West End Press
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To the Friends of West End Press:
My wife, Patricia Clark Smith, died of organ failure at Albuquerque Women's Hospital on July 11, 2010. She was 67.
Pat was my working partner over the last twenty years. She supported West End Press in its mission of publishing multicultural and working class writers, Native American writers in particular. Her openness, encouragement, and partisanship on writers' behalf inspired me.
Among those whose work she embraced are Luci Tapahonso, Paula Gunn Allen, Levi Romero, Jim Sagel, E. A. Mares, Jeanetta Mish, Sy Hoahwah--and many others we edited and discussed together. Sometimes she was years ahead of me in recognizing new developments in writing--for instance, the Albuquerque slam scene. Beyond this, she contributed hugely to the well-being of others through her work as a teacher, editor, writer, and friend. Thanks in part to her example, West End Press will continue to publish and promote the work of younger writers and those who extend her vision of a world of free expression.
John Crawford, Publisher
The poems in This Business of Wisdom suggest a syllabus of the lessons each human faces “as you grow, persistent but clumsy, into your bones.” With sometimes playful, often pointed language, the author draws upon nature, music, dreams and current events to illustrate how to gain one’s place in the world.
Despite obstacles, dangers and painful losses, the poet shows us how what we see can be trusted. With this first volume of poetry, Lauren Camp focuses a prismatic lens on the ragged aesthetic of society, and by doing so, constructs an educated view of life.
The 2010 Albuquerque Cultural Conference takes place Labor Day weekend, September 3 to 6.
To register, or for more info, visit the Conference Blog.
