On an Island Surrounded by Water

This title is printed to order. This book may have been self-published. If so, we cannot guarantee the quality of the content. In the main most books will have gone through the editing process however some may not. We therefore suggest that you be aware of this before ordering this book. If in doubt check either the author or publisher’s details as we are unable to accept any returns unless they are faulty. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Twenty years ago I left the British Isles. I was happy to do so at the time, always the foreigner, always the one with an accent. But returning to the US, I was again the one speaking funny or different. Words and phrases and pronunciations inhabited my tongue, moved right in without my even noticing. Now I always get the question, ‘Where are you from?’ no matter where I am. My answer is typically, ‘California’, the place where I was born. I notice that most of the time I don’t even mention Britain. That is a disservice. The place helped shape me more than I can know. I spent my formative years on those islands. It is where I learned how to be a grown up. The vignettes, poems and stories in this book are an effort to acknowledge both place and experience. Before I left, while on a trip to Venice, I found a handmade note book-leather bound with paper perfect for ink and quill, as well as water colour. So, I bought a fancy pen and a paint pallet. I needed to remember.