Kenneth Fenter

Window to the World by Nine Authors Kenneth Fenter

This anthology contains poetry, short stories, essays, humor, memoirs, historical fiction, nonfiction, outdoor adventures, and an excerpt from a novella. In Chapter Ten, recognizing the historical nature and global impact of Covid-19, each author was asked to include, in April 2020, his or her take on the pandemic. Bonnie Olin's adventure narratives take readers hiking into remote tributaries of the Owyhee River, up secluded canyons of the Hart Mountain wildlife refuge in Oregon, and into a back-country ranch along the Salmon River in Idaho. Her stories are illustrated by her husband Mike Quigley's photography. Bev Garrett writes free verse poetry, short stories, and is working on a fictional historical novel based on her hometown in Gates, Oregon. She excels in dialog and observation of her fellow mankind. She also paints using acrylics to create detailed canvases. Glenna Whitbeck Johnson shares moments with her grandchildren, memories from her life, and an excerpt about her father's experiences while a WWII B-17 tail gunner when he was shot down over Poland. Barb McMinimy tells of transforming events in her life, from her years during the Vietnam war as a POW wife to adjusting to small-town rural attitudes in southwest Kansas to her 30-year friendship with a Russian English teacher. Deborah Rands Cullen's poetry and prose wander by stained glass windows and onto the beaches of Nicoya, through insomnia and poison oak, from dead rabbits to motherhood. Some topics strange, others thoughtful, all are musings that reflect moments of her life. Marc Laakso presents a sci-fi satire, a word picture of the 1950s and '60s, encountering a cougar when hunting deer, a gentle feral cat, how he created unique film photos, two poems fifty years apart, and conspiracy theories regarding COVID-19. Conrad Roemer contributed five stories, ranging from his youth on a dude ranch to a summer adventure in the deep South during legal segregation. Included is a lesson from teaching history in Oregon's Springfield High School, and a history of the Potlatch restaurant. Agnes Rands Warren writes of logging camps, fishermen, teachers, matchmakers, grandchildren, and family from Finland to the Pacific Northwest. Her stories span four generations and introduce us to unforgettable characters, who just happen to be real people. Kenneth Fenter wrote an essay on Gretta Thunberg; a story about rolling tires down a canyon side; courtship of his maiden aunt/farmer Mary and neighbor farmer Edwin; and his mom's pies. He shared an excerpt from his novella, Desperation, about his dad's 1700 mile walk to save his family.