Karla K. Morton's "Hometown, Texas" is a collection of beautiful poems and artwork, created by high school and middle school students of small towns all over Texas and by Morton herself, making the collection very unique and intriguing. Each poem brings to life another piece of Texas that can easily be overlooked by those who do not quite understand why Texans are so passionate about their state.
The 2010 Texas Poet Laureate hit the road in September 2009, traveling to middle and high schools across the state, showing students the importance of writing and asking them to create something beautiful that accurately represented their town. From grandma's mustang jelly and Leddy's custom boots to forgotten railroads in Haslet, Friday night football, and even Mexican pride, Morton and her newly discovered creative writers do not miss a thing about the beloved small towns of Texas.
A great coffee table read, "Hometown, Texas" includes fabulous artwork drawn by talented students, giving a glimpse into the best of their hometowns. In this eclectic selection, the reader will easily turn page after page to learn a little something more about Texas from the Texan youth. The poetry is simple and authentic, allowing readers to fall in love with Texas all over again.

Poets Karla K. Morton and Alan Birkelbach began this journey to celebrate our national parks' 100th anniversary, but for these two poets the sojourns quickly became something greater than that. In their words, 'As humans we have this tendency to look at a piece of land and see real estate. [But] when concrete covers all our natural spaces, not only do we lose earth's creatures, we also lose the great teacher of our souls. You cannot sit beneath trees taller than the Statue of Liberty, or gaze upon vistas untouched since their creation, without feeling the awe and wonder of what the natural world has to offer. You cannot experience such beauty without being wholly changed. Our great-great-great-grandchildren deserve these untouched gifts'.This journey, illustrated with gorgeous colour photos of all of America's grand national parks, is a feast for the eyes and heart. In the end, it is a plea for us to save these wonders for all future generations.

Karla K. Morton's photographs are as sharp-edged as some of the tree branches and animal bones they depict. They are carefully composed and at the same time luminous. Her country buildings convey a touching nostalgia. And many of her landscapes capture the elegance and nobility of the natural world. Each of Alan Birkelbach's poems takes its cue from a Morton picture, stays true to the subject, then quickly-magically-moves into its own terrain, a region where image turns into memory and meditation. This combination of photograph-and-poem is highly satisfying. The two art forms are a perfect fit.

As the 2010 Texas Poet Laureate, Karla K. Morton believes that poetry is everyone's art, and has carved her place in Texas Letters with this stunning collection.
With well-loved titles such as "For Love and Michelangelo," "The Closer," "Why God Needs a Shotgun," "Alamo Coastline," "Woman in the Pipe Shop," and "When Texas No Longer Fits in the Glove Box," Morton's poetry will take you on a journey; her flowing style sparks memories and stirs emotions. Here's a short poem, inspired by a talk with her son, words of advice when he first fell in love:
Don't Be Nervous
when you see her.
Don't worry about
what you will say, or
how you will say it.
Just look at her,
and wonder
how your hand will fit
in the small of her back;
how many pins it takes
to hold up her hair. . .
It's no wonder Morton has been called "one of the more adventurous voices in American poetry . . ."

Wooden Lions is the ultimate animal-lovers' book, with each poem in this amazing collection cradling the soul of a creature. Morton's poetry winds through our connection with the animal spirit, breathlessly binding us forever in their wisdom; their endless lifting up of humankind. This is a celebration of all beasts, reminding us to cherish all those who nurture us. A percentage of these book sales will be donated to animal shelters and facilities across the country.

This collection, Morton's tenth, is a bold book of poetry delving into risks. It's the moving forward; the constant discovery of new things. Using a combination of quotes, mythological images, and exquisite metaphors from nature, Morton delivers poems that describe the absolute urgency of giving one's heart over to life, the burning drive to have faith in the world, the insistence that everything, in its own way, is holy. This book is unfettered joy.
Tending Fires
I wanted to write a sonnet last night,
because that's what lovers do, but the fire
needed tending, and all I could think of
were your shoulders, and that's not romantic,
so I put on another log, and thought
about that hot summer day underneath
that oak, when our shoulders brushed, and I blushed
at the nearness of you, and how we made
love that night . . . still . . . that's not what I wanted
to write . . . But it's you; you, my love. You are
my night and my morning, and the hot coals
beneath these logs . . . hear them hiss and whisper
like cicadas--cicadas of the trees,
and the summer, and of all things that burn.