Welcome to Claywoman's Lodgings

 

Hi, my name is Claywoman, I am Salish Indian born in Montana, adopted and raised in Kirkland, Washington, and now living in Sacramento, California. I am a fifty-four year old college student at CSUS, a grandmother of six strapping young men, mother to almost everyone I meet, and a writer. Presently, I am founder and president of the Inter-Tribal Student Alliance on the CSUS campus, and proud to be so.

I am a History and Ethnic Studies student hoping to receive my Master's degree so I can teach Indian History on the community college level. I was raised within the white society rather then the traditional society of my culture, but although not raised on the Reservation, my heart is there always.

I've always told stories to first my children, then to my grandchildren and their favorite stories include a certain little hermit crab named Herman. Herman grew from my vivid imagination to someone with his own personality and his own stubbornness. I once took a class in Creative Writing at our small community college, and for an assignment, I wrote Herman's first story. I gave it to a friend of mine who encouraged me to edit the story and try to get it published. So I did, now Herman will live for more children then I can count!

In this class the professor told us we had to write poetry. I was lost, I loved reading poetry, I loved savoring poetry, but I'd never written poetry! I had no idea how to go about writing a poem so I sat down and scribbled out my ideas on paper. When it came time to read our poems, the class grew silent, I was terrified I'd done something wrong. Then all started speaking at once, they loved it! My professor, Mrs. Imes didn't believe it was the first time I wrote a poem. No one did, from that small poem no longer then fourteen lines came the one space that is all mine. I love poetry, I love the coloration, I want the reader to feel, taste, touch, and see the world through my eyes. I hope in some small way I've succeeded.

I have so many people to thank, people who support me when I'm down, people who encourage me when I am discouraged, and people who believed in me when I doubted. For those people I dedicate this page and all my work to come. I thank my grandchildren, Dusty, Noah, William, AJ, Gabriel, and Dylan, for without them, Herman wouldn't be half as funny. I thank Dr. David Kinghorn and Harlene Adams for letting me talk their ears off, and telling me I can dig deeper within myself and find the poems from my core. David Kinghorn, you showed me life, you showed me just how vital I really am, and you showed me I can love. Finally, I thank my best friend Marty Carnegie and my God-Daughter Kate for all their love and support! Marty, you've stood by me in so many ways, you were there when I left my husband and a destructive marriage. You are here for me when I wonder if my life has meaning. Without you both, my life would be so very lonely!

The pages of this site are dedicated to those of you who write, who want to soar with eagles, and who want and need encouragement. I hope you post material here, I know I will, I hope you share your thoughts and your problems here, I know I will, and I hope you find support and love here, I know I will. So take a look around, pull up a chair, put up your feet, and drink a cup of coffee and lets talk.