San Francisco, 1990. Photo by Leslie V. Holmes.

Entrance to the shrine room, Upaya Zen Center. Photo by Jody Larson, © 2019.

Many Voices, Many Rooms

       I was born and raised in Salt Lake City at a time when deer, porcupines, and skunks might wander down from the foothills into our backyard in severe winters. The valley to the west was largely open fields and occasional roads. It was a different time.
       I attended East High and the “U of U,” graduating with a B.A. in biological sciences. In addition to all the science coursework, I studied English literature, music theory, and Latin. I’ve always been interested in many different fields. I also studied genetics at U.C. Berkeley but did not get a degree there.
       Like many “renaissance” people, I’ve held a variety of jobs—ranging from motel maid during summers in college, to folk guitar teacher, to lab technician, to handbag repair specialist in a shop in San Francisco, to editor and instructional designer at Apple.
       My main work life has been spent as a self-employed, freelance developmental editor, copyeditor, and proofreader, working primarily on college textbooks in the sciences. During the same period, I also prepared income taxes professionally as an Enrolled Agent.
       In the late 1990s, I went back to school. Earlier, I had been primarily a laboratory biologist; my knowledge of the natural world was lacking, although my love for nature was not. I attended Antioch New England, graduating with an M.S. in environmental studies. My coursework and experiences at Antioch enhanced my professional life and filled in many knowledge gaps.
       I became interested in Buddhism in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and I’m a practicing student of Buddhism today. Buddhist ideology and practices help me keep an even keel in the face of challenging times.
       In 2016, I began writing poetry again. Poetry for me is not a rational activity, but rather an exploration into realms of imagery, analogy, and implication. I’ve had a few publications in small journals and magazines, and I’m planning on a self-published chapbook soon.
​       You’ll learn more about me by reading my blog—and of course, my poems.