My great Southwest adventure took me through Texas, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico…somehow I looped back through North Carolina a couple of times and then ended up migrating west to Iowa. If you were to map my route over the last four months, it would look a lot like a trail of yarn after a cat terrorized it, or perhaps like a bowl of spaghetti dumped on the floor. Or perhaps like a garden hose after I have attempted to remember which flowers need to be watered, or…well, you get the idea. A direct route isn’t nearly as much fun as the winding one, right?


I saw some incredible sights along the way, met some folks who will no doubt inspire characters in my next novel, and–not surprisingly–found a steady stream of art along the trail that led me here. It seems a highlight reel is in order, so posted below are a few of my favorites.

near my new home, Iowa City, IA

the old capitol, Iowa City, IA. (for more info on this migrating installation project, see http://muscatinerivermonster.com/

the iron studio’s mechanical bull, Penland, NC

in the aspen forest, near Moab, UT

along the highway, on the way to Carlsbad, NM

inside the famous UFO museum, Roswell, NM

in the art museum, Roswell, NM

on the main drag, Las Vegas, NM

a side street in Santa Fe, NM

Madrid, NM

Ashley Pond Park, Los Alamos, NM

inside the Pearl Brewery, San Antonio