Halfway to Heaven: Poems Crafted in Utah's Wild Places

This collection is conceived as a poetic trail guide. Each poem is connected with a specific trail and readers are encouraged to hike the trail themselves so that they can experience the poem in the setting in which it was written (the ultimate writing Easter egg!). Photography and hand-drawn maps further encourage the reader to get out onto the trail. The poems include a variety of form and length and are written from the perspective of a low-key single mom hiker (all of these trails are incredibly accessible for a general audience).

The collection looks at popular national parks in Utah (Zion, Bryce, Arches etc) and also lesser known trails such as Whiting Canyon in Mapleton, Utah or Sego Canyon, just off the Interstate. Connecting to the land in Utah also involves connecting to my grandparents, a talented photographer and an avid painter, and my pioneer ancestors. The past and the present mingle in the slow moving landscape that we both love.