by Luke Mehall

BK Loren believes you have to listen in order to write. The Boulder County-based author of Animal, Mineral, Radical will give Durango a chance to listen to her stories Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. at Maria’s Bookshop.

Animal, Mineral, Radical: A Flock of Essays About Wildlife, Family and Food – proves you can’t judge a book by its cover. The book’s back cover features flattery by academic types using fancy words, which Loren rightfully deserves. But the praise dances around the simple reason why her book is valuable, for its incredibly raw and honest stories that cut to the core philosophical question of whether life is life worth living? And according to Loren, the answer – peppered with beautiful prose – is a resounding “yes!”

Just the Facts What: Meet the Author event with B.K. Loren, author of Animal, Mineral, Radical When: Tues., April 30, 6:30 p.m. Where: Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.

Reading Loren’s work, it is obvious her life has not been easy and she has suffered greatly with illness and depression, so much so that she could not even do what she clearly loves and does well, write. “Writing always heals, and at the same time, rips at the scars of old emotions,” she says. “There’s an old saying you can’t write about a house while it’s burning. I had to wait until the house stopped burning before I could write about much of what’s in the book.”

One of the most interesting stories is of a personal transformation that occurred in conjunction with the Loma Prieta earthquake in California in 1989 – the same quake that disrupted the World Series and tumbled the Bay Bridge. Something about the powerful event allowed her to break through, and ultimately overcome, some very dark emotions. She lost her house in the traumatic event, but gained back her will to live and be appreciative of the short time us human beings are given on this earth.

While there’s plenty of darkness in her book – for example, Loren’s mother’s slow deterioration from Parkinson’s – she has certainly seen the light, and there are many positive, uplifting pieces, too. One such piece is “This Little Piggy Stayed Home,” where she talks about her experiences and affinity for community supported agriculture (CSAs). Beautifully, she compares shopping at the grocery store for produce to a one-night stand, and talks about fruits and vegetables from a CSA as “the healthy, long-term relationship” that we truly need. After reading the essay it makes one yearn for the locally grown food whose season is about to be upon us.

Loren has some other insightful philosophies as well, gained through years of trial and error. Her introduction outlines some of these thoughts and she shares that, “When a writer lets go of what she/he wants to say and puts the pen to paper after really listening, and not knowing what might hit the page, then all sorts of magic happens. A writer discovers things that never seemed possible before. That, to me is what writing is all about.”

Loren is a staunch proponent of the written word, and believes in the magic that lies within the pages of a printed book. She also is a big fan of independent bookstores and is excited about Tuesday’s presentation. “Every time I visit Durango, my day begins or ends with Maria’s,” Loren says. “It resonates with what Durango is as a community, and creates an intimacy. It’s packed to the gills with exactly what I need at the moment.”

Tuesday’s event is co-sponsored by the Durango-based Great Old Broads for Wilderness. Loren is also the author the novel Theft, which was published in 2012. For more information visit: www.mariasbookshop.com or call 970-247-1438.