A mother-daughter writing duo took the spotlight at Willowtail Springs Nature Preserve and Education Center in Mancos last week.
Willowtail is a nonprofit, located along County Road 39, that has hosted residencies in the arts and ecology since 2012. Lisa and Kira Taylor took part in one of the residencies a few weeks ago, and the two women read aloud some of their writings at the center on June 26.
“As a writer, it doesn’t get better than an intimate audience of readers listening,” Taylor said of the event.
Lisa Taylor lives in Connecticut, but she and her husband plan to move to Mancos in a year to be closer to their daughter Kira, who teaches at Manaugh Elementary.
Lisa is a creative writer and teacher who focuses on poetry and fiction. She hopes to fill a writing niche within the town’s arts community, she said.
The residency was one week long, from June 3-10. During the week, Lisa worked on her short story writing and the third draft of a novel she’s working on titled “The Shape of What Remains.”
“Mostly it is a story about the intractable nature of grief and how it redefines us in ways we cannot imagine,” Lisa said.
Kira focused on nature-inspired poetry, which she read aloud at the June 26 reading.
“Kira Taylor’s presentation of her poetry was both lyrical and enlightening,” said Mancos resident Elizabeth Wetherill, who attended the event. “Blending her science based researcher’s mind with an impassioned heart for nature rendered a beautiful balance of observation anyone could feel and respect.”
In addition to the Willowtail residency, Lisa Taylor also taught a fiction-writing workshop at School of the West on June 15 – Liars, Criminals, and Lovers: Entering the World of Fiction.
Willowtail Springs will have a presentation at the Mancos Public Library on Aug. 1 at 7 p.m.
This story was updated July 11 to clarify the date of the upcoming library presentation.ealvero@the-journal.com