“I am no scientist. I explore the neighborhood.”
—Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
I started this blog to explore the mystery that is still Denver. I aim to write about Denver’s neighborhoods, shops, restaurants, and people with the same attention to detail a naturalist brings to bear on her environment. I explore Denver neighborhood by neighborhood and post reviews and photos of Denver on this site.
From September 2008 through July 2009, I wrote two reviews of Denver attractions every week and posted MonHaibuns almost every week. According to Contemporary Haibun Online, a haibun
is a combination of prose and haiku poetry, sometimes described as “a narrative of epiphany.” Like English haiku, English haibun is evolving as it becomes more widely practiced in the English-speaking world.
Haibun is the Japanese name for seventeenth-century poet-monk Basho Matsuo’s poetic-prose travel journals, which were studded with haiku. The best known are The Narrow Road to the Deep North and The Hut of the Phantom Dwelling.
As of August 2009, I won’t be posting MonHaibuns anymore, but you can read the 40 or so I wrote in the past year, as well as a few poems by other poets.
I will be posting photos and reviews of Denver every weekday (in general, every week there will be more short photo posts than reviews).
NOTE: From October 12 to November 8, 2009, I lived in Kansas City, Missouri, reconnected with the city where I grew up, and spent time with family. Hence the Kansas City categories. I plan to spend time in other cities whenever I can, so, gradually, this blog will come to cover cities other than Denver.
This website also features my published poetry and fiction.
Please check out the Local Vendors page to learn about Denver and Colorado businesses and buy their products.
I hope you enjoy this site.
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For the purposes of this blog, “Denver” excludes the communities outside the City and County of Denver. I won’t be writing very often about other communities along the Front Range. They have a great deal to offer, but they are not the focus here.
Just wanted to say hello, not only is my name Beth Partin, but I also love in Colorado…Summit County to be exact. I have you bookmarked now and will be checking out your blog regularly.
Peace,
Beth P
Hey, that’s really cool. I’ve come across some Beth Partins on Google but wasn’t aware any of them lived in the same state. Thanks for visiting!
I think you two should meet sometime. I’ve never met another person named Todd Bradley, though I know some exist. If I had the opportunity, I’d have a barbecue and invite them all over.
I was curious to know about the Denver Black Arts Festival’s Joda Stage… You stated that you were not compelled to stay after the end of M*SHAKA*FUSION’s performance…. why was that?
It’s hard to remember after 6 months, but I think I was probably hungry.