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Judith Prest
Education
B.A., The Evergreen State College, 1975
M.S.W., University at Albany - SUNY, 1983
Biographical Note
Judith Prest published her third poetry book in July of 2016. Elemental Connections is a book of Judith's nature poems, each paired with one of her nature photographs. It has gone into a second printing at this writing.
Judith still lives in Duanesburg, NY with her husband Alan Krieger and 3 cats.
Her website is spiritwindartcenter.com and you can also check out Spirit Wind Studio on Facebook.
Publication Type(s)
Poetry
Latest Publication Title
Elemental Connections, 2016
Notes by Judith: The idea for Elemental Connections came to me several years ago when I realized that I had quite a few nature poems and quite a few photographs that might go with those poems. “Elemental Connections” is also the name of one of the sections in Late Day Light, the poetry collection I published in 2011. Since then I have written more nature poems, taken more photos and finally it all came together this spring. This work is inspired by the work of Mary Reynolds Thompson, Efy, and Jan Phillips all of whom have published wonderful books with their writing and nature photographs. Nature is a healing force. I learned this very early because I was lucky enough to grow up on 45 acres of (then) mostly wild land in Delaware, with parents who were environmentalists and naturalists before it was “cool”. Gratitude to them and to all my teachers and mentors! And to Valerie Knight, vkdesign, without whom there would be no book!
“The poet Mary Oliver writes I don’t know exactly what a prayer is / I do know how to pay attention. So, it would appear, does Judith Prest. Her glorious book of images and poetry captures the wonder of the natural world with the kind of delicacy and detail born of quiet contemplation and a devoted heart.” — Mary Reynolds Thompson, author of Embrace Your Inner Wild: 52 Reflections for an Eco-Centric World and Reclaiming the Wild Soul: How Earth’s Landscapes Restore Us to Wholeness.
The book can be ordered by mail on the Spirit Wind Studio website.
Additional Publications
Late Day Light, 2011
Geography of Loss, 2006
Sailing on Spirit Wind: Midlife Reflections, Spirit Wind Books; Duanesberg, NY. 1998.
WildWoman's Scrapbook, 2002
Publication Excerpt
Why Poets Are Late for Work
I’m sorry I was late, but
the dam broke and I was
swimming upstream
in a torrent of words.
I’m sorry I was late, but
I discovered a poem
trapped in a pocket of light
and I had to rescue it.
I’m sorry I was late, but I
got impaled upon a pointy
thought shard
and it took some time
to remove it to the page.
I’m sorry I was late, but
I took a wrong turn and
got tangled
in a thicket of images.
I’m sorry I was late, but
I was herding
a cluster of
furry black poems
and you know
how long that takes
in the dark.
How did Evergreen help you in your career?
I was involved for two quarters in the group contract "Psychology, Literature and Dream Reflection". Writing in response to dreams really helped my poetry take off. The writing didn't really kick in fully however until 1996 or 1997 when mid-life hit me like a freight train and I began to write after a 25-year detour from creative pursuits. This led me to explore both Poetry Therapy and Expressive Art Therapy, as well as venturing into visual arts as a photographer and collage artist. I currently lead workshops on creativity and healing in retreat centers, prisons, schools, community programs and addiction treatment facilities. This has become my "real work" since my retirement from a school social work job after 26 years.
I think my Evergreen experience really helped me realize that I could publish my own work, and could forge my own path through the writing life as well as allowing me to see how to integrate creativity and healing into my social work career.