I am pleased to be part of author Liz Gauffreau’s blog tour, Day 10. To date, I’ve read Distant Flickers to which Liz contributed a short story and reviewed two of her books, Grief Songs and now Simple Pleasures. Liz shows up regularly to comment on my blog posts. Equally important, she has read and reviewed both of my memoirs, Mennonite Daughter and My Checkered Life. Whether she writes book reviews, historical fiction or poetry, Liz is at the top of her game. I count Liz among my most faithful online supporters and friend.
Introduction
Thank you, Marian, for hosting me on my blog tour for Simple Pleasures: Haiku from the Place Just Right. My hope for the book is to make readers feel good by spending some time in nature, away from the troubles of the world. I also hope the book will encourage readers to get out in nature with someone special.
Today, I’m sharing pictures of Cathedral Ledge and Echo Lake in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.This is another favorite place my husband and I return to at least once a year.
Cathedral Ledge and Echo Lake
Mr. Johnson says, “Aren’t we there yet?”
The view from the ledge. The sign near the fence says DO NOT THROW OBJECTS – CLIMBERS BELOW.
The view from the ledge from a different vantage point.
A kindly stranger offers to take our photograph!
This view of Echo Lake is my favorite.
Description
‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
‘Tis the gift to come down where I ought to be . . . .
~ Shaker song attributed to Joseph Brackett
The simple pleasures of our favorite places in nature are gifts of the spirit to be shared with others. In this collection of 53 haiku, each paired with a photograph, poet Liz Gauffreau invites readers to come with her to some of her favorite places in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Some places are long-time favorites going back years; others have become favorites by virtue of inspiring poetry.
Author Biography
Elizabeth Gauffreau writes fiction and poetry with a strong connection to family and place. Her work has been widely published in literary magazines, as well as several themed anthologies. Her short story “Henrietta’s Saving Grace” was awarded the 2022 Ben Nyberg prize for fiction by Choeofpleirn Press.
She has published a novel, Telling Sonny, and a collection of photo-poetry, Grief Songs: Poems of Love & Remembrance. She is currently working on a novel, The Weight of Snow and Regret, based on the closing of the last poor farm in Vermont in 1968.
Liz’s professional background is in nontraditional higher education, including academic advising, classroom and online teaching, curriculum development, and program administration. She received the Granite State College Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2018. Liz lives in Nottingham, New Hampshire with her husband. Find her online at https://lizgauffreau.com.
My Review of Simple Pleasures
Author Liz Gauffreau captures the beauty of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine both visually and in verse. The poet masterfully paints portraits of notable New England sites in a collection of 53 haiku, each paired with a scene from nature. Some pieces were especially nostalgic for me as I grew up in Pennsylvania with similar rural charm. There is so much to love about this book. From the font style to the photographic illustrations and the poems themselves, Simple Pleasures: Haiku from the Place Just Right is a treat to be savored. The poet has come lately to the haiku form, yet each vignette of three lines is polished to the point of perfection. I read the book digitally, but the print version would make a lovely gift. Amazon review
Book2Read Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/SimplePleasures
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BookFunnel PDF Purchase Link: https://buy.bookfunnel.com/gef1ili6qd
For any device.
Congratulations on this book release, Liz! Your dog’s name is Mr. Johnson? I’d love to hear the story behind that name choice.
Being out in nature is a great gift. Thank you for those wonderful photos. And thank you for hosting, Marian!
You are first responder today!
Liz will probably read this and give you some insight about her pet’s name. Thank you, L. Marie. 😀
Thank you, L. Marie! Mr. Johnson is a rescue. When we got him, his name was R.J. We didn’t really care for the name, so we went with Robert Johnson after the blues singer. I started calling him Mr. Johnson because it just seemed natural.
Love that! Thanks, Liz!
You’re welcome!
Thanks for this introduction to an author and part of the country I did not know before. You are very gracious in your support of other writers, Marian, and astute in finding connections between people, landscapes, and poetry. All the best with your tour, Liz!
It’s not hard to support Liz because of the quality of her work–and her support of others. I’m glad you learned more about the setting of her poetry as well, Shirley. 😀
Thank you very much, Shirley!
Good morning, Marian and Liz! Another wonderful stop on Liz’s tour. I also enjoyed Simple Pleasures, and I love seeing the family photos in this post.
If I remember correctly, Mr. Johnson is named for the blues singer.
Thank you for the comment here–and for following each step of the way on Liz’s blog tour. I think you’re right about “Mr. Johnson’s” name. 😀
You’re welcome, Marian! 😊
Good morning, Merril! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and the book. You’re correct that Mr. Johnson is named for the blues singer. Thank you for stopping by today!
You’re welcome, Liz. I thought I remembered a post and/or conversation we had about his name. He’s smiling in the photo with you and your husband. 😊
Marian, thanks for hosting Liz and her new book! I love Liz’s writing–and Liz!
Thank you very much, Luanne! 😊
My pleasure, Luanne! 😀
Thank you very much for hosting me today, Marian! I’m so glad you enjoyed Simple Pleasures and that it brought back memories of your growing-up years in a rural landscape.
You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take country out of the girl–trite but true, Liz!
Absolutely! When I lived in a city, I was definitely country-come-to-town.
😀
Marian, did you share your review of “Grief Songs” in a blog post? Is it based on a personal experience the author had with the loss of someone close to her? When I was first grieving Hardy’s passing, someone gifted me a book of poetry by Jan Richardson called “The Cure for Sorrow” which helped me immensely. Richardson lost her husband when she was young.
A book of 53 Haikus is quite an achievement! Thanks for sharing Gauffreau’s work with us. She has an impressive résumé!
I may have shared my review of Grief Songs before, but in case I haven’t here it is:
The first time I read poet Liz Gauffreau’s brief collection of tanka verse, I took in the gist. The second time reading through her Grief Songs, I absorbed the detail of each 31-syllable piece. Almost every reader can relate to loss and to grief. The poetry is personal and particular, reminiscent of the author’s own family, but readers can impose another face on the photographs displayed or connect the text to their own loved ones. My mouth dropped open when I came to the end–too soon. I recommend this brief collection as a nostalgic gift to oneself or to another soul, bereaved or not.
Also: the link to Grief Songs: https://www.amazon.com/review/R9RBCEAQST1EV/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
I agree, besides scripture, poetry can give solace. Thank you for tuning in, the voice of experience, Elfrieda! 😀
Thank you for recommending Grief Songs, Marian.
Thank you very much, Elfrieda!
Liz I haven’t read your books but thank you for sharing your photos. After reading some of Marian’s Haikus I wrote a couple but decided to stick with creating art 🙂 Your photos reminded me of a summer I spent counseling at Word of Life Ranch at Schroon Lake, New York. One weekend we went to the White Mountain area and enjoyed the scenery.
Best luck with your newest book!
I’m always happy when blog posts spark memories. I too remember visiting Schroon Lake but have never seen White Mountain. Thanks for commenting, Cliff! 😀
Thank you very much for your comment, Cliff!
A great review. I enjoyed this collection of haikus as well.the photos are wonderful.
Thank you for noticing–and commenting so faithfully, Darlene! 😀
Thank you, Darlene!
💖
The photographs. Oh, the photographs! Cheers to the simple pleasures of nature!
I agree Laurie–and thank you!
Hip hip hooray for nature! I’m glad you enjoyed the photographs, Laurie.
Great to see Liz featured here. I have shared both posts on Twitter.
Best wishes, Pete.
You are kind to share. . . and to pop in here to support Liz. Thank you!
Thank you, Pete!
Lovely photos. It looks a wonderful place to visit. Congratulations on a great review!
Thanks for tuning in, Stevie. I join you in congratulating Liz! 😀
Thank you, Stevie!
I love Mr. Johnson’s name, Liz. What a fun story behind his name! Your photos continue to share the beauty of Maine! Thanks so much to Marian for hosting.
Colleen, I remember you said you’d visit today, and here you are! Thanks for supporting Liz in this way. 😀
You’re so welcome, Marian. Liz is a great supporter of so many of us. How can we not return the favor? ❤️
I definitely agree!
Thank you, Colleen!
It’s wonderful to see Liz’s fantastic book getting so much attention. Thanks for your part in it, Marian.
I know Liz appreciates your support and thanks for showing up here. T. W. Her work is so deserving! 😀
Thank you very much, Tim!
What a lovely interlude, Marian. I love the photos and haiku in Liz’s new book, but it’s such fun to see more about the places that inspired her.
Me too, Joy, and thank you for commenting. This time her pet Mr. Johnson shows up in her travels, a fun addition. 😀
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Joy!
Great review! Absolutely awesome photographs!!! 🙂
Thank you for joining the conversation here, Linda. Liz and I both appreciate it! 😀
Thank you, Linda!
A very enjoyable post you hosted, Marian! Liz, those are wonderful photos of nature, humans, and dog. 🙂
Nature, humans, and dog are a winning combination for any blog post. Thanks for noticing, Dave. 😀
Thank you, Dave! I’m glad you enjoyed the photos.
Beautiful. The cold weather here and all over New England has made hiking more challenging than it already is since I had a bout of vertigo. The weather will change and so will my health–and nature will change, but I count on the beauty. It’s very green with goldenrod and pink phlox outside my office window. More Monarchs are on the way. Love from Nature to you and thanks to Elizabeth for inspiration.
My pleasure, Elaine!
Elaine, your entire life beats with the pulse of nature. Thanks for replying here–and for listing all the natural beauty that colors your world. 😀
Lovely pictures, I can see why you love to visit there Liz. What breed is your beautiful dog and what shampoo does he use?
Janet, thanks for visiting and asking questions. Soon Liz will spot your questions and give answers. I think Mr. Johnson is a rescue dog but I have no idea the breed or what shampoo she uses. 😀
Thank you, Janet. Mr. Johnson is a Siberian husky. We use whatever shampoo my husband grabs off the shelf, not any particular one.
Marian, thank you for giving our mutual friend, Liz, such a wonderful review. She sure does deserve it!
You’re welcome, GP. Thanks for being a part of our mutual admiration society! 😀
Thank you, GP!
Love the pictures, love the review, love the dog! Hopefully, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine will get an influx of tourists because of “Simple Pleasures. 🙂
Nancy, I love your predictions of a boost to the New England tourist industry. Thanks for tuning in and supporting Liz today. 😀
Thank you, Nancy! I had to chuckle at your tourist comment.
Congratulations on your book release, Liz! It’s so great to see you here on Marian’s blog. Nature and haiku go so well together and you’re right, it’s the perfect way to escape from everyday life. I love the pictures from Cathedral Ledge. The one with Echo Lake in it is beautiful!
Thank you, Barbara! I’m glad you enjoyed the Cathedral Ledge photos.
Barb, thanks for chiming in to support Liz and exclaiming about her lovely snapshots from nature. They are awesome! 😀
Thank you for featuring Liz today, Marian. I enjoyed your review, and many congratulations to Liz.
Welcome, John! Reviews make a difference, and I appreciate your reading mine for Liz’s Simple Pleasures. 😀
😁
Thank you, John!
The photographs are wonderful and I’m truly in love with your dog.❤️
Thank you for reading the post, Gigi. Liz will appreciate your loving her dog. 😀
Thank you, Gigi. Mr. Johnson is an attention-seeking fella!
That lake looks like it’s filled with magic.
And a wonderful photo of you and your traveling companions–I’ve both given and received the same kinds of photos. It always makes me smile from both ends. (K)
Welcome, Kerfe! You made me look back at Echo Lake and of course there’s magic in it! Thanks for noticing detail, visiting here and commenting. 😀
Thank you, Kerfe! I hadn’t thought of Echo Lake in quite that way before, but you’re right. It does look like a place where magic would reside. I agree about the feeling of capturing the moment for a stranger.
So nice to see you part of the blogtour Marian. Congrats again Liz! <3
Thank you, Debby. You are part of a large network of writers who support one another, Liz among them. 😀
Thank you, Debby!
Wonderful images, nature certainly is beautiful… Congratulations, Liz 🙂
Thank you, Carol! I feel blessed to live where I do.
Carol, I wonder if Liz’s photos remind you of places you’ve visited–perhaps sites in the British Isles. Thanks for dropping in here! 😀
Another fabulous review, Marian! Thanks for featuring Liz and her beautiful book. I look forward to reading, as I’m a nature fan. Congrats to Liz!
Lauren, good for you! You won’t be disappointed. 😀
Thank you so much, Lauren! I hope you enjoy Simple Pleasures.
Simple Pleasures is such a delightful collection!
Priscilla, it sounds as though you’ve read the book too. Hoorah! I see you refer to yourself as “the well read fish,” so maybe you will review the collection as well. Thank you for commenting! 😀
Thank you, Priscilla! I’m so glad you enjoyed Simple Pleasures.
Hi Marian, it is lovely to see Liz featured here. I think this is the first picture I’ve seen of her husband.
Thanks, Robbie. It is.
Yes, it’s nice to see the family together–including that handsome Siberian Husky. Thank you, Robbie! 😀
I enjoy the lovely views of Cathedral Ledge and Echo Lake, Liz! I can see the reason you and your husband return every year. I appreciate the sign that says, “Do not throw objects – climbers below.” It’s always nice when a stranger helps to take your photo and it turns out good. Thank you for hosting, Marian!
I too was interested in what the distant sign said. Thanks for being curious enough to read and kind enough to comment, Miriam!
Thank you, Miriam! (We shouldn’t throw objects below even if there aren’t any climbers!)
You’re welcome, Marian.❤️
Excellent!
You make a wonderful host.
I’m honoured to be hosting Liz in September. I have the book, and excited to read it.
Thank you!
Thank you, Resa. I’ll be watching for you in September, just around the corner. 😀
😀
Thank you, Resa! I hope you enjoy Simple Pleasures!