Harsh Country

Harsh Country is a dazzling book of southwest poems meant to lead the reader down dusty trails, beside tall cactus, thirsty cattle, cowboys settled in the saddle, and the mystery and magic of New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California

Raynette Eitel was born in El Paso, Texas and spent her early years in the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona. "I never got over the magic of Santa Fe," she says, speaking of one of her childhood homes. She wrote poetry inspired always by the distant mountains and deep blue skies, even as a child, and continued that craft wherever she lived. She lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado as an adult where she was a teacher and school counselor. Raynette's work is published in a variety of literary magazines, including North American Review, Dogwood, and Writer's Journal. Her poetry following 9/11 was included in an anthology, 911: The Day America Cried. "Harsh Country," the first poem in this book, was a first place winner in the Kay Snow contest from the Willamette Writers in Portland, OR. She and her husband, James, currently reside in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she has given poetry workshops and continues to write. Her three daughters and seven grandchildren are, along with her desert home, her inspiration.