Tangled Up in the West

After a high school summer spent on an idyllic Utah cattle ranch and a strong interest in biology, the LA-raised author made a connection with the land. He carried these interests into college, graduating from San Jose State in 1969 with a degree in biological sciences. In the late 70s, he worked for a farm-chemical dealer, selling pesticides, fertilizer and seeds to farmers in the Santa Clara Valley, California. Working closely with growers during these difficult economic times, he observed business failures and the stress that comes with farming. He noted that humor borne from these difficulties, helped the farmers to deal with their adversities. The author is "Tangled Up" in his farming dreams and the reality that he cannot escape his bureaucratic livelihood. He captures this frustration in a series of humorous poems drawn from his experiences and observations working with farmers and the government agencies that regulate them. (Short Discount)