In refusal of gun violence, a work of art
How a shooting in her neighborhood spurred a writer to action and gave birth to a collaborative artist book
How a shooting in her neighborhood spurred a writer to action and gave birth to a collaborative artist book
Mary Margaret Alvarado is the author of American Weather (NewLights Press), a book-length essay on gun violence and disarmament in collaboration with the artist Corie Cole; Chrome of Iris, winner of the 2023 Burnside Review chapbook contest; and Hey Folly (Dos Madres), a book of poems. A teacher, muralist and mother, Mia’s work has been published in The Rumpus, The Point, VQR, Outside, Cagibi, The Georgia Review, The Iowa Review, The Boston Review, The Kenyon Review and elsewhere, and thrice shortlisted in The Best American series. www.marymargaretalvarado.com
Hiking With Kids Colorado: 52 Great Hikes for Families provides a guide for a hike a week within a year, detailing trails suitable each season—including winter—for the entire family. Inspired by son Brian, accompanied by husband Ben and championed by her own nature-loving parents, Colorado-based author Jamie Siebrase birthed this “how to hike with children” book. (See our review of Siebrase’s picture book Tonight! A Bedtime Story here.) Winter hikes include the “Pines to Peaks Loop”, a 1.1-mile lollipop shaped treading trail, easy to access from downtown Boulder, crossing three distinct ecosystems: meadow, ponderosa pine parkland, and forest. Another hike, “Lake Gulch and Inner Canyon Loop,” begins in Castle Rock within Castlewood Canyon State Park. The 2.2-mile hike begins easy and turns moderate, passing through ponderosa pine, Gambel oaks, mountain mahogany, and snowberry along the trail. Near Snowmass Village, “The Rim Trail South to Spiral Point” boasts iconic vistas. This is a 2.6 mile out-and-back hike that is moderate in difficulty. From the trailhead, hike west through aspen groves. This is a popular snowshoeing trail in winter. Siebrase offers useful details on subjects like trail etiquette and preparedness needs, as well as keeping canine-children leashed. The text is clearly broken down into seasonal hikes offering a variety of difficulty and distance explanations, as well as directions to trailhead locations, a familiar obstacle to the would-be family hiker. Legible trail maps show where to go once arrived and the book is peppered with fun facts. — Shelli Rottschafer