Overview

Anyone who lives in a beloved place or yearns to do so will connect to this poetry collection which tells a story of how our lives are shaped by where we call home. Between the Tracks and the River takes place in North Lawrence, Kansas but the message belongs to the world. These are poems about community and the magic that happens when you learn how to live where you put your head down at night. Between the Tracks and the River: Life in North Lawrence, Kansas by Iris Craver is a heartfelt collection of poems that captures the spirit and rhythm of North Lawrence. Through soulful and down-to-earth writing, Craver explores themes of home, nature, and belonging. Her poems weave together culture, humor, and memory, offering a rich tapestry of daily life and the magic within ordinary moments. The land itself becomes a living force in her work, echoing with both struggle and hope. Craver's vivid storytelling and deep connection to her roots shine in pieces like ""Ditches in North Lawrence"" and ""Inside Out,"" which reflect her reverence for nature and the resilience found in everyday life. Poems like ""She Could Have Been Famous"" and ""A Long Hard Winter"" balance hardship with the promise of renewal, encouraging readers to find strength and beauty in life's challenges. This collection is an invitation to pause, reflect, and discover the gifts of connection and transformation that shape both place and spirit.

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9781960462619

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Reviews

Enjoy the rich details of Iris's ""herbal apothecary"" tales of Kansas. Each poem speaks of the small details that make a life, for a poet who loves where she lives and declares, ""I choose to stay and wear an apron/as my shield for the battle, pile up books to build my fortress/and use my love as a weapon of mass instruction."" Like her backyard garden, this collection is carefully tended. Linda Barnes, Past President of the International Federation of Biblio-Poetry Therapy ""Craver's poetry is a collection of ponderings, reminiscences, and humor about life in Kansas, her beloved place. ""The sky is the color of cinnamon toast."" Tree branches look like chicken bones."" Her descriptions set the tone in this brilliant poetry collection, and she makes it easy to taste the music within her soul."" Ronda Miller was the former State President of the Kansas Authors Club. Unfortunately, before this book went to press, she passed into the next life in December 2024. She was my cheerleader (the author). ""My attention span is about an inch long, and this book kept my interest. These poems capture what it is like to live in North Lawrence. Iris's poems have changed how I view my neighborhood, and I've lived here 60+ years!"" Ted Boyle, President of the North Lawrence Neighborhood Improvement Association. Strife and struggle are skillfully written with weary and hopeful tones. Iris Craver addresses the subjects of erasure, forms fading and loss with compassion and finesse. Difficult decisions are handled with reverence and acceptance. The moving poem ""She Could Have Been Famous"" reflects the heart of conflict and truth. The poet's descriptions balance the weight of reality with the promise of hope. Her poems invite the reader to experience and embrace a spiritual journey. It is a no-nonsense approach to thriving and surviving. Themes of braving hardships by finding hope and rejuvenation in small miracles express a sense of gratefulness in poems like ""A Long Hard Winter"" and ""The Good In Life"". Tomorrow is a gift not promised. Iris Craver invites the reader to embrace the sense of self, the good in reflection and the remarkable land that sustains. Her poems encourage us to treasure the light beyond the suffering where things enchant and grow. She is asking us to pause and observe the beauty in the cracks of unexpected transformations. The poems of Between the Tracks and the River: Life in North Lawrence, Kansas contain messages, meanings beyond Iris Craver's beloved North Lawrence, Kansas. These are poems about universal concerns: connection, reflection, conservation, preservation, respect, observation, enchantment and nurturing. It is a collection of poems about treasuring, healing and embracing a better world when we open our eyes and hearts to the gifts, big and small, that unite us, that make us whole. ---M Palowski Moore, Silver Lion poet President, Sunflower Poetry Society of Kansas sunflowerpoetrysociety@charter.net

Author Information

Iris Craver is living a life in North Lawrence, Kansas between the tracks and the river. She and her husband, Steve Stemmerman, enjoy working in a very large garden, spending time with family and friends, and traveling. Her publications include Do Lizards Have Lips? And Other Tall Tales From Toronto, Kansas, Spice it Up! An Herbal Extravaganza and Write to the Source A Journaling Guide for Recovery.

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