In the second part of a two-part conversation, host Lauren Korn speaks with poet, farmer, and Missoula, Montana, county commissioner Josh Slotnick about his second book of poetry, If Only (Sandyhouse Press).
If Only documents an ongoing effort to recognize good stories when they come by—we don’t invent these types of stories so much as we spot them when they enter our lives. This little volume is a collection of that effort from the last handful of years of farming, working in local government, and being part of a family, written while wrestling with “Third Act Trouble” and a long-time farmer’s round awareness of time, all in an age of profound and perilous uncertainty.
You can listen to the first half of this conversation here.
About Josh:
Josh Slotnick has been farming with his wife Kim in Missoula, Montana, for the last thirty years. He’s also a father, grandfather, and an elected official. If Only is his second book of poetry.
Lauren Korn recommends:
If Only (Sandyhouse Press) and HomeFarm (Foothills Publishing) by Josh Slotnick
One Sentence Journal: Short Poems and Essays from the World at Large (Riverfeet Press) and Descended From a Travel-worn Satchel: Haiku & Haibun (Foothills Publishing) by Chris La Tray
The Mad Farmer Poems by Wendell Berry (Counterpoint Press)
On a Benediction of Wind: Poems and Photographs from the American West by Charles Finn and Barbara Michelman (Chatwin Books)
Leaning Toward the Light: Poems for Gardens and the Hands That Tend Them edited by Tess Taylor (Storey Publishing, LLC)
Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gay (University of Pittsburgh Press)
—
The Write Question team for this episode was Lauren Korn, host, co-producer, and editor; and Chris Moyles, co-producer, editor, and sound engineer. This episode is sponsored by Chapter One Bookstore in Hamilton, Montana, a literary and community resource for the Bitterroot Valley—providing space to explore, discover, and share passions since 1974. More information can be found at Chapter1Bookstore.com.
The Write Question logo and brand (2022) was designed by Molly Russell. You can see more of her work at iamthemollruss.com and on Instagram @iamthemollruss. Our music was written and recorded by John Floridis.
Funding for The Write Question comes from Humanities Montana; members of Montana Public Radio; and from the Greater Montana Foundation—encouraging communication on issues, trends, and values of importance to Montanans.
The Write Question is a production of Montana Public Radio.
