Pam Houston

"'How do we become who we are in the world? We ask the world to teach us,' Pam Houston writes. On her 120-acre homestead high in the Colorado Rockies, this beloved writer learns what it means to care for a piece of land and the creatures on it. Elk calves and bluebirds mark the changing seasons, winter temperatures drop to 35 below, and lightning sparks a 110,000-acre wildfire, threatening her century-old barn and all its inhabitants. Through her...

Here, prize-winning author and teacher of writing Houston takes us through the life journey that led her to buy a piece of ranch land in the southwest corner of Colorado. She knew nothing about ranching but with the help of many people and animals her wandering life became tethered to the land. She also gives insight into the process of writing.

From the best-selling author of Cowboys are my Weakness comes a story of a woman, Rea, and her dog, Dante, who teaches her that love is stronger than fear. A catalyst for change in other characters as well, Dante effects the lives of Rae's house-tender, her therapist, two veterinarians, and an anxiety-ridden actor. In addition to Dante, there is also Rose, another dog, and Stanley the Cat, all of whom have something to add. With her characteristic...

"Meeting across the River," from Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run album, is a song with an evocative melody and lyrics that unfold like a noir fable: a man down on his luck but desperate to make things right with his girl tells his buddy, Eddie, that they have to get across the river for a last-chance meeting with someone, all in the hopes of a big score, two grand. With that money, our hero can win back his girl and all will be right with the world--but...