenks was born in Virginia, studied Fine Art at the University of North Carolina, and is now a photographer based in Tucson, inspired by the spirited desert landscape of southern Arizona. "Each time I shoot,” he says, “I learn a little more about the space I'm in, both physically and emotionally. My images are often as much about an exploration of my spiritual reality as they are about an appreciation of form, space, place and design. And sometimes they are just about being playful and magical."
Stu Jenk's photographs have been exhibited in museums and galleries across the United States. To see more of his work, visit the Fezziwig website and blog.