DR: I've been writing since childhood. I was always an avid reader and started writing stories around age 10. I began writing poetry during my sophomore year at Northland College in Ashland after moving out of my small dorm room and into a spacious apartment. Poems seemed to linger in the air there, ready to be plucked.

SP: How did your book come about?

DR: In the Heart of the Forest, is a collection of poems written over the course of several years. I was planning an exhibit of my paintings titled, "In the Heart of the Forest" in 1999 at the Duluth Art Institute and decided to use the same title for the collection of poems which would be published around the same time.

SP: What has writing taught you?

DR: Writing is a journey into the unknown. I always discover something new about myself, and the world, when I write.

SP: What can you share about your writing habits?

DR: First, I write most often in my home, in my painting studio. But when I travel I bring along a notebook and then I write in waiting rooms, or when sitting by a lake or river. Anywhere! I write my non-fiction articles on the computer, but for poetry, I prefer to write long hand in notebooks or on loose leaf lined paper that I keep in a 3 ring binder. I keep all my rough drafts because, later, I like to see the process when I have a poem completed. It's like seeing the brush strokes of a painting.
Second, I write in afternoons, after my household/yard chores are done and I don't have anything distracting on my mind.
Third, I write several days per week, but in winter, I write more often because in spring and fall I teach art classes. In the winter I have more time to focus on writing projects when I am home more often.

SP: Do you write in a journal?

DR: YES! I've been keeping journals since I was a teenager. I journal more regularly from September through May. In Summer I am busy tending to other tasks.

SP: Has any single book inspired you to write?

DR: I love Ray Bradbury's, Zen in the Art of Writing. It may be out of print and I don't own my own copy. I've borrowed it twice from a friend.

SP: What are your writing aspirations?

DR: I love to write all forms- short stories, plays, poetry. And I have several pages of a novel started. Goal setting is important for writers and I need to set some deadlines for myself to accomplish all my dreams!

SP: Whom do you envision as your audience?

DR: Everyone! I love to write children's stories and short fiction/plays for adults.

SP: Are you writing to anyone in particular as you create?

DR: I write my children's stories and young adult novel-in-progress with my 14-year-old daughter in mind because I often read my work to her. I write all other pieces with friends in mind. I share all my writing, including stories for children, with two writer friends. We meet regularly to critique and encourage each other with our writing. It's important that I get feedback, to be sure my work communicates clearly to others.

SP: Do you travel to gain inspiration or are you a home-body?

DR: I am a home-body! I am inspired mostly when it is 30 degrees below zero, in the silence of winter. But when do I travel, I am also inspired.

SP: Do local characters play a part in your writing?

DR: Wildlife from the Chequamegon National Forest near my home often appear in my poems.

SP: What do you think of the NY Times Best Seller List?

DR: It's always fun to look at a bookstore to see what the NY Times Best Seller List is. But there are lots of other good books out there. I like to roam the aisles of libraries or bookstores to discover something myself. No, I'm not reading a current NYT list book now.

SP: What contemporary book are you currently reading?

DR: I'm reading the book Jinxed by Carole Higgins Clark. I love mysteries. As far as fiction goes, I'm reading The Rest of Us by Jacquelyn Mitchard. In the non-fiction department I'm reading Ancient Moves by Franco Pagnucci

SP: Name an author you admire.

DR: I admire Ray Bradbury because his writing puts me in the mindset of wondering. He always stretches my imagination with his vivid writing.

SP: What do you do in your spare time? Hobbies?

DR: Besides being very involved with family and community activities and my life as a writer and painter (which is lots of fun), I love to cross country ski, snowshoe, hike, walk my dog, garden, sew, bake, try new recipes and crochet.