Who I am.

I write about the landscape of grief, nature, and the wisdom of fools. The author of four books, my essays, poems, and reviews have been published in over 50 journals, including in the Huffington Post and Colorado Review. I’ve won the River Teeth Nonfiction Book Award, the Chautauqua and Literal Latte’s essay prizes, and my work has been nominated for four Pushcart Prizes and named a notable by Best American Essays. My account of hiking in Yosemite to deal with my wife’s death, Mountains of Light, was published by the University of Nebraska Press. http://www.markliebenow.com.

Showing posts with label Buffaloed Blues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buffaloed Blues. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Grief's Coloring Book

My wife's sudden death in her 40s sent me digging through crayons trying to identify my emotions.

Blue Denim holds my cold, clenched fists of anger. Royal Purple radiates the bruise that oozes under my skin. I like green, so I draw each green crayon across the paper, trying to find the right one, but none calm me like being in Yosemite. Shamrock is too bright. Granny Smith Apple is too warm. Forest Green comes close — it's grainy and gray like grief.