Nina Kothe and Karen Bellerose, both of Norwood, will be the featured speakers at the Talking Gourds’ monthly Stories & Poems series at the Lone Cone Library in Norwood on Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 6 p.m.
“Kothe, who worked for San Miguel County before taking a job at the Lone Cone Library, will be talking about housing opportunities in the area,” explained Talking Gourds Director Art Goodtimes. “And, Bellerose will be performing her stories, essays and poems.”
Kothe has lived in the area for the last 38 years. She was educated to be a secondary-level social studies teacher, but wound up working for local governments for 26 years instead. One of her responsibilities was managing various grants and special projects. Part of her expertise in housing comes from having rented in the Ski Ranches neighborhood, the Town of Telluride and the Fall Creek area, until finally she settled in Norwood 16 years ago as a homeowner. Retired, she now works part-time at the Lone Cone Library.
“I managed construction on the six Habitat for Humanity homes here in Norwood, as well as my own home,” said Kothe. ”I have a passion for design and particularly housing and interior design.”
Originally from central Illinois, Bellerose has lived and written in San Miguel County since the 1990s. She spent a decade in local and regional journalism, which included editing for The Norwood Post between 2000-04.
In January of this year, she launched Spruce and Sagebrush, a blog of essays and poems influenced by living in and exploring the Colorado Plateau and the southern Rocky Mountains. Though rooted in place, her writing is raised in modern life and reflects the tension of trying to stay connected to both the natural world and the human one, “even as the two seem to grow further apart,” she notes.
The Stories & Poems, a free series, happens on the third Wednesday of each month. The featured guests will give a 15 to 20 minute presentation each, followed by a short question and answer period after the presentation. Then, there’s a passing of the gourd, during which community members are encouraged to share stories or poems.
For those who like prompts for stories or poems, this month’s theme is “Home.”
A collaboration of the Lone Cone Library and the Telluride Institute’s Talking Gourds poetry program, Stories & Poems is free and open to all ages, thanks to the generosity of the library, a Town of Telluride CCAASE grant, private donors and the Talking Gourds’ Fischer & Cantor poetry contests.
For more information on the event or upcoming sessions in the series, those interested may text 970-729-0220 or email Goodtimes at art@tellurideinstitute.org. All are invited to visit the website tellurideinstitute.org/talking-gourds.
