On an Island Surrounded by Water

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.